China CNC supplier audits by machining engineers, not general inspectors.
We go to the factory and verify the machines, the metrology lab and the process against your drawings, so you know whether a supplier can really hold your tolerances before you place the order.
What a sales video won't show you
These are the problems we see most often when we audit Chinese machining suppliers in person.
A trading company posing as a factory
The "factory tour" is someone else's shop. The registered business scope says import/export, not manufacturing.
"We have 5-axis"
One machine, often 3+2, shared across every customer. Or the machine on the list was sold last year.
Metrology that can't hold your tolerance
The CMM is out of calibration, or nobody on site can program it. Inspection reports get filled in by hand.
Hidden outsourcing
Heat treatment, plating and anodizing go to sub-suppliers nobody checks. That's where many failures start.
First articles that don't match production
Samples get made carefully by the best machinist. Production runs on different machines and setups.
Certificates that don't check out
The ISO certificate is expired, issued to a different company, or from a body that isn't accredited.
Machining audit vs. general inspection
| General inspection company | CNCAudit | |
|---|---|---|
| Who audits | General inspector covering any product category | Machining quality engineer |
| Reads your drawings & GD&T | Rarely | Yes, it's the starting point |
| Verifies machine models & real capability | Checks a list | Machine by machine, against your parts |
| CMM & calibration review | Checks a certificate exists | Reviews records, witnesses measurement |
| Outsourced processes | Often missed | Identified, sub-tier audit available |
| Quote reasonableness | Not offered | Should-cost review available |
Fixed prices. Travel included in the YRD and PRD.
Pick the depth you need. Every on-site audit ends with a clear recommendation: approve, conditional or reject.
Desk Verification
Find out whether the supplier is a real, legally registered machining factory before you spend money on samples.
- Business license and registered scope checked via the Unified Social Credit Code: factory or trading company?
- ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 / AS9100 / ISO 13485 certificates verified with the issuing body
- Litigation, administrative penalty and operating-status check
- 60-minute live video walk-through of the shop floor, directed by our engineer
Machining Capability Audit
An engineer visits the factory and verifies what it can actually machine and measure, not what the sales deck says.
- Machine-by-machine verification: brand, model, axes, age and condition, against the supplier’s equipment list
- Metrology lab check: CMM, height gauges, thread and pin gauges, calibration status and records
- Process flow walk-through: programming, setup, first-article and in-process inspection
- Outsourced processes identified: heat treatment, plating, anodizing, grinding
Technical Supplier Qualification
Everything in the Capability Audit, plus a review of your actual parts and the supplier’s ability to make them to drawing.
- Everything in the Machining Capability Audit
- Drawing review with the supplier: GD&T interpretation, critical characteristics, process feasibility
- Witnessed CMM measurement of samples or first articles; we review the spread, not just pass/fail
- PPAP / FAI documentation review (AS9102-style FAI, control plan, PFMEA, MSA) where applicable
A report you can act on, not a checklist
Every finding has photos, a severity rating and what it means for your parts. Scores show you where the supplier is strong and where it's weak.
What's inside the reportRecommendation: CONDITIONAL APPROVAL
MAJOR CMM last calibrated 19 months ago; no records for thread gauges.
MINOR Anodizing outsourced; supplier holds no incoming inspection records.
OK 4 of 5 listed 5-axis machines verified on site (1 is 3+2).
Example layout with illustrative values.
From request to report in about two weeks
Tell us about the supplier
Supplier name, city, part type and what worries you. No drawings needed yet.
Fixed quote in 24 hours
We confirm the scope and price. We sign an NDA before you share drawings.
On-site audit
Our engineer visits the factory, usually within 5–10 working days.
Report & debrief
English report in 48 hours, plus a call to walk you through the findings.
Common questions
How are you different from a general inspection company?
General inspection firms send inspectors who check garments one day and electronics the next, working from a generic checklist. Our audits are carried out by machining quality engineers who read your drawings, understand GD&T and can judge whether a shop’s machines, fixturing and metrology are actually capable of holding your tolerances.
Are you really independent?
Yes. We are paid only by the buyer. We take no commission, referral fee or payment of any kind from factories, and our reports go only to the client who ordered them. If we have any relationship with a supplier you ask us to audit, we tell you before accepting the job.
Which regions do you cover?
Our fixed prices include travel in the Yangtze River Delta (Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang) and the Pearl River Delta (Guangdong). We also audit in other provinces; travel is then quoted at cost before you confirm.
Do I need to send my drawings?
Not to get a quote. For a Technical Supplier Qualification we need the relevant drawings, and we sign your NDA (or ours) before you send anything.
Found a supplier? Check it before you send the PO.
Tell us who and where. You'll get a fixed-price quote within 24 hours.