One of the most common questions we receive from new buyers is simple: "How long will my parts take?" The honest answer is that a custom stamping project from first drawing to first mass-production shipment typically runs 4 to 8 weeks - and most of that time is tooling, not production. Here is where the time actually goes.
Stage 1: DFM review and quotation (1–3 days)
You send a 2D drawing or STEP file. Our engineers check wall thickness, hole-to-edge distances, bend radii, and tolerance callouts, then flag anything that will be difficult to form. A serious supplier does this before quoting - it protects both sides from a tooling failure three weeks later.
Stage 2: Tooling design and fabrication (15–25 days)
This is the longest stage, and it is unavoidable for new custom parts.
- Single-station dies: 7–12 days, suitable for simple parts at moderate volumes
- Progressive dies: 15–25 days, required for high-volume precision parts
- Deep drawing dies with multiple stages: 20–30 days
A supplier who promises a complex progressive die in one week is either reusing an existing die or cutting corners on die steel quality.
Stage 3: Die tryout and first samples (5–7 days)
The die is mounted on the press, test blanks are run, and dimensional issues are corrected. First article samples go to the CMM for a full dimensional report.
Stage 4: Customer approval and PPAP (3–7 days, depends on you)
You review the samples and the dimensional report. For automotive or regulated industries, PPAP documentation (material certs, process flow, capability studies) is prepared in this window. Buyer-side approval time is often the most underestimated part of the whole schedule - build it into your project plan.
Stage 5: Mass production (10–20 days)
Once the die is approved, production runs are fast. A 50,000-piece order of a mid-size part typically ships within 10–15 days. Repeat orders skip Stages 1–4 entirely and ship in 10–20 days from PO.
Total: 4 to 8 weeks for a new custom part
How to compress the timeline
- Send complete drawings up front: revisions during tooling add days each round
- Pre-book your internal approval time: if your engineering team needs a week to review samples, tell the supplier before samples ship
- Choose a supplier with in-house tooling: outsourced die shops add 5–10 days of queue time
- For urgent programs, ask about soft-tooling prototypes: laser-cut and formed samples can validate fit in 5–7 days while the production die is being built
Red flags when evaluating a quoted schedule
- A new progressive die promised in under 10 days
- No tryout or sample stage mentioned at all
- "Samples in 3 days" for a part that clearly needs custom tooling
- Reluctance to put the tooling timeline in writing
At Zhejiang Shangshi Precision Hardware (Shangshi), we keep tooling in-house precisely to control this timeline. Typical new-part programs run 4–6 weeks from drawing to first shipment, with weekly progress updates including die-machining photos, so you always know where your project stands.
Planning a project with a hard deadline? Send your drawing and target date to ella.shangshi@gmail.com or WhatsApp +86 13968763726 - we will tell you honestly whether the schedule works before you commit.
