Guides for buyers and engineers sourcing CNC machined parts from shops in Vietnam.https://vncnc.com/https://vncnc.com/blog/cmm-height-gauge-or-optical-comparator/https://vncnc.com/blog/cmm-height-gauge-or-optical-comparator/What a CMM, a height gauge and an optical comparator each measure well, where they fall short, and how to name the check on a drawing so the report has meaning.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/carbon-and-alloy-steels-1045-4140-4340/https://vncnc.com/blog/carbon-and-alloy-steels-1045-4140-4340/How 1045, 4140 and 4340 differ in strength, hardenability and machinability, which condition to buy, how to protect them from rust and what to write in an RFQ.Sun, 11 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/brass-and-copper-grades-for-machined-parts/https://vncnc.com/blog/brass-and-copper-grades-for-machined-parts/How common brass and copper grades differ in machinability, conductivity and corrosion, what lead means for compliance, and how to name the grade in an RFQ.Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/cnc-machining-cost-in-vietnam/https://vncnc.com/blog/cnc-machining-cost-in-vietnam/Where the cost of a machined part sits in Vietnam, which lines are genuinely cheaper than a Western shop, which are not, and the freight maths that decides if it is worth it.Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/how-to-buy-machined-parts-from-vietnam/https://vncnc.com/blog/how-to-buy-machined-parts-from-vietnam/The three routes into Vietnam machining, what each one asks of you, the documents you need and the order of operations that keeps a first order from going wrong.Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/cnc-machining-lead-times/https://vncnc.com/blog/cnc-machining-lead-times/Why a four week lead time can mean three different dates, what material availability does to a schedule, and how to plan an order so the date you are given is the date you get.Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/minimum-order-quantity-machining/https://vncnc.com/blog/minimum-order-quantity-machining/Why machining minimums are about order value rather than piece count, where the real floor sits once freight and setup are counted, and how to structure a small order so it is worth running.Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/adding-a-second-machining-source/https://vncnc.com/blog/adding-a-second-machining-source/How to qualify a second supplier for parts you already buy: which parts to move first, what to keep identical, how to compare fairly and what a realistic timeline looks like.Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/what-a-dfm-review-changes/https://vncnc.com/blog/what-a-dfm-review-changes/Design for manufacture is a specific conversation, not a service badge. What a real review looks at, what each change is worth, and how to ask for one that is worth reading.Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/what-to-include-in-a-cnc-machining-rfq/https://vncnc.com/blog/what-to-include-in-a-cnc-machining-rfq/The eight things a machine shop needs before it can price your part, why each one moves the number, and the four mistakes that turn a quote request into a week of email.Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/how-to-compare-cnc-machining-quotes/https://vncnc.com/blog/how-to-compare-cnc-machining-quotes/Two honest quotes for the same part can differ by half. Here is how to normalise them line by line, which questions close the gap and when the cheapest quote is the expensive one.Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/choosing-3-axis-4-axis-or-5-axis/https://vncnc.com/blog/choosing-3-axis-4-axis-or-5-axis/Setups drive the price of a machined part, not the axis count on the machine. How to read your own drawing and work out which machine your geometry belongs on.Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/milling-vs-turning-which-process-your-part-needs/https://vncnc.com/blog/milling-vs-turning-which-process-your-part-needs/Round parts turn, prismatic parts mill, and the interesting cases sit in between. How mill-turn, live tooling and second operations change the price of your part.Sat, 05 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/when-you-actually-need-edm/https://vncnc.com/blog/when-you-actually-need-edm/Wire EDM and sinker EDM solve problems milling cannot: hardened material, sharp internal corners and deep thin features. Here is how to tell if your part needs one.Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/surface-finishing-options-for-machined-parts/https://vncnc.com/blog/surface-finishing-options-for-machined-parts/A practical guide to the finishes shops apply to machined parts, what each one costs in days and money, and how to specify one so every quote means the same thing.Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/grinding-when-machining-is-not-enough/https://vncnc.com/blog/grinding-when-machining-is-not-enough/Surface, cylindrical and centreless grinding hold tolerances and finishes a mill or lathe cannot. How to tell if your drawing needs one and how to specify it.Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/dfm-checklist-that-cuts-machining-cost/https://vncnc.com/blog/dfm-checklist-that-cuts-machining-cost/Design for manufacturability for CNC parts, written as a checklist you can run against your own model before you ask anyone for a price.Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/wall-thickness-pockets-and-corners/https://vncnc.com/blog/wall-thickness-pockets-and-corners/Three features decide how long a machined part spends on the spindle. What the practical limits are in metal and plastic, and how to design inside them.Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/threads-tapped-holes-and-inserts/https://vncnc.com/blog/threads-tapped-holes-and-inserts/Thread callouts, engagement depth, tapping versus thread milling and when to use a threaded insert. The details that decide whether your threads are right first time.Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/one-machined-part-or-an-assembly/https://vncnc.com/blog/one-machined-part-or-an-assembly/Machining one complex part from solid is not always cheaper than making two simple ones and joining them. How to decide, and what each route costs in tolerance.Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/vetting-a-cnc-machine-shop-in-vietnam/https://vncnc.com/blog/vetting-a-cnc-machine-shop-in-vietnam/The questions, documents and small tests that separate a shop which can hold your tolerance from one that will discover the problem at first article inspection.Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/tolerances-explained-for-buyers/https://vncnc.com/blog/tolerances-explained-for-buyers/General tolerance standards, what shops hold routinely and why a blanket tight tolerance is the most expensive line on a drawing. Written for buyers, not machinists.Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/gdt-basics-for-buyers/https://vncnc.com/blog/gdt-basics-for-buyers/Datums, position, flatness and profile explained in plain language, with what each one asks the shop to do and what it adds to inspection time and cost.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/first-article-inspection-explained/https://vncnc.com/blog/first-article-inspection-explained/What a first article is, what belongs in the report, how to agree the acceptance rules before production and what to do when a dimension comes back out of tolerance.Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/aluminium-grades-for-machined-parts/https://vncnc.com/blog/aluminium-grades-for-machined-parts/What separates the common machining aluminium grades in strength, machinability, corrosion resistance and finish, and which ones are on the shelf in Vietnam.Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/stainless-steel-grades-for-machined-parts/https://vncnc.com/blog/stainless-steel-grades-for-machined-parts/How the common stainless grades differ in machinability, corrosion resistance and strength, what each one does to your machining cost and which are stocked in Vietnam.Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/engineering-plastics-pom-nylon-peek/https://vncnc.com/blog/engineering-plastics-pom-nylon-peek/Engineering plastics machine fast and move afterwards. What to expect on tolerance, moisture, stress relief and cost, and how to specify a plastic part that comes back right.Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/material-substitution-in-a-quote/https://vncnc.com/blog/material-substitution-in-a-quote/Equivalent grades, local stock and certified heats. How to tell a sensible substitution from a quiet downgrade, and what to write in the request so it never becomes a dispute.Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/what-drives-the-price-of-a-machined-part/https://vncnc.com/blog/what-drives-the-price-of-a-machined-part/Machine time, setup, material, inspection and risk. Where the money goes in a CNC quote and which of those lines you can change without changing the design.Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/quantity-price-breaks-prototype-to-production/https://vncnc.com/blog/quantity-price-breaks-prototype-to-production/Why the unit price falls in steps rather than smoothly, where the real break points sit and how to ask for pricing that lets you plan a year instead of an order.Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://vncnc.com/blog/protecting-drawings-and-ip-when-sourcing-abroad/https://vncnc.com/blog/protecting-drawings-and-ip-when-sourcing-abroad/Practical steps that reduce the risk of a design being copied: what to send and when, how an NDA actually helps, and the commercial habits that matter more than the paperwork.Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT