01
Drawing review
Find the expensive question before metal is cut.
We review bend access, fastener order, key interfaces, surface-finish requirements and the information still missing from the quote.
Target initial response: within 8 hoursPrototype lab for product teams
You design the product. We make it real and ready to repeat.
CertaShift makes the first sample, writes the work instructions, and controls the suppliers behind each approved drawing version.
DFM review
First sample
Work instructions
Prototype planDrawing → review → make → check
Concept shown to explain the production plan
One approved production plan, carried forward.
- Send the design
- First sample
- Check the sample
- Work instructions
- Next batch
01
Not a parts catalog
A small lab with a larger production reach
Your team develops the product. We make the physical version predictable.
One production lead stays accountable from the first drawing review through metalwork, surface finish, assembly, inspection and the next product version. The goal is not simply to deliver a prototype. The goal is to learn from it.
Prototype firstDocument what worksControl the next batch
02
Core principle
Start with the problem
Your problem first. One practical solution, all the way to production.
We start with the difficulty holding your project back, then package the right mix of design support, first-sample making, work instructions and supplier control into one practical plan.
Understand the constraintPackage the right answerCarry it into the next batch
03
Inside the workflow
Prototype first. Write the method. Control the next batch.
The first sample is where the production process begins.
02
Production review
Choose a production plan that can actually be made.
You see the risk, the practical options and the trade-off. No design change is released without your approval.
Free initial feasibility review03
First sample
Make one sample reveal what the drawing cannot.
The sample is checked for fit, assembly sequence, key dimensions, appearance and the details that will matter in the next batch.
One-piece minimum order, timing depends on the project04
Work instructions
Turn production-floor knowledge into clear work instructions.
Approved settings, inspection points, assembly notes, surface-finish references and packaging requirements can be saved in the project record.
Work instructions follow project needs05
Next batch
Scale the order without starting from zero.
Fixtures, gauges, bought-in parts and outside processes are coordinated against the approved drawing version, with inspection records collected at agreed checkpoints.
Small-batch production and supplier control04
DFM in practice
Real production sequence, not a generic checklist
The CAD looked fine. The press could not reach it.
A pressed-in nut was placed close to a formed edge. After bending, the press could no longer reach it properly. A manual workaround saved the prototype, but it was not a stable production plan.
Drawing intentInstall the threaded part
→Production questionCan we install it after bending?
→Production decisionChange the fastener or the order
01
Can the tool reach it?
02
Assembly sequence
03
Can it be repaired?
Fastener near a bend
Can it still be installed, supported and repaired after forming?
Long-bend accuracy
Is the difference coming from material, tooling, backgauge or crowning compensation?
Surface finish and assembly
Will the coating, fastener sequence or mating gap change the result?
05
Show the work
Records collected while the project moves
A prototype should leave behind more than a tracking number.
The first build becomes a small production record: process evidence, finish references, batch output and a clean handoff to shipping.
06
Prototype to work instructions
The first sample starts the control plan
Write the method before the next order needs it.
Depending on the project, the project record can include tools, fixtures, key dimensions, inspection points, surface-finish settings, assembly sequence, bought-in parts and packaging instructions.
See how projects are controlledApproved first sample
Drawing, photos and agreed acceptance points.
Same setup next time
Fixtures, work notes and checking method.
Known starting point
Changes receive a new version instead of an old surprise.
Approved drawing versionOne production leadPlan, records and changes stay connected.
07
Supply chain control
One production lead across the approved plan
Your product moves through suppliers. The production method stays under one control.
CertaShift coordinates cutting, bending, fasteners, bought-in parts, surface finish, assembly, inspection and packaging against one approved drawing version.
- DrawingThe approved drawing remains the reference.
- Supplier planEach process goes to a supplier suited to the actual risk.
- Inspection recordsAgreed dimensions, surface finish and assembly checks are recorded.
- Next batchThe next batch starts from the approved method, not from memory.
For teams that own the design and need someone to own production
Keep product control. Let us handle the production complexity.
Product and engineering teams
The design is ready enough to test, but the local prototype queue is not.
Start from CAD, a marked PDF or even a reference image. We can review DFM, coordinate purchased parts, assemble the prototype and show what changed before your next design review.
See this working model →Design firms
Your client expects a working product, not a handoff to another supplier problem.
Keep the design relationship. We coordinate metalwork, surface finish, assembly, inspection and the project record while you stay in control of the design and client communication.
See this working model →Fabrication shops
A 1 to 10 piece enclosure is important to your customer but disruptive to your schedule.
Use us behind your shop for awkward enclosures, overflow, engineering work and surface-finish coordination. Your end customer remains your end customer.
See this working model →Resellers and purchasing teams
Margin matters, but a quality problem costs more than the difference between two quotes.
We work to the confirmed drawing and commercial path, document agreed inspection points and do not bypass your customer relationship.
See this working model →A separate option, kept deliberately clear
Equipment projects based on a reference machine, when the scope is clear.
For clearly defined, lawful projects, we can evaluate reverse engineering, special parts, customer-branded preparation, assembly and packaging. Timing follows the real complexity.
Discuss custom equipment
Start with the real project
Send the drawing. We will turn uncertainty into a production plan.
CAD, PDF, marked screenshot, reference image or sketch. Add quantity, material, surface finish and delivery ZIP code when available.