ATI Service Sourcing

Background & Client Sourcing Goal

An industrial engineering and assembly firm in Sydney, NSW, required custom CNC machined aluminum mounting brackets and sheet metal enclosures. Sourcing these precision metal components locally in Australia was becoming too expensive due to high tooling and labor costs. They sought to transition production to a certified CNC fabricator in Jiangsu, China, while maintaining tight tolerances of +/- 0.02mm.

Supply Chain & Technical Challenges

High-precision OEM manufacturing requires strict oversight to prevent design errors and material issues. Key challenges included:

• Dimensional Tolerances: Ensuring components assemble correctly with no clearance issues.
• Material Certifications: Verifying that the aluminum alloy matches grade 6061-T6 and matches specifications.
• Intellectual Property (IP): Protecting engineering blueprints and proprietary CAD files from unauthorized copying.

Factory Selection & Quality Inspection

We selected a precision machining facility in Jiangsu, establishing a strict First Article Inspection (FAI) process:

• Dimensional Measurements: Inspecting FAI parts on a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) to verify dimensions against CAD blueprints.
• Spectroscopy Checks: Auditing raw aluminum alloy blocks to verify metal purity before starting mass production.
• Anodizing Inspections: Checking anodized surface finishes and verifying coating thicknesses to ensure corrosion protection.

Shipping Consolidation & Outcomes

Custom machined parts were packed in individual foam compartments and loaded into wooden shipping crates. Sourced items cleared customs at Port Botany under the ChAFTA tariff concession, saving 5% in duties. The direct-factory supply model reduced the client's manufacturing and tooling costs by 31.2%, with zero tolerance issues during assembly.