British Columbia
A REORDER IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE SAMPLE YOU SIGNED
Every reorder should point back to one approved sample and one drawing revision, so the hundredth part matches the first.
Taking a sheet metal prototype to production comes down to three things you settle once. You check the first part against the drawing, you sign off a sample, and you lock the drawing revision it was made to. The revision is the letter on the drawing that moves up each time the design changes. Every reorder then points back to that sample and that letter. This guide walks through each step, starting with whether you need a prototype at all.
A single prototype carries all of its own setup cost. A repeat part shares that cost with the rest of the batch. The prototype earns its price when a mistake caught later would cost a whole run.
| Your situation | What to order | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A new design nobody has built yet | A prototype first | Holes, bends, and fit get tested on one part instead of a whole batch |
| The part bolts to something else you make | A prototype first, checked against the mating part | A part can match its drawing and still clash with the piece it attaches to |
| A part that already works, with a full drawing | A short run, with the first part checked before the rest | The design is proven, so the first part off the run does the prototype's job |
| A cover or panel customers will see | A finish sample first | The surface and grain get approved before a whole run is finished the same way |
| Only a worn part to copy, with no drawing | A drawing first, which we can make for a fee that's credited when you order, then a prototype | A worn part shows where it failed, not the size it started at |
| Thousands a year of a design that won't change | A quote from a stamping shop | At that volume, a stamping die can make each part for less than cutting and folding can |
If you're not sure which row fits your part, send the drawing and we'll suggest one. The setup cost behind a single part is laid out in Why Small Custom Metal Parts Cost More.
The first part gets checked in full against the drawing. Aerospace calls this a first article inspection, and the same habit protects any repeat part.
| What to check | How | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Every dimension and hole location | Measure each one shown on the drawing | A hole in the wrong spot repeats in every part after it |
| Bends and angles | Check each bend against the drawing with a square or protractor | One bend a few degrees out can stop a panel sitting flat |
| Metal, thickness, and grade | Compare the part with the order and the material on the drawing | The wrong metal can look right and still wear out early |
| Finish and grain direction | Hold it next to the finish you approved | A finish is hard to change once a whole batch is made |
| Fit with the parts around it | Bolt it to the machine or mating part | The drawing can be right and the part still clash with a bracket nearby |
| Hardware and markings | Count the fasteners, inserts, and labels | A missing insert stops the assembly line just like a wrong hole |
Sign only when every row checks out. The full method, with a sign-off sheet, is in First-Article Approval and What to Check.
A drawing revision lets everyone point at the same version of a part. Without one, "the bracket" can mean two different parts on two different shelves.
Every time the drawing changes, it gets the next letter. The first version is A, then B, then C. A short note on the drawing says what changed, so you can tell which version a part was made to.
If the part itself changes, so does the letter. That covers a new size, hole, bend, metal, or finish. If the drawing is only tidied up and the part stays the same, the letter stays too.
If the change affects how the part fits or works, check the first part made to the new letter before the rest are made. A moved hole can clash with the piece it bolts to, the same way a new design can. A note added to the drawing doesn't need this.
When the letter changes, you may still have parts made to the old one. Tell the shop what to do with them. Use them up first, have them reworked to match, or set them aside so they don't get mixed in with the new ones.
Put the revision letter on every order you send. Revision Control on Repeat Parts shows how to run revisions across a whole family of parts.
The goal is a hundredth bracket identical to the first. Most parts get there by the same path.
Drawing and quote. Send the drawing with its revision letter and the quantity for the first run. Add a rough yearly number, so batch sizes and the run price can be planned around it.
Prototype or first part. One part is made and checked against every dimension on the drawing.
Your sign-off. Ask for the first part or a sample, test it on the machine, then approve it and its revision in writing.
The first run. Parts are made to the signed revision and checked again before they leave.
Reorders. Give the part number and revision letter, and the run matches the sample you signed.
From one prototype to a steady reorder
Step 3 is the one you sign, and every run after it points back to that sample.
Drawing and quote
Drawing with its revision letter, plus first-run and yearly quantities
Prototype or first part
One part made and checked against every dimension on the drawing
You sign it off
Ask for a sample, test it, then approve it and its revision in writing
The first run
Made to the signed revision and checked before it leaves
Reorders
Give the part number and revision, and the run matches the sample
When the design changes
The drawing gets the next letter (B becomes C), a change to fit or function gets a new first-part check, and you decide what happens to parts already made.
"Same as last time" works only when everyone remembers last time the same way. Each line below shows what a quick reorder leaves out.
| What the reorder says | What it leaves out | What to write instead |
|---|---|---|
| "Same as last time" | Which part, which revision, and how many | "Bracket BR-204, revision C, 50 pieces, packed like order 1182" |
| "Send the updated version" | What changed, and whether the old parts are still good | "Revision D moves the slot 5 mm. Use up the revision C parts first" |
| "Make it in aluminum this time" | That a new metal is a design change | "New revision E in aluminum, first part to our engineer before the run" |
| "Need them as soon as possible" | A date, and where the parts go | "50 by Friday, delivered to the assembly bay" |
Prototypes and repeat parts are cut, formed, welded, and assembled on our floor in Pitt Meadows. The job runs through the same checks from the first part to the last reorder.
Reading the drawing. We check the tolerances, the quantities, and which revision is current before quoting.
Making the first part. It's cut, folded, and welded or assembled, then checked against the drawing.
Your review. When we've agreed on a sample, it comes to you to test before the run starts.
Running the batch. Each part is checked for its dimensions, material, finish, and drawing revision before it leaves.
Keeping it on file. The approved drawing and its revision stay on file for the next order.
Once the sample is approved and the deposit is in, repeat parts are typically ready in about a day. The exact time depends on the size of the order. If a batch doesn't match the signed sample and revision, and the mistake was ours, we fix or remake it at no charge. Each part is shaped through our cutting and bending work, then joined through welding and assembly.
A local shop makes sense when you reorder a handful to a few hundred parts at a time, or when the design may still change. If you need thousands a year of a part that never changes, a stamping shop will likely cost less. It presses each part out in one stroke with a die built for that part, and at that volume the die's cost spreads thin.
Once you need thousands a year of a final design, a stamping shop's die will likely make each part for less. We'll tell you when a run has outgrown us, even if it means losing the reorder.
Each item here saves an email before the quote. The metals and finishes we work in are listed on their own page. What Duct Duct Goose Needs to Quote Custom Metalwork has the list for any custom job.
More guides for repeat parts are in OEM, Prototype and Repeat Production.
A full drawing with every tolerance marked and a sketch on the back of a work order are both a fine place to start. We'll tell you what's missing before the first part is cut.
Standard ductwork and fittings price instantly on WebDuct, the online pricing and ordering portal, with a company account. Prototypes, production parts, stainless, and other custom work start with a request or a call.
At Duct Duct Goose, we specialize in sheet metal fabrication and stainless steel services for commercial and industrial applications, including HVAC systems, ducts, and custom metalwork. Please note that we do not offer services for automotive-related projects, such as vehicle parts, repairs, or modifications.
