Straight answers on deep drawing, metal stamping, CNC machining, solenoid valve housings, materials, tolerances, IMDS and RFQ lead times — written from Balford's factory floor in Zhuji, Zhejiang, China (ISO 9001:2015, 12,000 m², 500+ machines).
For the long-form version of many of these questions, see the ultimate guide to metal stamping.
Balford is the factory brand of Zhejiang Balford Mechatronics Co., Ltd. in Zhuji, Zhejiang, China — a 12,000 m² plant with more than 500 machines for deep drawing, stamping, CNC machining, brazing and tube forming. See the factory profile.
Balford operates at 2#, Guangfa Road, Yaojiang, Zhuji, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, 311800, China, about 150 km from the Ningbo and Shanghai export ports.
From small batches to large-scale production. Capacity covers prototype runs through steady OEM volumes; discuss quantities and scheduling with the sales team for specifics.
Yes. Sample production is available so customers can confirm quality and specifications before mass production; samples typically ship in 7–30 days depending on process and tooling.
MOQ depends on the product, material and process. We aim to meet customer needs while keeping production efficient — share your drawing and annual volume for a concrete answer.
Yes. Parts are produced from customer drawings or specifications, and the engineering team offers design-for-manufacturing suggestions before tooling.
Raw material inspection, production process control, risk analysis and finished-product testing. The system follows ISO 9001:2015 with IATF 16949-aligned controls, FAI and PPAP-aligned documentation.
Drawings and technical information are treated as confidential. Balford signs confidentiality agreements and strictly controls the use and storage of submitted files.
Automotive, appliance, industrial equipment, refrigeration, robotics and UAV programs, plus electronics. Medical and aerospace work is reviewed project by project - we have run a small number of such programmes, mainly solenoid valve housings, and we hold no medical or aerospace certification.
Foreign trade exports are processed through Zhejiang Provincial International Trade Group Logistics Co., Ltd. as agent; see the payment and responsibility page for details.
ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Environmental Management certification, with IATF 16949-aligned practices; see quality and certifications.
Yes — stamping die design, machining fixture design, brazing solution design and pipe manufacturing solution design are offered as part of project support.
Usually yes — but it is a tooling change, and the cost depends entirely on what changes. A dimensional tweak that stays inside the existing die (a stop adjustment, a shim, a relief) can often be handled as a die modification during a maintenance window. A change to a hole pattern, a wall thickness, an added form or a moved feature means cutting or adding die inserts: doable, but the die has to come out of the press and back through the tool room. A change to the blank or the draw ratio can invalidate the whole stage sequence. Three practical rules. Send the revised drawing marked with what actually changed, so we can compare it against the die drawing rather than re-reading the whole part. Any change after first article or PPAP approval re-opens the approval, because the approved part no longer describes the part being made — expect a fresh first article inspection, and a PPAP resubmission where the programme requires it. And an engineering change is always cheapest before the die is cut. Because we design and build the tooling in house and keep the die drawings, we can normally tell you within days whether a change is an insert job, a re-cut or a new tool. The commercial side is covered under tooling cost and lead time, and what to mark on the revised drawing is set out in drawing requirements.
Deep drawing forms a flat metal blank into a hollow part by forcing it through a die with a punch. Balford uses it for housings, shells, sleeves and tubes where a seamless, strong body is required. Deep draw capability.
Forced-thinning deep drawing, in-die tapping, rotary cutting and side punching in continuous tooling — plus thin-wall and multi-stage drawing down to 0.35 mm walls on aluminum.
Steel and stainless steel (304, 316L), DC01/DC04 cold-rolled steel, aluminum (5052 and drawable grades), copper, brass, and magnetic materials such as DT4E pure iron.
Formed diameters are typically held to tight commercial tolerances with FAI verification on every first article; final tolerances depend on material, wall reduction ratio and tooling class — our engineers confirm on your drawing before quoting.
Tooling is quoted per part after DFM review — typical tooling lead time is 15–30 days, with first production orders around 3–5 weeks.
Yes. Thin-wall parts are drawn through multiple stations — for example 0.8 mm 5052 blanks are deep drawn down to a 0.35 mm final wall thickness with thickness consistency controlled across the run.
For magnetic circuits, DT4E pure iron is commonly used; stainless steel (304/316L) suits corrosion-resistant or non-magnetic designs. Balford deep draws both — solenoid valve housing manufacturing.
Yes — heat treatment is applied per specification: hydrogen-removal annealing, vacuum annealing for coercivity control, and demagnetization annealing are used on solenoid components depending on the magnetic requirement.
Zinc-nickel and zinc plating, nickel plating and bright finishes are coordinated in-house; salt-spray and appearance requirements are confirmed on the drawing.
Yes. IMDS data submission and PPAP-aligned documentation are supported for automotive part numbers — see the Balford IMDS process.
Metal stamping (progressive die and single-station), precision stamping and fine blanking, deep drawing, CNC machining, steel and copper tube bending, stainless steel brazing and pipe manufacturing, plus assembly and surface finishing.
Yes — component machining and assembly of complete units are offered under one roof.
Surface treatment, heat treatment and coating services including zinc, zinc-nickel, nickel plating, polishing, cleaning and annealing, customized to the part requirement.
Extensive stainless brazing experience with advanced techniques and equipment ensures high-quality joints for a wide range of stainless components.
Balford provides joint machining (turning and grinding) services to Panasonic, American Standard and TOTO, among other OEM customers.
Multi-bend and small-radius bend configurations are manufactured on automatic CNC pipe benders plus steel and stainless pipe processing equipment.
High volumes with tight tolerances favor progressive stamping; seamless hollow bodies favor deep drawing; low volumes or complex machined features favor CNC machining. Balford runs all three in one factory — compare capabilities.
Yes. Mill certificates — the material test certificates issued by the mill or metal supplier — are available on request with the shipment, and material is traceable to the heat or lot in our records. Four things worth agreeing before production rather than after. Tell us at RFQ stage that certificates are required, and which standard they must follow, because it is collected with the material order. Our quality management system is ISO 9001:2015; we are not IATF 16949 certified, so where a customer flow-down requires an IATF-certified sub-tier that has to be resolved through your supplier approval rather than claimed by us. Special-alloy grades such as Inconel, Monel, Hastelloy and titanium are sourced against a confirmed order, so the certificate and heat number come from the mill supplying that order. Bulk heat treatment, plating, passivation and electropolishing are performed by audited partner companies, not in our plant, and those partners issue their own process certificates which we collect into the shipment documentation. If a programme needs full lot traceability down to the finished part, say that at RFQ: it changes how material is segregated and how records are kept, and it has to be agreed up front.
Common metals: stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum alloy, copper and brass, plus DT4E pure iron for magnetic parts. Special material requests are assessed and procured on project basis.
Compliance declarations are available for relevant programs and the company supports IMDS for automotive parts — see the compliance declarations on quality and certifications.
Yes — every effort is made to accommodate urgent schedules; additional rush fees may apply depending on process and capacity.
Start an RFQ on the Balford RFQ platform (rfq.balford.net), email shawn@balford.net, or call +86 135 8846 2222. Our team typically responds within 24 hours and walks you through drawings, DFM and quoting.
Small batch orders typically complete in 1–2 weeks; larger orders may take 4–6 weeks. By process: brazing and annealing 1–2 days, stamping 5–15 days, machining 7–15 days, steel pipe manufacturing 5–10 days.
Packaging plans are confirmed with the customer. FOB terms are standard from the nearby Ningbo and Shanghai ports (150 km) with dedicated trucking; DDU is offered for smaller quantities, with air and sea shipping as the primary modes.
A PDF, DXF, STEP or IGES drawing plus material grade, annual quantity, critical tolerances, surface treatment and destination country. See the contact page for the full checklist.
Inquiries are typically answered within 24 hours (China Standard Time, UTC+8). A complete quote follows once drawings are received, and DFM feedback is issued after the engineering review of the drawing and material specification.
Didn't find your answer? Email the engineers or start an RFQ on rfq.balford.net — we usually respond within 24 hours.
Send your part and get DFM feedback plus a production quote — usually within 24 hours.
Detailed answers: what is deep drawing, design considerations, deep drawing vs progressive die stamping, tooling cost and lead time, housing tolerances and visual and cosmetic standards.