Question 1

What does Stoneflake do?

Accepted Answer

Stoneflake sources custom CNC machined parts for hardware and engineering teams by coordinating a network of vetted Canadian machine shops. A team member reviews your STEP file and drawing for manufacturability, routes the part to a shop that fits the work, and manages the job through to delivery under a single purchase order with one point of contact.

Question 2

How is Stoneflake different from getting quotes from machine shops directly?

Accepted Answer

Quoting shops directly means sending the same file to several suppliers, decoding a wide spread of prices, and managing each relationship yourself. Stoneflake reads the part first, flags the cost drivers before you commit, routes it to a shop suited to the geometry and finish, and gives you one point of contact and one purchase order instead of many. You spend your time on the design, not on chasing vendors.

Question 3

Is Stoneflake a Canadian company and does it use Canadian suppliers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Stoneflake is a Canadian company and works with a network of vetted Canadian machine shops. Keeping parts inside Canada shortens shipping, avoids cross-border customs friction, and supports teams that need domestic supply for their programs.

Question 4

What is DFM review and why does it matter before ordering CNC parts?

Accepted Answer

DFM stands for design for manufacturability. It is a review of your CAD model that identifies features which drive up machining cost or risk, such as deep pockets, tight internal corner radii, over-tight tolerances, and finish callouts that force extra operations. Catching these before you order lets you adjust the design and lower the price rather than paying for choices nobody flagged. Stoneflake runs this review on the STEP file you send in.

Question 5

What files do I need to send to get a quote?

Accepted Answer

A 3D STEP file of the part is enough to start. A 2D drawing with critical tolerances, GD&T, material, and finish callouts helps produce a firmer quote and a more useful DFM review. If you only have the STEP file, send that and Stoneflake can begin the review and ask for anything else it needs.

Question 6

What is the typical lead time for CNC machined parts?

Accepted Answer

Lead time depends on volume, part complexity, and any secondary finishing. It can run as fast as 3 business days for simple, low-complexity parts and up to about 8 weeks for high-volume or complex work. For mid-volume Canadian sourced parts, the average is roughly 4 to 6 weeks. Parts that need anodizing, plating, heat treat, or inspection sit toward the longer end because they involve a second vendor. Stoneflake gives you a firm lead time with the quote so there are no surprises.

Question 7

How much do CNC machined parts cost through Stoneflake?

Accepted Answer

Cost depends on geometry, material, tolerances, finish, and quantity. The biggest drivers are the number of machine setups a part needs, tight tolerances that force extra operations, and finish callouts handled by a second vendor. Stoneflake reviews the part for these drivers first and often suggests changes that reduce the price before you order. Send a STEP file for a quote specific to your part.

Question 8

Does Stoneflake handle low-volume and prototype runs?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Stoneflake works with hardware startups and engineering teams who need anything from a handful of prototype parts to production batches. On small runs the machine setup cost dominates the per-piece price, so the review focuses on keeping setups and secondary operations down to make low volumes economical.

Question 9

How do I get started with Stoneflake?

Accepted Answer

Send your STEP file, and a drawing if you have one, to info@stone-flake.com or submit it at hub.stoneflake.co. Stoneflake reviews the part for manufacturability, flags anything driving cost, and comes back with a quote and lead time. There is no need to book a call to begin; the STEP file is enough to start.

Question 10

What materials can Stoneflake machine parts in?

Accepted Answer

Common CNC materials including aluminum alloys such as 6061 and 7075, stainless steels, tool steels, brass, copper, and engineering plastics. If you have a specific material in mind, send the part and Stoneflake will confirm the best fit and the right shop in the network for it.

Question 11

Can Stoneflake handle parts that need finishing like anodizing or plating?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Finishing such as anodizing, plating, passivation, bead blast, and heat treat happens at a second vendor rather than on the CNC machine. Stoneflake coordinates the full path so a multi-process part still comes back to you under one purchase order with one point of contact, instead of you managing the machine shop and the finisher separately.

Question 12

Does Stoneflake work with aerospace, space, or defence parts?

Accepted Answer

Stoneflake works with hardware teams building demanding precision parts, including teams in aerospace and space adjacent work. Stoneflake acts as a coordination layer between the customer and vetted machine shops. For programs with formal export control or controlled goods requirements, those obligations rest with the registered parties in the supply chain, and Stoneflake will tell you plainly what it can and cannot handle for a given part rather than overstating its position.

Question 13

What does single-PO ordering mean and why does it help?

Accepted Answer

Single-PO means you place one purchase order with Stoneflake and receive one point of contact for the whole job, even when the part touches a machine shop and one or more finishing vendors. Instead of issuing separate POs, tracking several suppliers, and chasing each one, you manage a single relationship. This removes most of the coordination overhead that makes multi-process parts slow and painful to source.

Question 14

Who is Stoneflake for?

Accepted Answer

Hardware startups, design engineers, and small manufacturing teams who need custom CNC machined parts and would rather spend their time on the design than on sourcing. It is a strong fit for aerospace, space, robotics, and other hardware teams juggling several suppliers on a single part who would rather receive it on one purchase order than manage a machine shop, a finisher, and an inspection vendor separately. It suits teams that value engineering-level review of their parts and a coordinated Canadian supply chain over managing a list of individual machine shops.

Question 15

Can Stoneflake help me reduce the cost of a part I have already designed?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Send the STEP file and Stoneflake will review it for features that add cost without adding function, such as tolerances tighter than the part needs, corner radii that force slow tooling, and finish callouts that add a vendor. You get specific, per-feature suggestions you can choose to apply before the part is machined.

How Stoneflake works

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