The Complete ACP Order Guide: From CAD File to Shipped Part

Ordering custom metal parts online should feel predictable. This guide walks through the entire ACP flow, from the file on your computer to the box on your dock, so you know exactly what to click, what to select, and what to check before you pay. Follow it once and every order after is muscle memory.

Everything happens in the quote portal. You do not need an account to see pricing, and there is no minimum order, so a single prototype moves through the same way a production run does.

Step 1: Upload your part files

Open the quote portal and drag one or more files onto the page, or use Browse Files. The portal accepts STEP, STP, and DXF. Pricing appears without an account, so you can quote first and decide later.

Use STEP for anything with bends or three dimensional geometry, because it carries the real shape and scale of the part. Use a DXF only for a flat part with no forming, exported at 1:1 scale with just the finished cut geometry.

Step 2: Choose material and thickness

Once the part loads, pick the material and thickness. ACP keeps an always in stock program on 48 inch by 48 inch blanks for fast turn work, so choosing a stocked combination is the difference between an instant price and an estimator checked quote.

• Carbon steel from 0.024″ to 1″, and G90 galvanized in common 18 through 11 gauge.
• 6061-T6 aluminum from 0.032″ to 1″, and 5052-H32 aluminum from 0.040″ to 1/4″. Not sure which? See 5052 vs 6061.
• 304 stainless from 0.030″ to 1/2″, and 316 stainless from 0.060″ to 1/2″. See 304 vs 316.
• Clear cast acrylic from 1/8″ to 1/2″.

Step 3: Set quantity and see instant pricing

Enter your quantity and the price updates instantly. Quantity usually moves the per part price, so it is worth pricing a couple of quantities to find a break that fits your budget. Standard cut and formed parts price automatically. A job that falls outside the platform limits is routed to an estimator for an estimator checked quote instead, which is normal and still fast.

Step 4: Confirm bends on formed parts

If you uploaded a formed STEP, the portal reads the bends from the model, so you do not supply a separate flat pattern. ACP forms on TRUMPF TruBend press brakes with a maximum bend length of 96″, a minimum part size of 1″ by 1″, and a standard thickness range of 0.020″ to 0.500″. Standard forming tolerances are ±0.030″ on flange dimensions and ±1° on bend angles.

The finished inside radius is produced with the closest available tooling for your material and thickness, so it can differ slightly from your model. If a radius is functionally critical, identify it before ordering. To design bends that form right the first time, read bend radius and minimum flange and what is K factor.

Step 5: Add hole operations

Select any added operations directly in the quote. The important rule: on an automated quote, a note or an attached PDF does not add an operation. Only what you explicitly select and see listed in the quote is actually included and priced.

• Tapping. Standard UNC, UNF, and metric threads, through or blind. Give the thread size and pitch, whether it is through or blind, the depth for blind holes, and the quantity. See Tapping guidelines and designing parts for tapping.
• Countersinking. Specify the angle (82°, 90°, or 100°), the through hole size, and the side. In a DXF, show only the through hole circle. See Countersinking guidelines.
• Counterboring. Give the through hole diameter, counterbore diameter, depth, quantity, and side. See Counterboring guidelines.
• Deburring and laser marking when your part calls for clean edges or a permanent mark.

Step 6: Hardware and finishing

Some work lives outside the instant quote by design. Hardware insertion, such as press in nuts, studs, and standoffs, runs as an estimator reviewed custom quote, because fit depends on your specific fastener. When you need it, provide the hardware manufacturer and part number, quantity, location, and installation side. See Hardware guidelines and designing with press in hardware.

Finishing such as powder coating, plating, and anodizing runs through vetted partners and is timed after cutting, forming, and hardware. If a finish is not a selectable option in the quote, request it on a custom quote. Read more in the Finishing guidelines.

Step 7: Review the quote before checkout

Before you pay, run the part down this list. Thirty seconds here saves a remake:

• Material and thickness match what you intended, and the thickness is one ACP stocks.
• Quantity is correct for every part in the quote.
• Every operation you need is listed on the line, not just written in a note.
• No bend or feature warnings are left unresolved.
• The ship date shown fits your schedule.

Standard cutting tolerances are ±0.010″ on outside profiles and ±0.005″ on holes for parts up to 24″ by 24″. If your part needs tighter than standard, expect it to route to a custom quote. See what tolerances to expect.

Step 8: Choose a lead time, then order and track

Pick the lead time that fits your schedule and budget. The exact per part ship date is shown in the portal when you configure the order. Quoting is available 24/7 and parts ship in days, not weeks. Check out online and your parts ship nationwide from Littleton, MA, with tracking. See the Ordering and Shipping page for the full picture.

After you order

You get an order confirmation, and your parts move into production on the lead time you chose. Keep your quote link handy; it is the fastest reference if you need to ask a question. Stuck on anything, before or after ordering? Contact us and a real person answers.

When to request a custom quote instead

Reach for a custom quote when the part goes past the platform's standard options:

• A material, thickness, or part size that is not a selectable option.
• Tighter than standard tolerances, a critical bend radius, or unusual forming.
• Hardware insertion, or a finish that is not selectable in the instant quote.
• Machining, special inspection, or complex outside processing.
• A CAD file and PDF that conflict, or a scope the platform cannot fully represent.

An estimator reviews your requirements and confirms the right manufacturing method before you order.

Quick order checklist