Lead times

Lead time is the number of working days from a paid order to your parts leaving the factory. On OpusFab every part carries its own lead time, and the batch you see in the totals bar shows the longest one.

Where lead times come from

The platform calculates a lead time per part the moment it is configured. The quote engine looks at the same things a human estimator would: the process and material you picked, the finish, the quantity, and how complex the geometry is to make. Because this is automated, you see a lead time immediately instead of waiting days for a shop to review your file by hand.

The per-part lead time appears in the part’s Edit drawer and in the order summary table at checkout, alongside qty, material, finish, process, tolerance, and price.

The batch lead time is the longest part

When a batch contains several parts, they ship together as one order. That means the batch is only ready when its slowest part is ready. The batch lead time shown in the totals bar is therefore the longest individual lead time in the batch, not an average and not a sum.

A practical consequence: if one part is holding up your schedule, removing it from the batch (or ordering it separately) can bring the batch lead time down for everything else.

What affects lead time

Five factors drive the number you see.

Process

Different processes run on different equipment with different cycle times and queues. CNC machining involves programming, setup, and machine time. SLA and SLS printing have build times set by part volume and layer count. Metal 3D printing (DMLS/SLM) adds stress relief and support removal after the build. See Choosing a process for how the processes compare.

Material

A material the factory stocks adds almost no time. A material that has to be sourced from a distributor can add days or weeks, and specialty alloys take longer than common ones like 6061-T6 aluminum. Material availability is often the single biggest variable in a lead time. The live list of stocked materials is in the quote editor; see also the Materials overview.

Finish

Finishing happens after the part is made, and it adds time on top. A “Raw (As-Machined)” or “As Printed” part skips this entirely. Bead blasting, anodizing, powder coating, and PVD each add handling and processing time, and some finishes are run in batches, which can stretch the wait. Anodizing with a specific color can take longer than a clear run. See the Surface finishes overview.

Quantity

A single prototype can often be made quickly. A run of dozens or a hundred units adds setup, in-process checks, and inspection time that scales with the count. Lead time grows with quantity, though not always proportionally.

Production speed

The batch-wide Standard or Expedited toggle in the totals bar changes how your work is prioritized in the queue. Expedited shortens the production portion of the lead time at a higher price. See Production speed: Standard vs. Expedited.

What lead time does not include

Lead time covers production up to dispatch. Shipping transit time is separate and depends on the destination. International orders also pass through customs clearance, which is outside the quoted lead time. See Shipping and tracking.

Shortening a lead time

If the number is longer than you need, the most effective levers, roughly in order of impact:

1. Switch the batch to Expedited in the totals bar.
2. Choose a stocked, common material over a specialty one.
3. Drop or simplify the finish (for example Raw instead of anodized).
4. Split the batch so slow parts do not hold back fast ones.
5. Reduce quantity if you only need a few parts urgently, and order the rest later.

Each change recalculates the lead time instantly, so you can test combinations before checkout.