Machined parts for labs and hardware teams.
Send a STEP file, a drawing, or a photo of a sketch with the key dimensions. We review it, change what would make it expensive, and send you a price and lead time within 2–3 business days.
STEP · STP · IGES · SLDPRT · X_T · DXF · PDF · JPG/PNG
Files stay confidential. We sign your NDA on request.
- Quote
- Within 2–3 business days
- Typical lead time
- 5–10 business days
- Payment
- Net 30 from the ship date
- Delivery
- Dropped off in San Diego County, or shipped
Most lab parts don't start as a finished CAD model.
Instant-quote platforms are fast when your model is complete and toleranced. When it isn't, the quote stalls or the part comes back wrong. That's the gap we fill.
- You have a sketch or a broken partWe measure it, model it, and send you a drawing to approve before anything is cut.
- It has to fit something that already existsA liquid-handler deck, a robot flange, an optical breadboard. We work from the datasheet or measure the real thing.
- You're not sure about material or toleranceWe pick ones that work for the job and leave tight tolerances only where they matter, which is usually where the cost is.
- You want one person to callThe person who quotes your part is the one you talk to until it’s delivered.
What San Diego labs and startups usually ask for
Microplate adapters and nests
Hold plates, tubes or slides in the right spot on an automation deck.
Breadboard and instrument mounts
Brackets, risers and adapter plates for optics and sensors.
Gripper fingers and end-effector plates
Custom fingers and tool plates for lab and benchtop robot arms.
Enclosures and covers
Housings for prototype electronics, sensors and small instruments.
Test fixtures and assembly jigs
Hold a part the same way every time for testing, gluing or inspection.
Replacement parts
A cracked holder or a discontinued knob, copied from the broken original.
How an order works
Send your files
Day 0Use the form below or email quotes@didimlabs.com. Include the quantity and the date you need the parts.
Review and quote
Within 2–3 business daysYou get a price, a lead time, and notes on anything we'd change to make the part cheaper or easier to make. If we model the part, you approve the drawing first.
Approve
When you're readySend a purchase order or approve the quote by email. We invoice when the parts ship, payable net 30 by ACH or check.
Machining
Typically 5–10 business daysWe place the job with a San Diego County shop chosen for the material and tolerance, and follow it until it's done.
Inspection and delivery
Before it shipsEvery critical dimension is measured on each part, photographed at the gauge, and checked against your drawing. Anything close to a limit gets measured again by hand. The inspection report comes with the parts.
What we can make it from
| Material | Grades | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum | 6061-T6, 7075-T6, MIC-6 | Brackets, plates, enclosures |
| Stainless steel | 303, 304, 316, 17-4 PH | Wet or sterilized parts, shafts |
| Acetal | Delrin 150, acetal copolymer | Plate nests, low-friction guides |
| PEEK | Natural, 30% glass-filled | Autoclavable, chemical-resistant parts |
| Other plastics | UHMW, polycarbonate, acrylic, Ultem | Covers, windows, insulators |
Finishes: as machined (125 µin Ra), bead blast, Type II or Type III anodize, passivation, powder coat.
What drives the price of a small batch
We don't publish a price list because every part is different. These four things decide most of it.
Setup, not cutting time
At 1 to 5 pieces, programming and fixturing are most of the bill. Ten parts often cost about twice what one does, not ten times.
Tolerances
±0.005 in. is standard. Ask for tighter only on the features that locate or seal.
Inside corners and deep pockets
Small inside radii and deep, narrow pockets need small tools and slow passes. A larger radius is often free to change.
Finish
Anodize or passivation adds 2 to 4 days because it goes to a separate finishing shop.
A small engineering shop in San Diego
Didim Labs is run by Mike Kim. We design parts, prepare drawings that shops can quote without questions, and manage the machining with a few trusted shops in San Diego County.
Didim (디딤) is Korean for a stepping stone. It's the step between a sketch on your bench and a part you can bolt on.
Email quotes@didimlabs.com or call (669) 208-5214. We answer Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm Pacific.
Questions people ask first
Do you have your own machines?
No. We design and inspect in-house and place the machining with partner shops in San Diego County, picked for each job. You get one contact, one quote and one invoice, and we're responsible for the result.
I only have a sketch. Is that enough?
Yes, if it shows the overall size and the dimensions that matter. A photo of the part it attaches to helps too. We'll model it and send you a drawing to approve before anything is made.
Will you sign an NDA?
Yes. Send yours with the files, or ask for ours. Your files are only shared with the shop that makes the part.
What are your payment terms?
Net 30 from the ship date, by ACH or check. We take purchase orders from companies and universities and can fill out vendor registration forms for your purchasing department.
How do you check the parts?
We turn your drawing into an inspection plan before machining starts. The shop measures each critical dimension on every part and photographs the gauge readings; we check every value and photo against the drawing, and re-measure anything near a limit ourselves. You get the full report with the parts.
What if a part doesn't match the drawing?
If a part is out of the tolerance we agreed on, we remake it at no charge.
Can you deliver to our lab?
Yes, anywhere in San Diego County, usually the same day the parts are ready. Outside the county we ship by UPS or FedEx.
Send us your part
You'll hear back from a person within 2–3 business days.
- STEP file, drawing PDF, or a photo of a sketch
- Quantity and the date you need it
- What it attaches to, and which dimensions matter
Files over 10 MB? Email quotes@didimlabs.com with a share link instead.