Prototype & Low-Volume Titanium Orders
Most titanium suppliers quote from mill minimums, which is why a request for two plates or a metre of bar often goes unanswered. We hold and cut stock material, so small quantities are a normal order rather than an exception.
That said, “no minimum order quantity” is only honest with one distinction attached, so here it is up front.
Where There Is Genuinely No Minimum
Stock material, cut to your size. Grades and forms held in stock can ship as a single piece — one plate, one length of bar, a few metres of tube. This covers most prototype, R&D, repair and qualification-sample requirements.
You pay for the material plus cutting, not for a mill batch.
Where a Real Minimum Still Applies
Anything that requires the mill to run for you. Custom melting, a specific rolling schedule, a non-stock size, a forging die, or a grade we do not hold means the producer sets a batch size, and that batch size is real economics rather than a policy we can waive.
If your requirement falls in this category we will tell you the actual minimum and the reason, rather than quoting a small quantity and renegotiating later. Frequently there is a stock alternative — a nearby size that machines down, or an equivalent grade — and we will propose it.
What Small Orders Actually Cost
Small quantities carry a higher per-kilogram cost than production volumes. That is setup and cutting time distributed over fewer pieces, not a penalty. The gap narrows quickly with quantity.
What does not change with order size:
- Material certification. EN 10204 3.1 mill test certificate ships with a one-piece order the same as with a tonne.
- Heat number traceability. A prototype you may later have to qualify is traceable from the start.
- Grade and specification. Stock is the same material as production stock, not off-spec or remnant.
The point of a prototype order is that it should predict the production order. Material that cannot be traced or repeated defeats that.
Typical Use Cases
- Engineering prototypes and design validation
- R&D and university research quantities
- Repair and replacement parts
- Qualification samples before a production award
- Small-series production where annual volume never reaches mill minimums
Ordering
Send the grade, form, dimensions and quantity. If you are unsure of the grade, describe the environment and load and we will suggest options — see also the grade selector and titanium grades.
If the item is a step toward a larger programme, say so. It changes which material we pull, so that the prototype and the eventual production run share the same specification.