MOQ, Samples and Lead Times for Custom Motors from China

Three levels of customisation

• Standard catalogue motor: often sold from one piece; samples in 3–10 days; production in 2–4 weeks.
• Modified motor (winding, shaft, cable, connector, encoder): a few hundred pieces per batch; samples in 2–4 weeks; production in 4–6 weeks.
• New design (new lamination, housing or gearbox): tooling needed; typically 1,000–5,000 pieces; samples in 6–10 weeks after drawings are frozen.

What drives the MOQ

MOQ is set by the slowest set-up in the chain: a progressive die run for laminations, a magnet production lot, a wire reel, or a gear moulding run. Using the factory's existing laminations and magnets is the fastest way to lower both MOQ and cost — change only the stack length and winding when you can.

Tooling costs and ownership

Lamination dies, die-cast housing moulds and gear moulds are the main tooling items. Agree in the contract who owns the tooling, that it is used only for your parts, and whether the cost is refunded after a cumulative volume.

Plan around Chinese New Year

Most factories stop for two to four weeks around Chinese New Year (January or February), and staff turnover after the holiday can slow restarts. Place orders that must ship in the first quarter by early December.