Prototype intake that captures CAD readiness and tolerances up front
Buyers tell you upfront whether CAD files are ready, what material and quantity they need, and if tight tolerances or surface finishes apply, before your team quotes a run your line can't take.
The exact intake your prototype machining leads complete
This is the real 6-question guided intake for Prototype Machining — the same flow your customers finish before you ever pick up the phone.
What a qualified prototype machining lead should tell you
Machining of one-off or small-batch parts from CAD data for fit checks, functional testing, or pre-production validation, ahead of any production commitment.
- Have Finished Cad Files
- Material Prototype Machined From
- Many Prototype Units Machined
- Intended Purpose This Prototype
- Parts Tight Tolerances Or
- Finished Prototype Parts
The questions your team needs answered
Every prototype machining intake asks these — and why each one matters.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Do you have finished CAD files ready for these parts? | Confirms whether the shop can start programming immediately or needs to account for design turnaround before quoting. |
| What material do you need the prototype machined from? | Segments the lead so you can route, price, and prioritize it correctly. |
| How many prototype units do you need machined? | Distinguishes a single fit-check part from a small batch worth reserving spindle time for, which changes both price and priority. |
| What is the intended purpose of this prototype? | Shows whether the part needs functional validation or is just a visual model, which determines how much setup and inspection work is really required. |
| Do the parts require tight tolerances or specific surface finishes? | Flags jobs that need tighter setups and additional inspection, directly affecting price and lead time. |
| When do you need the finished prototype parts? | Shows how soon the buyer needs the parts scheduled against the shop's existing queue. |
How Cliont scores prototype machining leads
Every answer is weighted automatically — no manual review required.
Value signals
- Have Finished Cad Files: yes
- 1 unit
- 2-5 units
- 6-20 units
- More than 20 units
- Parts Tight Tolerances Or: yes
See the lead your team receives
Prototype Machining Lead
From first click to qualified lead
Follow owners and general contractors through one smooth, guided flow.
They land & meet you
Your video greeting plays instantly — a real face instead of a blank form.
They explain the project
Smart questions adapt to their project and capture the full scope.
They add photos & plans
Site photos and plans come attached, so you scope before you bid.
You get a ready lead
Scored and qualified — waiting for you to win it.
Built for prototype machining workflows
| Cliont capability | Prototype Machining application |
|---|---|
| File upload widget | Buyers attach CAD files directly during intake, so you know before you respond whether the part is ready to program or still needs design work. |
| Conditional question logic | The material selection and tolerance question adapt the intake so a 'not sure' material answer or a tight-tolerance flag surfaces for review instead of getting auto-scored the same as a straightforward job. |
| Weighted lead scoring | Quantity tiers and the tight-tolerance question carry the heaviest weight, so a 6-20 unit pre-production validation job scores well above a single flexible-timeline fit-check part. |
| CRM delivery | Once CAD readiness, material, quantity, and tolerance answers are collected, the qualified lead and its files are sent straight to your CRM instead of sitting in a shared inbox. |
Common prototype machining lead scenarios
Single fit-check part, no CAD
A buyer needs one unit for an assembly check but hasn't finalized CAD files yet, so the intake flags the missing design data before it's routed as ready-to-quote.
Pre-production batch needs tight tolerances
A 6-20 unit order for pre-production validation with tight tolerances and surface finish requirements scores highest, since it signals a real qualification step before a production award.
High-volume run, material undecided
A buyer requests more than 20 prototype units but marks material as 'not sure,' prompting a follow-up rather than a quote your line might not be set up to run.
Presentation model in plastic
A visual or presentation-only model in plastic with no tolerance requirement routes differently than a functional test part, since it needs far less setup time.
Connect Cliont to your workflow
Send leads
HubSpot, HighLevel, Salesforce, JobNimbus
Book projects
Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, Calendly
Notify your team
Email, SMS, Slack
Automate follow-up
Zapier, Webhooks, API
Simple, transparent pricing
Choose the plan that works for your business.
Professional
Unlimited intake forms and leads for your growing business.
- Unlimited intake forms
- Custom video greetings
- AI-powered voice bot
- English + Spanish support
- Automatic lead scoring
- Digital estimates & e-signatures
- Photo, video & file upload
- Advanced analytics dashboard
Pay Per Lead
Only pay when you receive a qualified lead.
- Unlimited intake forms
- Custom video greetings
- AI-powered voice bot
- English + Spanish support
- Automatic lead scoring
- Digital estimates & e-signatures
- Photo, video & file upload
- Charged only for submitted leads
More cnc machining intake templates
Prototype Machining lead-intake FAQs
How does this intake separate one-off prototypes from production-volume leads?
The quantity question (1 unit up through more than 20) and the intended-purpose question together show whether a buyer needs a single fit-check part or a validated batch, so you're not quoting prototype turnaround on what's really a Production Machining request.
What happens if a buyer doesn't have CAD files ready yet?
The intake still captures the lead but weights it lower than a CAD-ready submission, so you can see at a glance which leads can start machining now versus which need design work first.
Does the intake capture tolerance and surface finish needs?
Yes, buyers are asked directly whether the parts require tight tolerances or specific surface finishes, which is one of the higher-weighted signals in the scoring model for this subservice.
How is this different from the CNC Milling or CNC Turning intake?
This intake is built around prototype-specific questions like unit quantity and intended purpose (fit check, functional test, pre-production validation), rather than the ongoing production parameters used on the CNC Milling or CNC Turning pages.
What gets sent to my CRM once a lead qualifies?
Qualified prototype leads, along with the material, quantity, tolerance, and timeline answers and any uploaded CAD files, are pushed into your CRM so your team opens the lead with the job scope already documented.
Turn prototype machining visitors into qualified projects
Give every prototype machining visitor a guided intake instead of a dead contact form — and get a scored, qualified lead before you send an estimator.