UW
Hong Kong & Shenzhen

Specialist sourcing for motion, mechanical, and thermal components.

Every engagement delivers a vetted primary supplier and qualified alternates — with lead times and capacity confirmed in writing, not quoted from a listing. For hardware companies in the US and Europe.

We'll tell you on the first call if we can't help.

Certifications held across our factory network

ISO 9001 Quality management
IATF 16949 Automotive
ISO 14001 Environmental

A different model from the rest of the market.

Online marketplaces optimize for listing volume — anyone can list, and nothing is checked. Generalist agents optimize for breadth, which means shallow relationships in every category and deep ones in none.

Unit Works works differently: a narrow focus on motion, mechanical, and thermal manufacturing, built on direct factory relationships rather than a database of listings. Being on the ground means a question gets answered by walking the floor, not by relaying an email and waiting three days.

You deal with the person doing the sourcing. Nobody is relaying your questions to somebody else.

How this differs
 
Online marketplace
Generalist agent
Unit Works
Lead-time visibility
Listed, unverified
Relayed from the factory
Confirmed in writing
Dual-source mapping
You do it yourself
Rarely offered
Alternates qualified where the network supports it
Certification documentation
Self-declared
Varies
Requested and reviewed
Engineering-spec fluency
None
Any category, shallow
Motion, mechanical, thermal
How they're paid
Seller pays for placement
Commission on order value
Flat fee, no factory commission
Sample deliverable

A supply map, not a list of names.

You receive a recommended primary supplier and qualified alternates, each checked against the same criteria — capability for your specific part, pricing and MOQ at your volume, confirmed lead time and current capacity, and the certifications your market requires.

The point isn't a backup name on a list. It's a supplier you could place an order with next week if the primary raises prices or misses a delivery.

Below — the Component Supply Map deliverable

Supplier A — Guangdong
Primary
Process
Gearmotor assembly
Lead time
9 weeks, confirmed
MOQ
500 units
Capacity
Documented, Q3 open
Certs
ISO 9001, IATF 16949
Illustrative example. Supplier details are shared with clients under engagement.
Supplier B — ZhejiangQualified alternate
Supplier C — GuangdongQualified alternate

Want a second option on a part you're sourcing?

A free twenty-minute call — and we'll tell you straight away if we can't help.

Apply for a free consulting call

What we source.

Organized by what you're building, not by process type. Broad on industry, narrow on category — the specialization is in the components, not the client list.

Capabilities

Robotics & motion

Frameless & servo motors
Precision reducers — harmonic, cycloidal, planetary
Actuators & joint modules
Encoders & feedback

AI hardware & thermal

Cold plates — brazed, FSW, micro-channel
Manifolds & quick disconnects
Pumps & CDU components

Structure & precision

CNC machined housings
Sheet metal & extrusions
Bearings & shafts

Systems & assemblies

Motion subassemblies
Industrial robots & automation cells
Custom electromechanical builds

Sourcing something adjacent? Ask — the network extends further than this list.

Before you source

Modules or discrete components?

An integrated joint module bundles motor, reducer, encoder, brake and drive into one purchase — fewer parts to qualify, faster to build, higher unit cost and less control over the spec. Buying discrete gives you cost headroom and design freedom, but you're now qualifying six suppliers instead of one.

That decision shapes your BOM, your lead times and your supplier count for years. It's worth an hour of conversation before anyone sends an RFQ — and it's the first thing we'll ask about on a discovery call.

How an engagement runs.

A written scope and a fixed price before any work begins. No hourly billing, no surprises on the invoice.

Process
01

Discovery call

Twenty minutes on your part, specs, volume and timeline. Free — and we'll say if it isn't a fit.

02

Scope & fixed fee

A written scope and a fixed price before work starts. The number doesn't move once it's agreed.

03

Vetting & supply map

A recommended primary supplier plus qualified alternates, with lead times, MOQ and capacity confirmed in writing.

04

Handover

A live walkthrough of the recommendation. Sample coordination, negotiation and factory audits available as add-ons.

Flat fees. No factory commission.

Most sourcing agents earn a percentage of your order value — which means they earn more when you pay more. We don't take commission from factories, and we don't mark up quotes. You pay us; the factory quotes you directly.

Pricing

Supplier Verification

$750

One factory or listing you're already considering, checked before you commit.

  • Business license and registration cross-check
  • Factory or trading company — established, not assumed
  • Certification documents requested and reviewed
  • Capacity, backlog and lead time questions put to the factory
  • Written red-flag report
Typical turnaround: 1 week

Component Supply Map

ScopedPER PROJECT

One part or component, sourced properly — with a second option qualified to the same standard.

  • Spec review and factory-ready RFQ
  • Longlist from our network, narrowed and verified
  • Recommended primary supplier, plus alternates qualified where the network supports it
  • Lead times, MOQ and capacity confirmed in writing
  • Tariff classification and compliance risk notes
  • Live walkthrough of the recommendation
Typical turnaround: 4 weeks

Ongoing Sourcing Partner

MonthlySCOPED TO VOLUME

For teams sourcing continuously — new parts, second sources, and supplier issues as they come up.

  • Priority access to the network
  • Continuous sourcing across your BOM
  • Supplier issues handled as they arise
Minimum three months

Samples, shipping and third-party inspection are passed through at cost.

If the network can't serve your spec, we'll tell you on the first call and you won't be charged.

Tell us what you're building.

A free twenty-minute call. No pitch, no obligation — and if the network can't serve your spec, we'll say so.

Typical reply within one business day

Typical reply within one business day

© 2026 Unit Works · Hong Kong & Shenzhen