CNC Machining Materials

  • ABS
  • Acrylic
  • Aluminum
  • Brass
  • Bronze
  • Cast Iron
  • Copper
  • Delrin
  • Garolite G-10
  • HDPE

ABS


ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is an affordable thermoplastic that has become popular for pre-injection molding prototypes. It is a versatile material known for its strength, durability, and resistance to impact and heat. ABS plastic is widely used in the automotive and consumer electronics industries due to its excellent mechanical properties and ease of processing. Additionally, it can be easily modified with other additives to enhance specific properties such as flame retardancy or UV resistance.


Mill Lead Time:As fast as 3 days

Colors:Black, neutral matte finish


Learn more   >

Finishing Options for CNC Machining


Name



Applicable Materials



Colors



Can Be Applied with


产品2.1.jpg


Chem Film



Aluminum



Clear, gold



Media Blasting, Tumbling, Type llAnodizing* Type lll Anodizing withPTFE*


产品2.1.jpg


Anodizing



Aluminum


Clear,black,grey,red, blue. gold



Media Blasting,Tumbling, Chem film*


产品2.1.jpg


Black Oxide



Steel. Stainless Steel



Black


Media Blasting,Tumbling,Passivation


产品2.1.jpg


Electroless Nickel Plating



Aluminum,Steel,

Stainless Steel



——



Media Blasting, Tumbling


产品2.1.jpg


Electropolishing



Steel,Stainless Steel


——



——


产品2.1.jpg


Hand Polishing



Acrylic



——



Enhanced Cosmetic Appearance


产品2.1.jpg


Media Blasting



Aluminum. Steel.

Stainless Steel, Brass,

Bronze,Copper


——



All post processes, except Electropolish and Powder Coat


产品2.1.jpg


Nickel Plating



Aluminum,Steel,

Stainless Steel



——



Media Blasting,Tumbling


产品2.1.jpg


Passivation



Steel, Stainless Steel


——



Black Oxide, Electroless Nickel Plating Zinc Plating, Tumbling, Media Blasting


产品2.1.jpg


Powder Coating Services



Aluminum, Steel,Stainless Steel


Full Pantone or RAL color catalog


——


产品2.1.jpg


Tumbling


Aluminum,Steel,

Stainless Stee,Brass,

Bronze,Copper



——



All post processes,except Electropolish and Powder Coat


产品2.1.jpg


Vapor Polishing



CNC Polycarbonate

(Clear, Black)


——



Enhanced Cosmetic Appearance, Near Optically Clear Applications


产品2.1.jpg


Zinc Plating



Steel, Stainless Steel



Clear (light blue coating). Black(glossy black coating).



Media Blasting, Tumbling, Passivation


undefined


*Additional finishing options include chromic acid anodizing, cadmium plating, copper plating, titanium anodizing (blue anodizingl, gold plating,silver plating, and more, For materials not listed here, please contact us directly.

Precision Machining Tolerance



Metals, PEEK, And

ULTEM with Drawing



Other Plastics

with Drawing



No Drawing


Linear Dimension



+/- 0.0025 mm

+/- 0.0001 inch



+/- 0.05 mm

+/- 0.002 inch



ISO 2768 Medium


Hole Diameters

(Not Reamed)


+/- 0.0025 mm

+/- 0.0001 inch



+/- 0.05 mm

+/- 0.002 inch



ISO 2768 Medium


Shaft Diameters



+/- 0.0025 mm

+/- 0.0001 inch



+/- 0.05 mm

+/- 0.002 inch



ISO 2768 Medium

Part lengths of up to 48" are available on our platform process dependent. Please inquire about anything larger. Tolerances listed here are minimums for an ideal case. Looser tolerances may be required depending on process, material choice, or part geometry.
About the CNC

Turning

Process

For cylindrical parts such as pins, shafts, and spacers, or parts with general rotational symmetry, ‘turning’ them on a lathe is usually the simplest and most cost effective choice. Contrary to a mill, a lathe operates by fixturing cylindrical stock, called a rod, into a rotating chuck jaw on the machine. As this chuck rotates at a high RPM, so does the stock, and a fixed-orientation tool then translates along and across the stock to cut part features.

A CNC lathe equipped with live-tooling has all the capabilities of a standard lathe, but instead of relying solely on stationary tools, it can have rotating cutters such as drills or endmills, allowing for greater machining freedom and the introduction of asymmetrical features into the part without additional fixturing setups.

CNC Machining FAQs

Technical FAQs
What minimum thickness can I incorporate into my design to prevent warpage?

Typically, we recommend a minimum wall thickness of 0.5mm for metals and 1mm for plastics. However, these values largely depend on the size of the part; therefore the larger the part size, the higher the recommended minimum wall thickness should be. Please keep in mind that this does not imply that wall thicknesses with lesser values are unachievable. These recommendations are simply thresholds to limit the risk of warpage.


What size of fillets are added when no specific fillet is specified by the 3D model or drawing?

If a specific fillet radius is required, please specify. If not, the fillet radii that allow for easy machining will be added based on the machinist’s discretion. For a general idea, internal vertical edge radii could be >1/3*Depth and internal horizontal edges may be left sharp or have a 0.5mm to 1mm radius.


General FAQs
What is a CNC turning center?

A CNC Turning Center performs a turning type operation. CNC lathes, or turning centers, have tooling mounted on a turret which is computer-controlled. CNC Turning is a process in manufacturing where workpieces are rotated as various tools are used to remove material and create the desired shape.


What is the difference between rough turning and finish turning?

Rough turning removes as much material as possible without a focus on accuracy and surface finish, getting the workpiece close to the desired shape. Finish turning “finishes” the process, producing the desired smoothness and accuracy.


What is the difference between CNC turning centers and CNC lathes?

CNC lathes are most often only 2 axis machines with one spindle. They also don’t have high production capabilities and typically don’t have a protective enclosure around the machine. CNC turning centers are more advanced versions of CNC lathes with up to 5 axes and more versatility in cutting ability. They also offer the ability to produce higher volumes and usually integrate milling, drilling, and other capabilities.


What are the benefits of CNC turning?

In addition to using turning tools, a CNC turning center can also be equipped with rotating cutters such as end mills or drills, which allows for greater freedom in machining, such as having the ability to handle asymmetrical features in parts. This increases production speed and efficiency, cost-effectiveness and safer operations. Several aspects of turning that are unique and different from milling, include the ease of achieving radial symmetry, high precision due to mounting part in chuck, and good surface finish.


What parts can be made with CNC turning?

CNC turning is used for creating a variety of parts, including auto parts, knobs, tubes, gears, toy parts, flywheels, crankshafts, hubs & disc cams. It is most often used to manufacture parts for automotive, aerospace, medical, and other industries.


Let’s Build Something Great, Together