One place to settle the questions that slow a build down: which alloy, which edge break, which weld, which tolerance. Written by the people who run the machines, not a marketing desk.
Most of the expensive mistakes on a machined part are decided long before the first cut.
A rotating cutter always leaves a radius. A true square corner in a pocket means wire EDM or a broach, and that changes the process and the price. Call the corner radius out and the part stays on a 3-axis mill.
304 stainless gets specified for a bracket that would run fine in 6061, then the shop fights chip packing and the cost triples. The corrosion requirement, not the material name, should drive the choice.
A tack weld marked with a fillet symbol on the wrong side of the reference line sends the job back for rework. Weld symbols carry size, length, and side information in four small parts of the callout.
Blanket ±0.005 mm across a 400 mm part forces slow passes and extra setups. Only the mating features need tight limits. Everything else can run at Ra 1.6–3.2 μm and ship faster.
Each guide answers one selection question with the numbers a shop needs.
A fillet spreads stress over a curve, so it belongs on loaded corners, shafts, and anything cycling in fatigue. A chamfer removes a sharp edge and guides a mating part in. Both break the edge, and they are not interchangeable.
Material selection follows the same logic. Ferrous alloys carry iron and respond to a magnet; non-ferrous grades such as aluminium, copper, and brass do not. 304 stainless resists corrosion and machines with a gummy chip. 430 is magnetic, cheaper, and takes a finish well. Pick by the service environment, then confirm the grade is stocked.
Tack welding holds alignment before the full seam goes in. The symbol sits on the reference line with a size and a length, and the side of the line tells the welder which face gets the bead. MIG runs faster on thicker plate and fills gaps. TIG is slower and cleaner, which is why it shows up on thin stainless and visible joints.
Sheet can be bent by hand on a small brake, a vise, or a hardwood form. The limit is springback and the minimum bend radius, roughly equal to the sheet thickness for mild steel. Ductile alloys bend further before they crack. Hard grades and thick plate need a real die.
Use these when the print leaves the choice open.
| Question | Option A | Option B | Pick when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fillet or chamfer | Fillet, stress spread | Chamfer, edge break | Fillet for load, chamfer for fit |
| 304 vs 430 stainless | 304, non-magnetic | 430, magnetic | 304 for corrosion, 430 for cost |
| Alloy vs carbon steel | 4130, 4140, 4340 | 1018, 1045, A36 | Alloy for strength, carbon for volume |
| Stainless vs aluminium | 303, 304, 316 | 6061, 7075 | Stainless for corrosion, alloy for weight |
| MIG vs TIG | MIG, fast fill | TIG, clean bead | MIG for plate, TIG for thin and visible |
| Copper vs brass | C101, C110 | C36000, C28000 | Copper for conductivity, brass for machining |
The same shop that writes the guide cuts the part.
16 simultaneous 5-axis centers cut contoured faces and undercuts in one setup, which holds position across features that would otherwise need three fixtures.
27 three-axis machines, 12 four-axis mills, and 16 mill-turn centers cover prismatic parts and turned shafts up to Ø400 mm on the rotary table.
One-off parts run with no minimum order quantity, so a design change costs a setup rather than a tool. Production can start within 24 hours of approval.
Bending, forming, and welded assemblies for brackets and enclosures, with bend radii matched to the alloy and thickness on the print.
Anodizing, plating, powder coating, bead blasting, and laser marking. Minimum marked character height is 1.5 mm so the mark stays readable after finishing.
For housings and covers where the geometry repeats. Cast blanks then get machined on the critical faces to the tolerance the drawing calls out.
Numbers to check before you send the file.
| Item | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General tolerance | ±0.005 mm (±0.0002 in) | On critical features only |
| Fine finish | Ra 0.2–0.8 μm | Adds a finishing pass |
| Standard finish | Ra 0.8–1.6 μm | Typical machined surface |
| As-machined | Ra 1.6–3.2 μm | Fastest route to a good part |
| Maximum part size | 4,000 mm | Larger travel 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm |
| Rotary table | Ø400 mm | For turned and indexed work |
| Inspection | 100% before shipment | Reports on request |
| Certifications | ISO 9001, IATF 16949 | Also ISO 13485, ISO 27001 |
Six numbers that decide whether a job leaves on time.
Fifteen years of production work across aerospace, automotive, medical, and robotics programs, with the process knowledge that only comes from running the parts.
Sixteen 5-axis centers, twelve four-axis mills, twenty-seven 3-axis machines, and sixteen mill-turn centers spread across three wholly owned plants.
Raw material check, in-process monitoring, and final inspection on every order. Inspection reports go out on request with the shipment.
A drawing review comes back within 12 hours with manufacturability notes, so tolerance and geometry issues surface before the machine is booked.
Production can start within 24 hours of approval. Historical late-delivery probability sits below 2% across the order book.
One prototype or a full run, same process control. Uploads stay confidential and an NDA is available on request.
Thin-wall aluminium and titanium parts where deflection control decides the result.
Turned and milled components that have to repeat across a production run.
Stainless and titanium geometry with documented inspection before release.
Use a fillet when the corner carries load or cycles in fatigue. The radius spreads stress instead of concentrating it at a line, and it is the only option that improves fatigue life.
A chamfer is for edge break, lead-in, and weld prep. It removes the sharp edge and nothing more. Putting a chamfer on a loaded corner leaves a stress riser exactly where the crack will start.
It depends on the grade. The 300-series austenitic grades such as 304 and 316 are essentially non-magnetic in the annealed state, though cold working can raise the reading slightly.
The 400-series ferritic and martensitic grades such as 430 and 440C are magnetic. If a magnetic sensor or a magnet needs to work near the part, the grade choice matters more than the finish.
Cast iron is ferrous, so it is magnetic. The graphite flakes in grey iron reduce permeability compared with pure iron, but a magnet still holds.
Like all metals, cast iron conducts electricity. Conductivity is lower than copper or aluminium because the carbon content scatters electrons, which matters only in electrical applications.
Uploads stay confidential and are used only to quote and produce the part. Access is limited to the engineers and machinists on that job.
A non-disclosure agreement is available on request before files move. We hold ISO 27001:2022 for information security management, and the process is audited.
430 is the better forming grade for a cover that sees indoor service. It is magnetic, machines cleanly, and costs less than 304.
Reach for 304 when the part sees moisture, chlorides, or a washdown environment. It resists corrosion far better, but it work-hardens and needs more springback allowance in the bend.
A tack weld is a short temporary bead that holds parts in alignment before the full seam is welded. It is consumed by the final pass, so it does not need full strength.
On the drawing, the size goes to the left of the weld symbol, the length to the right, and the side of the reference line shows which face gets the bead. A tail can carry the process note, such as TIG or MIG.
Yes, for thin stock and short flanges. A small hand brake, a bench vise with soft jaws, or a hardwood form will do it. Score the bend line lightly and clamp it tight.
The limits are springback and the minimum bend radius, which is roughly one sheet thickness for mild steel. Hard alloys, thick plate, and long flanges need a real die and a brake.
Put ±0.005 mm on the features that mate, locate, or seal. Leave everything else at the general block tolerance and specify Ra 1.6–3.2 μm.
Blanket tight tolerance across a large part adds setups, extra passes, and inspection time without improving function. It also raises the risk of a scrapped part for no reason.
Upload a file and an engineer reviews it. You get a quote and manufacturability notes within 12 hours, with no minimum order quantity.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo MOQNDA on request
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Upload your 3D model or 2D drawing and get a quotation with a free DFM analysis. Maximum processing size 4,000 mm.
CNC Metals 13 grades
CNC Plastics 10 grades
Machines & processes 12 options
Surface & post-processing 10 options
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