GreatLight runs 16 simultaneous 5-axis machining centers in Dongguan and Singapore. We cut aluminum, stainless, titanium and engineering plastics to ±0.005 mm, with DFM feedback in 12 hours.
Most five-axis failures are not machine failures. They are setup, datum and quoting decisions made before the spindle turns.
A part with faces at compound angles usually needs 3 or 4 fixtures on a 3-axis mill. Each remount adds stack-up error and a new chance to clamp on a finished surface. If your drawing has true position callouts across three faces, the setup count drives cost more than the cycle time.
Long reach tooling deflects. On a pocket deeper than 6× the tool diameter, or a wall under 1.5 mm, a light finishing pass at the wrong feed leaves chatter marks that no anodize will hide. The fix is toolpath strategy and a stable rotary position, not a slower spindle.
Every time a part moves to a new fixture, the operator picks up a new datum. Two remounts on a ±0.05 mm profile can consume most of the band before any cutting error appears. Engineers who quote from the model alone often miss this, then blame the machine.
Ra 1.6–3.2 μm looks acceptable on bare aluminum. After clear or hardcoat anodizing, tool marks and blended transitions become visible. Cosmetic housings and visible brackets need Ra 0.8–1.6 μm or better before the parts leave the machine.
We plan the setup before we quote, so the tolerance and finish you read on the drawing are what the machine can actually hold.
A simultaneous 5-axis center tilts the tool and rotates the table at the same time. Faces at compound angles, cross-drilled ports and contoured pockets that would need three fixtures on a 3-axis mill come off one setup. Fewer remounts means less datum transfer and a shorter path from raw stock to finished part.
We hold work in a Ø400 mm rotary table or in custom soft jaws, depending on part geometry. For long parts we use the 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm travel machine; compact housings run on 500 × 500 × 450 mm and 500 × 310 × 200 mm platforms. The setup choice is made at DFM review, not at the machine.
Short tools first. We rough with the largest tool that reaches, then step down to long reach only for the final pass. Constant engagement toolpaths keep radial load steady, which matters on 7075 and 17-4PH where a sudden bite will bend a thin floor. For deep cavities we program from the inside out and leave even stock on both walls.
Finish is set by the application, not by habit. As-machined Ra 1.6–3.2 μm suits internal brackets. External panels and visible covers get Ra 0.8–1.6 μm, and sealing faces or bearing bores can reach Ra 0.2–0.8 μm. We measure with a roughness tester and a CMM before parts move to anodizing.
Not every part belongs on a simultaneous machine. Use this as a first filter.
| Part characteristic | Best setup | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Faces at compound angles | 5-axis simultaneous | One datum, no remount stack-up |
| Radial holes on a round body | 4-axis with rotary table | Indexing is enough; cheaper cycle |
| Flat plate, pockets on one face | 3-axis | No rotary motion needed |
| Deep cavity, 6:1 or more | 5-axis with short tool | Tilted access shortens the tool |
| Wall under 1.5 mm | 5-axis, light finishing pass | Controlled load, less chatter |
| Long frame, 2,000 mm plus | 5-axis, 4,000 mm travel | Single setup along the length |
| Simple turned shaft | Mill-turn center | Turning and milling in one cycle |
| Cosmetic housing, visible faces | 5-axis plus bead blast | Blended transitions before anodize |
Six service lines that cover most parts from prototype to production.
16 simultaneous centers for compound angles, deep cavities and contoured surfaces. One setup, ±0.005 mm.
12 four-axis mills and 27 three-axis machines for parts that do not need full simultaneous motion.
16 mill-turn centers handle turned features and milled flats in the same cycle.
From one piece upward. No minimum order quantity, so you can check fit before tooling.
Anodizing, plating, powder coating, bead blasting, brushing, polishing and laser marking.
CMM, tool microscope, height gauges and roughness tester. Reports on request.
| Item | Specification | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Simultaneous 5-axis centers | 16 machines | Compound-angle and contoured parts |
| Four-axis mills | 12 machines | Indexed radial features |
| Three-axis machines | 27 machines | Single-face plates and housings |
| Mill-turn centers | 16 machines | Turned parts with milled features |
| Large travel | 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm | Frame rails and long extrusions |
| Medium travel | 750 × 1,150 × 550 mm | Enclosures and manifolds |
| Compact travel | 500 × 500 × 450 mm | Small housings and brackets |
| Tolerance | ±0.005 mm | Bearing bores and mating faces |
Numbers first. Everything below can be checked on a drawing or an inspection report.
Enough capacity to run prototypes and production side by side without pushing your job to the back of a queue.
Held on mating faces and bearing bores, verified on a CMM before shipment, not only on the first article.
Raw material check, in-process monitoring and final inspection on every order.
You get a price and a manufacturability note within 12 hours of sending files.
Once the drawing and material are confirmed, machining can begin within 24 hours.
One prototype piece or a 10,000-part run, quoted the same way.
Bearing bores and mounting faces machined in one setup to keep joint alignment.
Housings and brackets on IATF 16949 controlled processes, with inspection records on request.
Undercuts and blended surfaces that a three-axis setup cannot reach in a single clamping.
Parts with features on three or more faces at compound angles, deep cavities that need a tilted tool, and contoured surfaces with blended transitions.
If all the work is on one face, a three-axis machine will hold the same tolerance for less money. We will say so in the DFM note.
±0.005 mm on critical features such as bearing bores and mating faces. General features are usually quoted looser, because tightening everything adds cost without adding function.
We measure on a CMM and can send the report with the shipment.
No minimum order quantity. We quote a single prototype and a 10,000-part run the same way.
Prototypes often run on the same five-axis centers as production, so the process carries over.
We rough with the shortest tool that reaches the floor, then finish with a long reach tool at light radial load. Constant engagement toolpaths keep the cut steady.
Walls under 1.5 mm are flagged at DFM review so you can decide whether to thicken the section or accept extra finishing time.
Aluminum 6061, 7075, 2024 and 6082; stainless 303, 304, 316L and 17-4PH; steel 1018, 4140 and 4340; titanium TC4; Inconel; and plastics including POM, PEEK, PC and ABS.
Material choice affects toolpath and finish. We will tell you if a grade is a poor fit for the geometry.
Quotation and free DFM analysis within 12 hours. Production can start within 24 hours after confirmation, and parts typically ship in 3–5 days.
Historical late-delivery probability is below 2%. Exact dates are confirmed on the order, not promised in advance.
Yes. Anodizing in clear, color, hardcoat and conductive versions, plus plating, powder coating, black oxide, bead blasting, brushing, polishing and laser marking.
Finish is specified before machining, because the surface prep step changes the toolpath. Laser marking holds a minimum character height of 1.5 mm.
Uploads go to a secure system and are treated as confidential. We can sign an NDA before you send drawings.
Your files are not shared with other customers or used in any public material.
Upload a STEP file and we will return a price plus a DFM note. No minimum order quantity.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo MOQNDA on request
Trusted by engineers and manufacturers worldwide
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
Material: not selected Machine: not selected Post-process: not selected
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