Lightweight magnesium parts machined to ±0.005 mm with fire-safe chip handling. AZ31B and AZ91D run on our 3, 4, and 5-axis centers for housings, brackets, and drone frames.
Magnesium is not hard to machine. It is hard to machine without scrap, fire, or warped dimensions.
Magnesium fines burn hot and fast. Shops that treat this metal like aluminium and let fines pile up in an open bin create a real fire risk. One spark in the tray stops the whole job and can take the machine offline for days.
Magnesium cuts easy, so operators push feeds and clamp hard. A 1.5 mm wall on a drone frame or instrument housing then springs back once the vise opens. The part measures true on the machine and out of spec on the CMM.
Bare magnesium reacts with moisture and salts. Clamp marks, fingerprints, and coolant residue left on the surface become white oxide patches within weeks. The customer sees pitting on a part that was cosmetically clean at packing.
AZ31B and AZ91D do not behave the same. AZ91D casts well and machines fast but is less ductile. AZ31B bends and welds but is softer. Specifying one where the other belongs shows up as cracking or fatigue failure in service.
Three things decide whether a magnesium part leaves the shop good or scrapped.
Magnesium chips are the main hazard on this job, not the cutting itself. We run sharp, high-rake tooling with large flute spaces so chips break short and clear the cut instead of packing in the flutes. No fine dust sitting under the part.
Dry or minimum-quantity lubrication is used where geometry allows. When coolant is needed, it is a dedicated magnesium-compatible fluid, never water-based fluid shared with steel jobs. Chips go straight into covered steel containers and are cleared at set intervals, not at the end of the shift.
Magnesium has a low modulus, so it moves under clamp load. We rough and semi-finish, stress-relieve where the part allows, then take light finishing passes with reduced clamping pressure. Thin-wall housings and brackets hold ±0.005 mm without bowing.
Surfaces are protected before packing. Bead blasting, brushing, or a conversion coating removes clamp marks and leaves a surface that resists oxide growth in transit. Laser marking is available at a minimum character height of 1.5 mm for traceability.
Pick by load path, wall thickness, and how the part is made. Both machine well on our centers.
| Property | AZ31B | AZ91D |
|---|---|---|
| Typical use | Sheet, extrusions, welded frames | Die cast housings, covers |
| Ductility | Higher, bends and forms | Lower, stiffer in service |
| Machining speed | Good, softer chip | Fast, clean chip break |
| Corrosion resistance | Better in salt spray | Needs coating sooner |
| Best for thin walls | Yes, down to 1 mm | Only with light clamping |
| Welding | Weldable | Not recommended |
| Surface finish as machined | Ra 1.6–3.2 μm | Ra 0.8–1.6 μm |
| Cost per part | Higher material cost | Lower at volume |
One shop for the whole part, from first article to production run.
Complex housings and brackets cut in fewer setups. 16 simultaneous 5-axis centers handle contoured surfaces and deep pockets that would need three fixtures on 3-axis.
Cylindrical and prismatic parts with features on multiple faces. A Ø400 mm rotary table keeps hole patterns concentric around a single axis.
Flat plates, covers, and simple brackets. The quickest route when the part has one working face and no undercuts.
Mill-turn centers combine turning and milling on one platform. Shafts, bushings, and threaded bodies come off with concentricity held between features.
First articles in days for fit checks and test rigs. From one piece to 10,000+ part runs with the same process and inspection plan.
Bead blasting, brushing, polishing, anodizing, plating, and laser marking. Magnesium gets a protective step before packing so it ships clean.
Numbers we hold on real jobs, not catalog promises.
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Materials | AZ31B, AZ91D |
| Tolerance | ±0.005 mm (±0.0002 in) |
| As-machined finish | Ra 1.6–3.2 μm |
| Fine finish | Ra 0.2–0.8 μm |
| Maximum part size | 4,000 mm |
| Large travel | 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm |
| Rotary table | Ø400 mm |
| Minimum wall advice | From 1 mm, light clamping |
| Inspection | 100% before shipment |
| Order size | One prototype to 10,000+ parts |
The differences that show up on the inspection report.
Founded in 2011. Three wholly-owned plants and 7,600 m² of manufacturing space in Dongguan, plus a Singapore factory at No.3 Joo Koon Circle.
16 simultaneous 5-axis centers, 12 four-axis mills, 27 three-axis machines, and 16 mill-turn centers. Magnesium jobs get the right machine, not the free one.
Light finishing passes and controlled clamping keep low-modulus parts flat. The same number applies to first article and to part 5,000.
Raw material check, in-process monitoring, and final inspection on every order. Reports are available on request.
Send a model and get a quotation with free DFM analysis inside 12 hours. Production can start within 24 hours after approval.
Historical late-delivery probability below 2%. We quote the date we can hold, not the date that wins the order.
Arm links and joint housings where mass drives motor sizing and cycle time.
Brackets and housings that cut sprung mass without giving up stiffness.
Instrument housings and support structures where every gram counts.
The metal in solid form is not the problem. Fine chips and dust are. They have a low ignition temperature and burn with a hot flame that water can make worse.
The controls are simple and well known: sharp tooling to make short chips, no fines sitting in open trays, covered steel containers, and a dedicated magnesium-compatible coolant when coolant is used at all. We run the job that way on every order.
Start from the load path and the process. AZ31B is more ductile, welds, and holds up better in salt spray, so it suits sheet parts, welded frames, and anything that bends in service.
AZ91D machines faster and takes a better as-machined finish, which suits die-cast housings and covers. If you need thin walls below about 2 mm, AZ31B is usually the safer choice.
±0.005 mm is achievable on stable geometry, including walls around 1 mm, provided we control clamping pressure and take light finishing passes.
Very long unsupported walls or parts with large open pockets may need an intermediate stress-relief step or a fixture that supports the wall from behind. We flag that in the DFM review before cutting.
Bare magnesium reacts with moisture, salts, and skin oils. Clamp marks and fingerprints become oxide patches if the part is packed as-is.
We remove handling marks by bead blasting or brushing, then apply a conversion coating or the finish called out on the drawing. Parts are bagged with desiccant before shipping.
Not without a full clean-down. Magnesium fines left in a machine that later runs aluminium, or mixed with steel swarf, create a fire and contamination hazard.
We schedule magnesium work with dedicated tooling and a clean-down routine between material families, and keep the chips segregated from the start.
There is no minimum order quantity. We run from a single prototype to 10,000+ part runs with the same process and inspection plan.
Prototype pricing and production pricing are quoted separately so you can see where the volume break sits before committing.
A 3D model in STEP or IGES, a 2D drawing with tolerances and critical features, the alloy, the finish, and the quantity. Material condition and any coating spec help too.
Quotation and free DFM analysis come back within 12 hours. Uploads are secure and confidential, and an NDA is available on request.
Yes. Every order gets a raw material check, in-process monitoring, and a final inspection, with 100% inspection before shipment.
Dimensional reports and material certificates are available on request. If a feature is critical, tell us at quoting so it goes on the inspection plan.
Upload a model and get a quotation with free DFM analysis within 12 hours. No minimum order quantity, 100% inspection before shipment.
12-hour quoteNo MOQ100% inspectionNDA 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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