PVC cuts clean and holds a dimension well when the grade, the stock and the cutter are matched to the job. We machine PVC sheet, rod, tube and structural foam for chemical, electrical and fluid parts, from one prototype to 10,000+ pieces.
Most PVC scrap comes from heat, clamping and stock choice, not from the toolpath.
The cutter rubs instead of shearing, the chip welds back onto the wall, and you get a rough edge that will not seal. On a valve body or a manifold plate that means a leak test failure and a full re-run. Rigid PVC loses stiffness fast once the surface passes roughly 60 °C, so spindle speed and feed have to be set for the material, not for aluminum habits.
Heat-sensitive grades scorch where the tool dwells. A dwell of half a second in a corner is enough to leave a brown stain that no amount of polishing removes. Buyers reject those parts on appearance even when the dimension is right.
PVC is not stiff. A 2 mm wall standing 40 mm tall will deflect under normal clamping and ringing appears in the finish. Parts that should press-fit by hand come out loose or cracked at the corner. The fix is support and light passes, not more force.
Extruded sheet carries internal stress from the extrusion line. Cut a pocket and the part can move 0.1–0.3 mm over the next few days. A gasket groove that measured correct at inspection no longer seals a week later.
Grade, stock and cutter chosen together, then measured.
We ask what the part has to do before we quote. A chemical tank cover and a machined insulator can both be PVC, but they are not the same grade. Rigid PVC sheet is the default for flat parts and covers. PVC rod suits bushings and turned parts. Tube is used for sight glasses and spacers where a bore is already there. Type I (normal impact) machines more predictably than Type II (high impact), which is tougher but gummier at the cutter.
On sheet thicker than about 20 mm we take a roughing pass leaving 0.5–0.8 mm, let the part rest, then finish. That gives the internal stress somewhere to go before the final dimension is set. Dual-durometer and clear PVC need slower feeds again, because the plasticizer that makes them flexible also makes them smear.
Heat is the whole game with PVC. We run two-flute and three-flute polished carbide cutters with high rake angles, because uncoated carbide lifts the chip instead of dragging it. Cobalt and titanium-tantalum-tungsten carbide grades hold an edge long enough to keep the cut shearing. Router-style O-flute tools handle the softer foam grades, where chip evacuation matters more than edge life.
Clamping follows the same logic. A vacuum platen or a broad soft-jaw spread holds the part flat without point loads. Thin standing walls get support from a machined pocket or a wax fill rather than a side clamp. We take light radial passes at moderate feed instead of one heavy pass. The cut stays cool, the wall stays straight, and the edge comes off the machine without a deburring knife.
Match the stock to the geometry before you send the model.
| Material form | Typical parts | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Rigid PVC sheet | Covers, panels, insulator plates | Internal stress on cuts over 20 mm deep |
| PVC rod | Bushings, turned spacers, fittings | Heat build-up in the bore |
| PVC tube | Sight glasses, sleeves, spacers | Wall deflection when chucked |
| PVC structural foam | Signage, housings, light frames | Open edges, low thread strength |
| Clear / flexible PVC | Windows, gaskets, guards | Smearing, poor chip break |
One shop for the plastic part and the metal parts around it.
Flat plates, covers, manifolds and pockets. The workhorse for PVC sheet up to 4,000 mm long.
Adds a rotary table for cross-drilled holes and features on more than one face without re-fixturing.
Contoured ducts, angled ports and one-setup parts where every face has to line up.
Bushings, sleeves, threaded adapters and spacers from PVC rod and tube, with fine surface finish.
Single PVC parts for fit checks and flow tests before you commit to a run.
Bead blasting, tumbling and polishing for PVC, plus laser marking where a part number is needed.
Numbers we hold to on plastic work.
| Item | Range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| General tolerance | ±0.005 mm | On rigid PVC, features over 10 mm |
| Standard finish | Ra 0.8–1.6 μm | As-machined PVC wall |
| Fine finish | Ra 0.2–0.8 μm | On request, turned and bored faces |
| Maximum part size | 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm | Long-bed 3-axis travel |
| Threads | M3 and up | Coarse pitch holds better in PVC |
| Inspection | 100% before shipment | Reports on request |
Founded in 2011, 3 wholly-owned plants, 150 technicians.
Fifteen years of polymer work runs alongside our metal lines, so PVC is a routine setup rather than an experiment.
16 simultaneous 5-axis centers, 12 four-axis mills, 27 three-axis machines and 16 mill-turn centers. The right machine gets the PVC job.
Long PVC covers and duct sections that will not fit a standard table are cut in one setup, which keeps hole positions aligned.
Raw material check, in-process monitoring and final inspection on every PVC order.
Send a model and we come back with a price and notes on wall thickness, thread choice and stress relief within 12 hours.
From a single prototype to a 10,000+ part run, with the same inspection standard on both.
Manifold plates, valve bodies and pump housings where acid and alkali resistance is the point. Flatness and gasket grooves matter more than cosmetic finish.
Barriers, spacers and mounting plates. The part must not track or deform near a warm component, so grade and wall thickness get checked at DFM.
Long clear and rigid PVC covers, often over 1,500 mm. Cut on the long-bed machines so mounting holes stay in line end to end.
Nozzles, brackets and foam housings that sit in chlorinated water for years. We match the grade to the exposure, not just to the drawing.
Yes, on rigid PVC and on features larger than about 10 mm where the part has been stress-relieved and the wall is thick enough to resist tool pressure.
Thin walls, flexible grades and foam will not hold that band. On those we quote a realistic tolerance at DFM and tell you which features will move.
Extruded and molded stock carries locked-in stress. When you remove material from one side, the balance changes and the part relaxes.
We rough, let the part rest, then finish. If the geometry is very asymmetric, we may also ask for annealed stock before we start.
General machining holds ±0.005 mm, with as-machined surfaces at Ra 1.6–3.2 μm and standard finish at Ra 0.8–1.6 μm.
Turned and bored faces can reach Ra 0.2–0.8 μm when the customer asks for it. Polishing PVC works, but it is a manual step and adds cost.
Yes, from M3 upward. Coarse pitch threads hold far better than fine pitch in PVC, and thread-forming screws work well in the thicker grades.
For structural joints we usually recommend a metal insert or a through-bolt with a washer instead of relying on the plastic thread alone.
PVC is far less moisture-sensitive than nylon or PEEK, and most sheet and rod machines as received.
If stock has been stored in a humid area or the cut shows bubbles and a dull edge, we dry it first. It costs little and removes one variable.
Rigid PVC gives you strength, a sealing surface and clean threads. PVC structural foam is lighter and machines faster, but the edges stay open and it will not hold a thread well.
If the part carries load or seals against a gasket, use rigid. If it is a housing, sign panel or light frame, foam is the cheaper route.
Sharp polished carbide, high rake angle, moderate spindle speed and a feed that keeps the chip thick enough to carry heat away.
We also avoid dwelling in corners and keep the cutter moving. If a design has deep narrow slots, we will flag them at DFM, because they are where burns and broken tools happen.
A 3D model or a 2D drawing with tolerances, the quantity, the PVC grade if you have one, and the environment the part will see.
We return a price and a free DFM analysis within 12 hours, and production can start within 24 hours of approval. Uploads stay confidential and an NDA is available on request.
Upload your drawing and we will come back with price, lead time and DFM notes on grade, walls and threads. One part or ten thousand, same inspection standard.
12-hour quoteFree DFM analysis100% inspectionNo minimum orderNDA 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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