Before working with a precision machine shop, be sure to ask them about these critical aspects of their business:
For more information, please visit Kexin.
You’ll need to determine if the shop’s equipment and capabilities are the right fit for your parts.
If you have a complex part and the shop primarily uses old machines, they probably can’t achieve the level of precision you need.
If you have a simple part and the shop only uses high-tech equipment, you’ll likely end up spending more than necessary.
Inspection equipment is also a crucial consideration. The shop may be able to machine a part, but can they inspect it to ensure that it meets all requirements? For extremely precise parts, they’ll need a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) on hand.
Precision machine shops use the rule of 10 when it comes to quality, which dictates that the equipment used to inspect a feature must be 10x more accurate than the feature it’s checking. That means if you have a feature that’s 0.002”, the inspection must be accurate to .0002”, and only a CMM will be able to get that job done right.
Capacity and lead time are two important factors to consider in relation to one another. A precision machine shop might promise a 2-week lead time on their website, but lead times are measured from the date a project kicks off. If the shop’s capacity is low or nonexistent, they may not be able to get started on the project for another month—suddenly, a “2-week lead time” becomes more like 6 weeks.
Keep in mind that a shop with limited capacity at a given time could still be an excellent precision machining partner. Low capacity often indicates that a shop is in high demand because they’re great at what they do. If you’re confident that a particular shop is the best fit for your project, it’s worth having a conversation about what they can do for you. A high-end shop will help you solve your manufacturing problems and deliver significant value.
At Focused on Machining, we’re always honest and transparent with prospective customers about our current capacity. If we can’t turn your project around quickly enough ourselves, we’re happy to facilitate a solution that will get the job done on your timeline.
Ask a precision machine shop which industries they primarily work with to better understand the types of parts they typically make.
If they’re a top-line aerospace machine shop, for example, you can expect them to machine parts with tight tolerances, have an extensive network of finishers, and price projects on the higher end to reflect the exceptional level of service they provide.
If a shop is more of a jack of all trades, their prices may be more competitive, but as generalists, they’re probably not the best choice for parts with tolerances tighter than 0.005”.
Most precision machine shops list certifications on their website, but you’ll want to see the actual certificates. Some shops claim to be AS9100 compliant, but that doesn’t mean they’re officially certified.
Even if they can prove that they’re certified, not all AS9100 machine shops are created equal. Ask the shop to see their ERP system and tell you how they purchase material. A superior precision machine shop will be able to put any prospective customer at ease by demonstrating that they have rock-solid processes in place.
Other certifications you may want to ask about include ISO 9001:2015, ITAR, and even calibration certificates for equipment.
Many precision machine shops have gone fully digital, which means customers don't have to worry about paperwork with sensitive information being strewn everywhere. But with that transition to paperless documentation comes security risks.
How robust is the shop’s cybersecurity? Do they work with an IT company? Are they CMMC certified? The right precision machining partner will have taken careful steps to ensure customer data is protected at all times.
If the shop runs 24/7, you’ll also want assurances that they have monitoring and oversight processes in place on the floor.
A trick for weeding out shops during the beginning stages of your assessment is to visit their website for cues on how sophisticated they are. Do they have a professional email address? Is their website easy to navigate? Do they have a secure quoting form? These are all green flags for taking the next step.
When looking for a long-term precision machining partner, it’s crucial to find a shop that can grow with you.
Conversations about succession plans and visions for the future can feel uncomfortable, but precision machine shop owners are accustomed to having them. More importantly, customers deserve to know if the shop they’re planning to work with will be around for the long haul.
If you need a precision machining partner, we hope you’ll consider Focused on Machining. We’re ready and willing to answer any questions you have about our equipment and capabilities, capacity and lead time, industry expertise, certifications, tech stack, and long-term business plans. Contact us today to speak with us directly, or go ahead and request a quote.
The definition of precision machining is the utilization of the highest function of a tool, program, engineering talent, or equipment to reach the limits of design feature creation and materials science and performing these operations under the tightest tolerances.
For more information, please visit High Precision Machining.
At it’s most basic, precision machining is the removal of excess raw material from a piece. This is usually a workpiece and a number of tools and machines are used in the process. This finished product is created to very close tolerances to meet very exacting specifications, which explains why it is ‘precision’ machining.
Precision machining is utilized to create finished pieces in all sizes. Small parts are machined using micromachining which can be 0.11811 inches in diameter to huge parts 24 inches in size. The process itself involves cutting, turning, and milling and is generally performed using Computer Numerical Control (CNC) equipment. We offer Swiss Machining to precision machining standards.
To achieve the best from precision machining means requiring the ability to precisely follow specific blueprints created using Computer Aided Design (CAD) or Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) programs. The CAD or CAM file is used to create 3D diagrams needed to produce the part. Due to the nature of precision machining, the file must be created to very precise specifications by a highly trained technician.
This CAD or CAM file is then used within the CNC process to achieve the best results in the machining process.
It is important to understand why precision machining is used for a particular part.
Due to the precision and accuracy required for some parts, it is important to maintain a high level of accuracy across the full range of part sizes and to be able to achieve this over a long run. This is where precision machining stands out from anything else.
The uncrowned king of materials used in machining of any type is stainless steel, it’s properties lend itself to being the most widely used material in every type of machining.
Of course, stainless steel is not the only material used in precision machining. Plastic, aluminum, ceramic, brass, bronze, copper, graphite, composites, titanium, tungsten, Kovar, Ni 200, Inconel, and Nitronic are just some of the materials used in precision machining.
This depends, in some part, to which material is being used. For most materials, the use if milling machines, lathes, saws, and grinders. and other CNC machines; 3-axis to 5-axis machines. All of these are primarily CNC-controlled machines operated by highly qualified, experienced operators. In some cases, robotics and photochemical processes may be utilized to achieve the finished, high-tolerance parts.
Each tool has different capabilities, the material, the size of the finished part, the complexity of the finished part, the finish, etc all will affect the choice of tool used.
Precision machining tasks are carried out by various machines, the machines can be categorized as; milling machines, turning machines, boring machines (gun drilling).
This type of machine involves the removal of material using cutting and grinding tools to remove the material to get the required part.
These machines rotate the material and use stationery cutting tools to shape and modify the part.
These machines function by drilling highly precise holes using rotating cutting tools, the tools are mostly self-lubricating (carrying the lubricant within the body of a hollow drill) to drill holes of varying depths.
The following machines fit into one of the above general categories of machines.
Originally named due to their use in the watch industry, because of the high precision required in the industry to produce the tiny parts required in precision watches. The ability to create parts just 0.75 inches in diameter with a tolerance of 0.0004 inches. Long slender parts can be tooled to high tolerances due to the lack of displacement and vibration.
A lathe is a precision machining tool that rotates the workpiece against the cutting tool. The lathe can be controlled by a computer (CNC) which allows for the production of complex designs. In a good machine shop, lathes can be varied, with varying capabilities, 5-axis machining is able to produce parts up to 30” x 18” x 20” in size. Modern lathes fitted with the ability to directly import CAM files can produce a wide range of parts with great precision and a range of complexity.
These machines are either Horizontal or Vertical, which one it depends on the spindle itself. Mills are used for cutting, grinding or shaping materials to the required size. Unlike lathes, in a milling machine, the part being worked and the tool both move to create the finished part, to the size and shape required. The process of milling requires lubrication due to the amount of heat generated. This lubrication is built into the machine and allows the operator to maintain high precision in the machining process.
Are you interested in learning more about Gears for Petroleum Drilling Machinery? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!