Custom CNC Machining Services | CNC Lathe & Milling Service

CNC machining services are available for both milling and turning. Precision machining with Fractory uses state-of-the-art machinery to create parts with tight tolerances.

Learn more about our turning and milling capabilities below.

Ordering & Delivery

Quote in seconds

Short lead times

Delivery by Fractory

CNC Machining Quote Online

Just upload your 3D models (STEP) to the platform to get a quote in seconds. Select the appropriate properties, including the material, surface roughness and general tolerances and the price will be updated in real time.

Delivery in the United States

We send your parts all over the US. Just provide us with your address and we will take care of the transportation. This way you can focus on the engineering side, while we take care of the rest.

Get your CNC machining quote in seconds

Get quote

CNC Milling Capabilities

Maximum dimensions 450 x 60 x 100 inches

Available materials

Metals Steel, stainless steel, aluminum, etc.

Plastics Nylon, PE, POM, PP, etc.

CNC Milling Services

CNC milling services belong to our list of capabilities. The manufacturing method uses a rotating cutting tool for removing metal chips. A continuous process will ensure a part according to your input.

While the rotating cutting head may seem similar to drilling, the two are not the same. Drilling helps you make holes axially. Mills have the capacity to move laterally as well.

The are various milling bits available. Some milling cutters are for axial cutting, others lateral or a mix of both. Axial cutting requires teeth on the tip of the head. Lateral cutting, on the other hand, means that the cutting teeth have to be on the outer face of the cutter.

Fractory has over 25 pre-vetted manufacturing partners with state-of-the-art CNC machines. Also, 5-axis milling centers are available. Some of the stations also have live tooling capabilities to minimize turnaround times. Losing the necessity for changing tools is especially important with larger batches, as it can have a significant effect on the final price per part.

CNC Turning Capabilities

Max length 152 inches

Max diameter 37 inches

CNC Lathe Services

CNC turning is a method for producing symmetrical cylindrical parts. A simple example is a shaft. Keyways and other non-symmetric cutouts can be added later with another operation.

CNC lathes spin the metal part while the cutting tool can move axially in 2 directions – along the side of the part as well as towards it.

Therefore, the system spins the part while bringing the cutting tool into contact with the workpiece as necessary. This results in cut off bits of swarf. The continuous operation creates the final part.

Fractory can offer CNC turning services for a large number of different materials. These include carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, copper alloys, etc. Using a CNC lathe service is suitable for both prototyping as well as batch production.

Our capabilities include sliding head lathes which can bring down the turnaround times as much as 2 times. Traditional fixed head CNC machines cannot compete with the automated systems, especially with larger quantities.

Precision engineering with Fractory is made simple because we can offer a wide range of capabilities from various manufacturing partners.

CNC Machining Design Tips

Add radiuses to internal edges. Most cutting tools are cylindrical, thus achieving internal sharp edges can be tricky. It’s recommended to have internal radii of 130% of the milling tool radius.
Avoid excessively thin walls. Thin features are prone to vibrations and deformations due to heat generated from cutting. This lowers the achievable tolerances.
Specify tolerances only where needed. Adding too tight tolerances will drive up the cost. Standard tolerances according to ISO 2768-m will be applied by default.
Avoid designing unnecessary features and features that can’t be machined. The same goes for really small features, which would need to be micro-machined. Our partners have micro-machining capabilities but this is an expensive process.
Cavities should have the correct depth-to-width ratio: 4 times the width of the cavity. Deeper cavities need to be machined with larger diameter tools resulting in bigger radiuses on internal edges.
Limit thread length. 3 times the nominal thread diameter is enough as strong thread connections take place in the first few threads.
Design holes with standard sizes, as these can be machined with standard drill bits. Non-standard holes are treated as cavities and machined with an end mill tool.

What Is CNC Machining?

CNC machining is a metal fabrication method where written code controls the machinery in the manufacturing process. The abbreviation CNC stands for computer numerical control.

Contemporary CNC machines are fully automated, eliminating the need for a manual operator to directly control the CNC machine. The code determines everything from the movement of the cutting head and the part to spindle speed and RPMs. All they need is digital files with instructions about cutting trajectories and tooling.

The part’s shape and mechanical properties are defined in a CAD file. This information is then turned into manufacturing directives for CAM (computer aided manufacturing) software. Lastly, it is transformed into specific commands for a particular machine and loaded onto the CNC machine.

Although the majority of machining processes in the manufacturing industry are controlled by computers, then in a traditional sense CNC machining refers to only a few of these automated processes, namely milling, turning and drilling.

CNC machining is a subtractive manufacturing method. This means that material gets removed during the production process, making it the opposite of additive manufacturing, e.g. 3D printing.

The benefits of CNC machines include great positioning accuracy and high repeatability, so you get consistent results every time. CNC machining is suitable for both rapid prototyping and high-volume serial production.

To learn more about CNC machining you can find additional CNC machining resources from our engineering blog.

CNC Machining FAQ

What type of file formats are supported for CNC machining?

Our platform currently supports the universal .stp format as well as file types native to SolidWorks (.sldprt) and Solid Edge (.par, .psm).

Are 5-axis CNC milling machines available?

Yes, many of our pre-vetted manufacturing partners have 5-axis CNC machines.

How much does your CNC machining service cost?

Fractory has developed in-house algorithms and technology capable of providing automatic pricing for CNC machined parts. Quotes are based on actual manufacturing logic – each uploaded file is processed to recognize the manufacturing process and properties of the part, which determine the manufacturing and shipping time and cost.

How to reduce the cost of CNC machined parts?

The cost of CNC machined parts comprises mainly of 4 factors: machining time, material selection, start-up costs and part geometry.

To bring down the cost and guarantee the manufacturability of your CNC parts make sure to follow our CNC machining design tips. We suggest trying out different design iterations on our platform to see how small changes in the design affect the price. Also, as the number of parts increases, the cost per unit reduces significantly, as the setup costs are only handled once.

The raw material from which a part is made is another key component behind the final part cost. In addition to the cost of the material itself, materials with low machinability take more time to machine and usually require more resources such as cutting tools and fluids. Thus, making a conscious choice when determining the material of your custom parts is important.

Are turning and milling available for wood and plastics?

The material selection includes metals and plastics, including steel, stainless steel, aluminium, titanium, PE, POM, etc. Wood is not currently available but we are looking to add more materials in the future.

What is the quality of the machined parts?

All our manufacturing partners have the ISO 9001 certificate that ensures their work conforms to certain quality standards. If specific tolerances are required, please attach a drawing with relevant information.

Choose your region

CNC Machining Services