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CNC milling service
Our CNC milling services allow you to create industrial-grade parts and components with automated speed and precision.
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What is CNC milling?
CNC milling is a computer-controlled, subtractive machining process that uses rotating cutting tools to remove material from a solid, stationary workpiece in order to create custom-designed parts. During the milling process, the workpiece is cut along a number of axes to achieve a variety of shapes and geometries.
Our CNC milling service is simple: upload your CAD file to our Cloud Manufacturing Platform™, work with us to optimize your design and choose your material, and then take your project to production quickly and efficiently.
Our CNC milling services
Our CNC machining capabilities include both 3-axis, and 5-axis mills:
3-axis milling
3-axis CNC milling involves cutting a stationary workpiece along three linear axes: left-to-right, back-and-forth, up-and-down. Easy to program and operate, 3-axis mills are effective for simple geometric designs and can be used for a wide variety of parts.
5-axis milling
5-axis CNC milling expands the design potential of the machining process by adding 2 axes of movement to the workpiece itself. With no need to reposition between operations, 5-axis milling allows for the faster production of more complex parts.
For more on-demand manufacturing options, browse our CNC machining capabilities, including our CNC turning services.
Design considerations
The Fast Radius CNC milling process takes your project from prototype to production quickly and simply. Optimize your milled parts with the following design considerations, material choices, and finishing and post processing options:
CNC milling general process information
| 3-Axis Milling | 5-Axis Milling | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum part size | 1800 x 1000 x 500 mm 70.9 x 39.4 x 19.7 in | 1000 x 900 x 600 mm 39.4 x 35.4 x 23.6 in |
| Minimum part size | 12.7 x 12.7 x 12.7 mm 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 in | 12.7 x 12.7 x 12.7 mm 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 in |
| Minimum feature size | Ø 1 mm Ø 0.039 in | Ø 1 mm Ø 0.039 in |
| Standard tolerance | Metals: +/-0.13 mm (0.005 in) Plastics: +/-0.20 mm (0.008 in) | |
| Minimum wall thickness | Recommended size: 0.8 mm (0.031 in) for metals and 1.5 mm (0.059 in) for plastics Feasible size: 0.5 mm (0.019 in) for metals and 1.0 mm (0.039 in) for plastics | |
| Holes | Recommended size: Diameter: standard drill bit sizes Depth: 4 x diameter Feasible size: Diameter: Ø 0.5 mm (0.019 in) Depth: 8 x diameter | |
| Threads | Recommended size: Size: M6 or larger Length: 3 x diameter Feasible size: Size: M2.5 | |
| Lead time | As low as 8 days for less than 50 parts | As low as 10 days for less than 50 parts |
CNC milling materials
| Plastic | Aluminum | Stainless Steel | Other Steel | Other Metal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABS | 2024 | 303 | Mild steel | Brass |
| Nylon 6 | 6061 | 304 | Alloy steel | Copper |
| Acetal (Delrin) | 6082 | 316 | Tool steel | Titanium |
| Polycarbonate | 7050 | 17-4 | Contact us for additional metal machining options | |
| PVC | 7075 | 420 | ||
| HDPE | ||||
| PTFE (Teflon) | ||||
| PEEK | ||||
| Nylon 30%GF | ||||
| UHMW |
CNC milling finishing and post-processing options
| As machined (standard) | Bead blasting | Polishing | Heat treating | Black oxide |
| Anodizing | Brushing | Screen printing | Passivating | |
| Powder coating | Painting | Engraving | Plating |
Ready to make your parts with Fast Radius?
Use our quoting platform for quick quotes on production parts and prototypes.
Why choose CNC milling?
The CNC milling process is flexible and cost effective, and offers the following key benefits and challenges:
Benefits
- Excellent design precision
- Production consistency
- Suitability for niche products
- Established technology
- Wide variety of materials
- Scalability
- Speed
Challenges
- Upfront design costs
- Limited part geometry
- Potential unused material waste
CNC milling applications
From single, speciality parts to full production runs, CNC milling can be used to create a variety of industrial parts with applications that include:
Tooling
Manufacture parts with complicated cuts and different angles using a variety of cutting, drilling, and lathing tools.
Metal fabrication
CNC milling is a safe, effective way of creating high quality metal parts with exceptional tolerance levels.
Niche manufacturing
CNC milling is capable of creating a range of niche, durable metal or plastic products that alternative manufacturing processes cannot.
Hybrid manufacturing
CNC milling is not just a process suited to working with metals: molded and 3D printed parts can also be machined.
Medium-to-high-volume production
The CNC milling process is particularly useful for high-volume manufacturing runs, offering automated speed and cost benefits.
Rapid prototyping
The CNC milling process is fast, automated, and useful for the production of prototype parts.
Explore CNC machining news and industry updates
Find industry news, resources, insight into the CNC milling process, and more, on the Fast Radius blog:
Fast Radius manufacturing solutions
Fast Radius manufacturing solutions, including CNC milling, serve customers across the world. Learn more about our capabilities:
3D printing
Fast, scalable, and cost-effective 3D printing technology for a variety of industrial applications.
CNC machining
Precision computer-controlled machining processes, utilizing rotating drills, end mills, and lathes.
