CNC Machining Services

CNC Milling

At a glance

Lifecycle

EVT, PVT, Production

Lead Time

As fast as 2 days

Tolerance

With drawing: as low as +/- 0.005 mmNo drawing: ISO 2768 medium

Materials

ABS, Acrylic, Aluminum, Brass, Bronze, Copper, Delrin, HDPE, Nylon, PEEK, Polycarbonate, Polypropylene, PTFE, UHMW, Stainless Steel, Steel

Machines

The Fictiv network connects hundreds of highly vetted CNC machinists across the country. This gives engineers streamlined access to a wide range of 50+ models of CNC Mill machines, including:

Haas VF-2 Super Speed Haas VF-4 Super Speed Kitamura-3X Vertical CNC Mazak Nexus VCN 510C Mori Seiki DV5100
Max Part Size [x, y, z] 762 x 406 x 508mm 30 x 16 x 20 in 1270 x 508 x 635 mm 50 x 20 x 25 in 760 x 510 x 510 mm 30 x 20.1 x 20.1 in 1200 x 677 x 470 mm 47.2 x 26.7 x 18.5 in 1,050 x 530 x 510 mm 41.3 x 20.8 x 20.0 in
Spindle Speed 8,100 rpms 12,000 rpms 12,000 rpms 12,000 rpms 30,000 rpms
Tools 20 40 24 30 30

CNC Machining Materials

ABS

Acrylic

Aluminum

Brass

Bronze

Copper

Delrin

HDPE

Nylon

PEEK

Polycarbonate

Polypropylene

PTFE

UHMW

Stainless Steel

Steel

ABS

ABS is a low-cost engineering plastic widely used for pre-injection molding prototypes.
Lead Time:
As fast as 2 days
Colors:
Black, neutral
Price:
$
cnc machining abs plastic part
Download CNC Material Datasheet

Design Recommendations

Compound surfaces

Compound surfaces (also known as organic or spline surfaces) are no problem with Fictiv, so long as other minimums are met.

Internal radius

We support features with internal radii down to 0.4 mm (0.016″).

Hole diameter

We can drill holes as small as 0.5mm (0.020″) in diameter.

Hole Depth

Our maximum drillable hole depth is 12x the drill bit diameter.

Feature Depth

We recommend a maximum depth of cut of 5x tool diameter in both metals and plastics. Chat with us if your project requires more.

About the Process

If your part is any sort of shape other than cylindrical, or lacks rotational symmetry about some imaginary axis through the part body, then a CNC mill is likely the machine for you. With milling, the stock that the part will be cut from is usually a six-sided bar or sheet of material (though it can also be a cylindrical rod). This stock is fixtured to the bed of the machine and the features of the part are cut using a rotating tool such as a drill or endmill.

With a 3-axis machine, the rotating tool mentioned above can translate relative to the part in the X, Y, and Z axes (thus the name), but is fixed in a vertical (or horizontal, depending on the machine) orientation. With modern CNC mills, the tool can also move in any combination of the 3 axes simultaneously.

A 5-axis machine is capable of the same movements as a 3-axis machine, but with added rotation about the X and Y axes. It is usually the bed that rotates rather than the toolhead, though both types of machines do exist.  This added rotation allows for much more freedom when machining each setup.

CNC Milling FAQs

What is tool offset in CNC milling?

CNC machines must be programmed to allow offsets for the diameter and length of the tool to cut the part. By knowing the exact tool offsets a machinist can find the precise machining starting point.

What is the difference between CNC turning and CNC milling?

The CNC milling process involves a rotating tool that carves away excess material from a stationary workpiece.

CNC turning uses a rotating workpiece, typically used to make cylindrical parts.

What is 5-axis CNC machining?

A 5-axis CNC milling machine can move a cutting tool in 5 axes, which allows the operator to simultaneously hit five different sides (or more) of a part depending on the design complexities. Resultantly, the tool is highly capable of creating highly complex products and parts.

With a 5-axis machine, the X, Y, and Z-axes are similar to a 3-axis machine layout. The table then rotates along the A-axis, as it does with the 4-axis. However, the 5-axis machine involves the pivoting action at the joint of the table, followed by rotation along the C-axis, which defines the fifth movement.

What is the difference between a CNC router and a CNC mill?

A CNC router moves the spindle around a stationary table and is primarily designed to operate at high speeds.

A CNC mill typically moves the workpiece along a linear axis, making cuts through the driving force of rotational speed.

What types of materials do CNC mills use?

The most commonly used materials in CNC milling are metals, such as aluminum, brass or steel and plastics such as ABS, acrylic, polycarbonate, and polypropylene.

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