Joint housings, gearbox flanges, wrist brackets and end-effector plates machined from aluminum, stainless and titanium. One operation on five-axis centers holds bore-to-face relationships that stacked setups cannot.
Most of these start before the first cut. They show up as vibration, backlash or a joint that will not hold position.
A joint housing gets flipped through three setups. Each flip adds a small angular error, and by the time the bearing bore is finished, the mounting face is out of square. The bearing preloads unevenly and the axis runs warm.
A lightened arm segment looks fine on the bench. Under a 20 kg payload the thin web deflects, and the encoder sees position error it cannot correct. Material choice and rib geometry decide this, not spindle speed.
A drawing calls ±0.01 mm on a face that only locates a cover. That tolerance adds grinding, adds inspection time and adds cost, while the joint's actual accuracy depends on two other features nobody flagged.
The first article checks out. Article 400 does not, because the process was never written down. Tool wear, fixture repeatability and material batch all move the same dimension.
Two things decide whether a robot arm part behaves: how many times it gets re-fixtured, and whether the process survives a production run.
We read the drawing for the features that actually control joint accuracy: the bearing bore, the mounting face, the dowel pattern. Those get machined in one operation wherever the geometry allows. On a five-axis center with a Ø400 mm rotary table, a wrist housing can be cut on five faces without coming off the fixture.
Fewer setups means fewer chances to stack error. It also means the bore-to-face relationship holds even when the part is 400 mm across.
A prototype that fits is only half the job. We document the setup, the tool list and the inspection points so article 500 matches article 1. In-process checks run during the lot, not just at the end.
Every part is inspected before shipment. Raw material certificates, dimensional reports and surface finish readings are available on request.
These are starting points. The drawing decides the final route.
| Component | Typical material | Why this route |
|---|---|---|
| Joint housing | 6061-T6, 7075 | Five-axis: bore and faces in one setup |
| Gearbox flange | 4140, 17-4PH | Mill-turn: concentricity from one chucking |
| Wrist bracket | 7075, Ti-6Al-4V | Five-axis: angled faces without refixturing |
| Arm segment | 6061-T6, carbon fibre | Large travel: up to 4,000 mm |
| Base plate | Steel, cast aluminum | Three-axis plus drilling, then grinding |
| End-effector plate | 6061, 304 stainless | Three-axis: flat plate, tight hole pattern |
Most robot arm programs pull from three or four of these.
Sixteen simultaneous five-axis centers for joint housings and wrist brackets. Angled faces and bores cut without re-fixturing.
Twelve four-axis mills for parts with a dominant rotational axis: flanges, collars, cylindrical bosses.
Twenty-seven three-axis machines for base plates, covers and flat mounting plates with dense hole patterns.
Sixteen mill-turn centers. Shafts, pins and gearbox interfaces turned and milled in one chucking for concentricity.
DFM analysis with the quote. First articles for fit checks before tooling or fixture investment.
Anodizing, plating, bead blasting and laser marking. Character height 1.5 mm minimum for engraved IDs.
| Item | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tolerance | ±0.005 mm | ±0.0002 in |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.2–0.8 μm | Fine finish, on request |
| As-machined finish | Ra 1.6–3.2 μm | Standard milled surface |
| Maximum part size | 4,000 mm | 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm travel |
| Medium travel | 750 × 1,150 × 550 mm | General joint and bracket work |
| Rotary table | Ø400 mm | Five-face access in one setup |
| Materials | Aluminum, stainless, steel, titanium | Also copper, brass, plastics |
| Order quantity | One prototype to 10,000+ | No minimum order quantity |
Not just on the first article. In-process checks run through the lot, and every part is inspected before shipment.
Simultaneous five-axis capacity is what lets a joint housing be finished without stacking setups.
Send a drawing and we return a quotation with free DFM analysis within 12 hours.
Once the order is confirmed and material is on hand, production can start within 24 hours.
Three wholly-owned plants, 7,600 m² of manufacturing space and 150 technicians.
Parts that pass inspection on the first pass, measured across production lots.
Robotics work needs bore and mounting face square to each other. We cut both in one setup on a five-axis center.
Concentricity between the pilot bore and the bolt pattern is the whole function. Mill-turn holds it from one chucking.
Angled faces and lightening pockets are the reason these parts go on a five-axis machine instead of a three-axis with fixtures.
Large frame parts up to 4,000 mm. Flatness and hole position are checked before the part leaves the machine.
Parts with features on several faces at angles to each other. Joint housings, wrist brackets and anything with a bore that must stay square to a mounting face.
Flat plates, covers and simple brackets usually run faster and cheaper on a three-axis machine with a fixture. We route by geometry, not by machine availability.
±0.005 mm on critical features. That holds in production because the setup is documented and in-process checks run through the lot.
If a drawing calls tighter than the joint needs, we flag it during DFM. Extra precision on a non-functional face adds cost and inspection time without improving the axis.
The Ø400 mm rotary table covers most joint and wrist parts. Larger arm segments and base plates go on machines with travel up to 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm.
For those, we break the work into two or three setups and control the datum transfer with dowel pins or a dedicated fixture. We tell you which faces carry the tolerance.
7075 and 6061-T6 for housings and brackets where stiffness per kilogram matters. 4140 and 17-4PH for gearbox interfaces and shafts that see wear.
Ti-6Al-4V when weight and corrosion resistance both matter and the budget allows. Carbon fibre is an option for arm segments, though it changes how you design the joint.
Yes. There is no minimum order quantity, so a single housing or bracket is a normal order. Production can start within 24 hours of confirmation.
Rapid prototyping runs are usually machined from the same material as the production part, so the fit check reflects real behavior.
A 3D model plus a 2D drawing with datums, tolerances and surface finish callouts. Material and finish specification. Quantity and any target date.
If the drawing is incomplete, we return a DFM note listing what we assumed. That happens within the same 12-hour quote window.
Bearing bores and seal seats usually sit at Ra 0.8–1.6 μm. Sliding or rotating contact faces go finer, Ra 0.2–0.8 μm.
Non-functional outer surfaces at Ra 1.6–3.2 μm keep cost down. We can add bead blasting or anodizing after machining if the drawing calls for it.
Yes. An NDA is available on request, and uploads are handled as confidential. We do not share drawings or part geometry outside the job.
We hold ISO 27001:2022 for information security, alongside ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016 and ISO 13485:2016.
Free DFM analysis with every quotation. No minimum order quantity, from one prototype to a 10,000-part run.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo minimum order quantity
Trusted by engineers and manufacturers worldwide
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
Material: not selected Machine: not selected Post-process: not selected
