GreatLight machines 6061 and 6061-T6 aluminum parts to ±0.005 mm on 127 CNC machines. Send a 2D drawing or 3D file and we return a quote with DFM notes within 12 hours.
These are the failure modes we hear about most from engineers moving a 6061 part from print to production.
A 1.5 mm wall on a 6061 housing gets roughed at full depth, then springs 0.10 mm once it is unclamped. The part measures fine on the machine and fails on the CMM. Roughing passes and stress relief have to be planned before the first cut, not patched afterwards.
6061-T6 is soft enough that a dull tap or the wrong cutting fluid tears the thread flanks. The fastener still threads in by hand, so the defect ships. We control tap life and use form taps on small sizes to keep thread pitch diameter in spec.
Anodized 6061 shows every machining mark. Change the cutter or the feed and the same drawing produces a different sheen. We fix the tool path and surface target before anodizing so the second order matches the first.
A two-week wait for pricing kills a build slot. We return a quotation and a free DFM analysis within 12 hours, and production can start within 24 hours of a released PO.
Alloy choice is only half the job. The rest is fixturing, tool path and knowing when to stop cutting.
Most of our aluminum parts cnc machining work runs on 6061-T6 plate and bar. It machines clean at 3,000–8,000 rpm with high-positive carbide, but it also carries residual stress from the mill. Rough the pocket in two passes with a pause between them, and the part stays flat after the vise opens.
For thin floors and long frames we use soft jaws cut to the part profile, or a vacuum plate when the part is mostly flat. A Ø400 mm rotary table lets us reach four faces in one setup on 4-axis work, which removes the re-fixturing error that shows up on hole-to-hole position.
±0.005 mm is a shop capability, not a default callout. On a 6061 bracket with a 100 mm span, thermal drift alone can eat half of it. We hold that band on critical bores, bearing seats and mating faces, and leave general surfaces at ±0.05 mm unless the print says otherwise. Tell us which dimensions carry the function.
Surface finish follows the same logic. As-machined 6061 lands at Ra 1.6–3.2 μm. A face that meets an O-ring or a gasket needs Ra 0.8–1.6 μm, and a sealing or sliding surface goes to Ra 0.2–0.8 μm with a finishing pass rather than a slower spindle.
6061 is the default for structural and enclosure work. These are the cases where another grade earns its cost.
| Grade | Typical use | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| 6061-T6 | Brackets, housings, fixtures, frames | Anodize color shifts with surface prep |
| 6063 | Extruded profiles and heat sinks | Lower strength than 6061-T6 |
| 6082 | Structural parts in European drawings | Similar to 6061, verify temper |
| 7075-T6 | High-load aerospace and mold parts | Poor weldability, higher cost |
| 2024 | Fatigue-critical aircraft fittings | Needs corrosion protection |
| 5052 / 5083 | Sheet metal and marine enclosures | Not for heavy machined cuts |
| ADC12 | Die-cast housings, post-machined | Porosity shows on sealing faces |
Machining is the core. These are the operations that usually come with it.
16 simultaneous 5-axis centers for contoured housings, impellers and angled ports that would need three setups on a 3-axis mill. Processing size up to 4,000 mm.
12 four-axis mills and 27 three-axis machines handle prismatic plates, manifolds and brackets with repeatable hole-to-hole position.
16 mill-turn centers cut turned 6061 parts with cross holes and flats in one cycle, avoiding a second op and its concentricity error.
First-article 6061 parts machined from stock so you can test fit and function before committing to a run. No minimum order quantity.
Anodizing in clear, color, hardcoat and conductive types, plus bead blasting, brushing, polishing, plating and laser marking from 1.5 mm character height.
Raw material check, in-process monitoring and 100% inspection before shipment. Dimensional reports and material certs issued on request.
| Item | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum grades | 6061, 6061-T6, 2024, 5052, 5083, 6063, 6082, 7075, ADC12 | Other grades on request |
| Maximum part size | 4,000 mm | Larger travel on selected machines |
| General tolerance | ±0.05 mm | Standard unless print says otherwise |
| Critical tolerance | ±0.005 mm | Bores, bearing seats, mating faces |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.2–3.2 μm | Matched to function, not blanket |
| Order quantity | 1 to 10,000+ | No minimum order quantity |
| Lead time | Quote in 12 hours, ship in 3–5 days | After drawing release and PO |
| Inspection | 100% before shipment | Reports available on request |
Fifteen years on 6061 and its neighbors. We know which callouts are free and which ones add a setup.
127 high-precision CNC machines across 3 wholly-owned plants, so capacity does not depend on an outside shop.
Held on critical features and verified after the part cools, not while it is still warm from the cut.
You get pricing and manufacturability notes together, before the design is frozen.
One prototype or a 10,000-part run. Same fixture discipline either way.
Material check, in-process monitoring and final inspection. Reports on request.
Battery brackets and motor housings need flatness across a long span and drilled patterns that repeat.
Control chassis and heat-sink plates combine milling with sheet metal, so finish and fit share one drawing.
Manifolds and mounting plates with cross-drilled ports that must line up after anodizing.
Bridge quantities from 1 to 10,000+ pieces without a tooling commitment.
6061-T6 is the precipitation-hardened temper, and it is what most drawings mean when they say 6061. It machines with better chip control and holds a cleaner edge than annealed 6061-O.
The trade-off is residual stress. T6 plate can move after heavy material removal, so we rough, let the part settle and finish in a second pass on thin walls.
Yes, on specific features such as bores, bearing seats and mating faces, with the right fixturing and a temperature-controlled measurement step.
We do not put that band on every dimension. A general tolerance of ±0.05 mm keeps cost sensible, so mark the functional dimensions on the print and we will quote to them.
The usual cause is one deep roughing pass followed by unclamping before the part has settled. Two lighter roughing passes with a pause between them removes most of the movement.
Support matters as much as the cut. Profile-cut soft jaws or a vacuum plate hold a thin wall without squeezing it out of shape.
Anodizing shows the surface underneath it, so the prep decides the look. Ra 0.8–1.6 μm with bead blasting gives a consistent matte appearance across batches.
For a sealing face, go finer, Ra 0.2–0.8 μm, and tell us the face is functional so we do not blast it.
A 3D file or a 2D drawing with tolerances, the alloy and temper, the finish, and the quantity. If a critical feature is not dimensioned, note it in the RFQ.
We return a quotation and a free DFM analysis within 12 hours. Uploads are secure and confidential, and an NDA is available on request.
No. We run from a single prototype to 10,000+ part runs. The first article is often a fit check before a larger release.
Unit economics improve with volume because setup is amortized, but we do not turn away one-piece work.
Quotation and DFM land within 12 hours, and production can start within 24 hours of a released PO. Standard parts ship in 3–5 days.
Timing depends on finish and inspection scope. Anodizing and full dimensional reporting add steps, so flag those at RFQ stage.
We hold ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, ISO 13485:2016 and ISO 27001:2022. The applicable certificate depends on the end market.
IATF 16949 covers automotive programs, ISO 13485 covers medical device work, and ISO 27001 covers information security for customer data.
Upload a 3D file or 2D print and we return a quote with DFM notes within 12 hours.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo MOQNDA on request
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
