We machine ABS prototypes and production parts to ±0.005 mm on 5-axis centers. Upload a STEP file for free DFM analysis and a quote within 12 hours. No minimum order quantity, from one part to 10,000+.
A few failure modes we see on incoming ABS jobs.
ABS has a low melting point and poor thermal conductivity. A dull cutter or a feed rate set for aluminum will smear the surface instead of cutting it. You get burrs, whitened edges, and hand rework that eats the margin on the whole run.
Plastic relaxes. Machine a 1.5 mm wall with too much heat and too little support, and it will move. Dimensions that passed at the machine no longer pass at final inspection. If the part is a housing or a cover, the mating gap shows it.
Many shops quote plastic at ±0.1 mm and hope you accept it. For lens mounts, fixture plates, or sensor brackets, that is not enough. You end up sorting parts, shimming assemblies, or scrapping a batch you already paid for.
A box of ABS parts with no dimensional report leaves your incoming QC with nothing to check against. One bad lot reaches the assembly line, and the whole build stops. Rework and air freight erase whatever the low unit price saved.
Tooling, feeds, and fixturing chosen for plastic, not borrowed from a metal job.
ABS cuts well when the tool is sharp and the chip clears. We run two-flute and single-flute end mills with high rake angles, keep spindle speed up and depth of cut modest, and use air blast instead of flood coolant. Flood coolant on ABS can leave the surface cloudy and trap chips in pockets.
That approach produces a matte finish in the Ra 1.6-3.2 μm range straight off the machine, or Ra 0.8-1.6 μm on finishing passes. No post-polishing needed for most covers and brackets.
ABS is soft. Clamping pressure that is fine on 6061 will deform a plastic boss and spring back after the vise opens. We use soft jaws, vacuum plates, and dedicated fixtures machined to the part profile, with clamp force kept low.
Plastic also moves after cutting as it cools. We hold parts to settle before final inspection, then check critical features on CMM and optical comparators. Wall thickness, hole position, and flatness get recorded. Reports go out on request.
Pick ABS when you need toughness and cost control, not heat resistance.
| Material | Best For | Watch Out For |
|---|---|---|
| ABS | Housings, covers, brackets, prototype enclosures | Low heat resistance, can warp on thin walls |
| PC | Impact covers, transparent guards, lens housings | Higher cost, stress cracking near molded-in bosses |
| POM | Gears, bushings, sliding parts, tight-tolerance fixtures | Poor paint and adhesive bonding |
| PMMA | Optical parts, display windows, light guides | Brittle, chips easily on sharp internal corners |
| PEEK | High-temperature and chemical-exposed parts | Expensive, needs sharp tooling and slow feeds |
| HDPE | Chemical tanks, low-friction guides, liners | Low stiffness, hard to hold tight tolerances |
One shop for the plastic and metal parts on the same assembly.
Sixteen simultaneous 5-axis centers cut contoured ABS housings and undercut features in one setup, which reduces fixture count and re-clamping error.
Twenty-seven 3-axis and twelve 4-axis machines handle prismatic ABS parts, flat covers, and drilled hole patterns at lower cost per part.
Sixteen mill-turn centers produce ABS bushings, spacers, and threaded inserts, with turning and cross-drilling done in a single cycle.
First-article ABS parts ship in 3-5 days so you can test fit and function before committing to a full run of 10,000+.
Bead blasting, tumbling, and polishing change the sheen on ABS without solvent baths that attack the surface.
When ABS machining is not the right route for a small batch, we cast or print the same geometry in a comparable resin.
Numbers you can check against your drawing before you send it.
| Item | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Achievable tolerance | ±0.005 mm | Held on critical features, not the whole part |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.8-1.6 μm | Fine finishing passes on ABS |
| Maximum part size | 4,000 mm | Long travel machines for large panels |
| Large travel envelope | 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm | Flat, long parts |
| Standard envelope | 750 × 1,150 × 550 mm | Most enclosures and covers |
| Rotary table | Ø400 mm | 4-axis work on cylindrical features |
| Order quantity | 1 to 10,000+ | No minimum order quantity |
| Quotation time | Within 12 hours | Includes free DFM analysis |
Fifteen years of plastic and metal work, with three wholly-owned plants and 7,600 m² of floor space.
Critical features held to ±0.005 mm, with 100% inspection before shipment and reports on request.
Sixteen 5-axis centers, twelve 4-axis mills, twenty-seven 3-axis machines, and sixteen mill-turn centers.
Send a STEP or IGES file and get a quotation with free DFM analysis within 12 hours.
Once the drawing and material are confirmed, production can begin within 24 hours.
ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, ISO 13485:2016, and ISO 27001:2022 cover quality and data handling.
Instrument housings and control covers where the board fit and screw boss position decide assembly success.
Trim clips, sensor mounts, and ducting prototypes evaluated before tooling is cut.
Lightweight arm covers and fixture plates that need stiffness without adding motor load.
We hold ±0.005 mm on critical features such as bore diameters, hole positions, and mating surfaces. That is achievable on a stable setup and a part geometry that allows it.
On thin walls, long unsupported sections, or large flat panels, expect looser numbers. ABS moves after cutting as it cools, so we settle parts before final inspection and report what the process can repeat.
Warping comes from cutting heat and internal stress. We control it with light radial engagement, sharp tooling, and air blast instead of flood coolant.
Geometry matters too. A 1 mm wall on a 200 mm panel will move more than a 3 mm wall on the same part. If the drawing allows it, adding ribs or thickening the wall is a cheaper fix than tightening the inspection.
Long travel machines reach 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm. Standard envelopes cover 750 × 1,150 × 550 mm, 600 × 600 × 600 mm, and compact 500 × 500 × 450 mm.
A Ø400 mm rotary table handles 4-axis work on cylindrical features. If your part is larger than these envelopes, tell us the size and we will say whether it fits before you order.
Yes. Plastic and metal jobs run on the same floor, but tooling, fixturing, and cutting parameters are set separately for each material.
That matters because a feed rate chosen for aluminum will smear ABS. We keep plastic tooling dedicated and use soft jaws or vacuum plates so clamp marks do not show up on the finished surface.
Most ABS parts come off the machine at Ra 1.6-3.2 μm with a matte look. Finishing passes reach Ra 0.8-1.6 μm where the drawing calls for it.
If you need a smoother or more uniform surface, bead blasting and tumbling work well on ABS. We avoid solvent-based polishing because it can attack the surface and blur edge definition.
There is no minimum order quantity. We run from a single prototype to runs of 10,000 or more.
For one-off parts, expect setup cost to dominate the price. Once the fixture exists, the per-part cost drops quickly, which is why prototyping and production are quoted together on most projects.
Every order gets 100% inspection before shipment, covering raw material check, in-process monitoring, and final inspection.
Dimensional reports go out on request. Tell us which features are critical and we will record those dimensions against the drawing.
Yes. Uploads are treated as secure and confidential, and we sign an NDA on request before you send files.
Data handling is covered by our ISO 27001:2022 certification, which sets the controls for how customer files are stored and accessed.
Upload a STEP or IGES file and get a quotation with free DFM analysis within 12 hours. No minimum order quantity, and every part is inspected before it ships.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo MOQNDA on request
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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
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