We machine 6063 T5 extrusions and plate into housings, frames and trim parts, holding ±0.005 mm and finishing them in clear or colored anodize. Send a step file and get a quote with DFM notes in 12 hours.
6063 T5 is extruded, so it carries internal stress along the length. If a shop mills both faces without a stress-relief pass, a 600 mm profile can spring 0.2–0.4 mm after unclamping. Holes stop lining up and the assembly jig needs shimming on the line.
T5 temper is stronger than annealed 6063 but softer than 6061-T6. A 4 mm thread in a 3 mm wall strips easily. That means a redesign mid-build, or inserts added after the fact and a new drawing revision.
6063 is built for anodizing, but only if the alloy stays inside its chemistry window. Mixed scrap in the melt, or a long dwell in the etch tank, gives a cloudy, blotchy finish on visible faces. Rework means stripping and re-running the whole batch.
On a 1.5 mm wall, light passes and high spindle speed cause chatter that shows up as marks on a Class A surface. A shop that runs the same feeds it uses on 6061 will scrap the part, then quote the next revision higher.
One supplier for sawing, stress relief, machining and finishing.
The first cut on a 6063 T5 extrusion usually removes the skin that balanced the profile. What is left wants to move. We rough to within 0.3–0.5 mm, then let the part rest or run a controlled relief cycle before the finishing passes. On long frames that means two setups instead of one, and a longer spindle hour count. It is also the difference between a frame that drops into the fixture and one that needs a rubber mallet.
Once the part is stable, we take the finishing cuts in one 5-axis setup where geometry allows, so the datum faces and the bolt pattern come off the same zero. Positional tolerance between features then depends on the machine, not on how well a second operator re-fixtured the part.
6063 T5 takes clear, colored and hardcoat anodize well, and that is often why the part was specified in this alloy at all. The catch is masking. A conductive pad or a grounding boss that gets anodized becomes an insulator, and an assembler finds out on the bench. We mask those areas before the tank and check them after with a continuity test.
Laser marking goes on after finishing, at a minimum character height of 1.5 mm so the serial and the part number stay legible under the coating. If the print has to sit on a machined face instead of the anodized surface, we schedule the marking step to match, which avoids a second handling cycle and a second chance to scratch a visible face.
Pick by what the part has to survive, not by what is already on the shelf.
| Alloy | Typical use in our shop | When it is the wrong call |
|---|---|---|
| 6063 T5 | Extruded frames, housings, trim, heat sinks | High point loads or thin, tapped walls |
| 6061-T6 | Brackets, plates, structural fixtures | Long visible runs that must anodize evenly |
| 6082-T6 | Machine frames, load-bearing members | Cosmetic parts where color match matters |
| 7075-T6 | Aerospace fittings, high-stress links | Any part that sees an anodize tank |
| 5052 | Sheet metal panels, enclosures | Parts cut from solid bar or plate |
Complex housings and angled faces in one setup on 16 simultaneous 5-axis centers. Fewer re-fixturings, tighter feature-to-feature position.
Mill-turn centers and 4-axis mills for parts that combine a turned bore with milled flats, so you do not split the job across two suppliers.
One-off 6063 T5 prototypes from 3–5 day shipping. Useful when you need to test fit before committing to an extrusion die.
Bent and riveted aluminum enclosures paired with machined 6063 face plates when a full housing is cheaper than a solid block.
Clear, colored and hardcoat anodize, bead blasting, brushing and polishing, plus laser marking for serials and logos.
Bridge parts in plastic when the aluminum version is still in review, so the assembly build is not held up.
Numbers we work to on a normal 6063 T5 job.
| Item | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Achievable tolerance | ±0.005 mm | Held on critical features, not the whole part |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.8–1.6 μm | As-machined is Ra 1.6–3.2 μm |
| Maximum part size | 4,000 mm | Travel 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm |
| Medium envelope | 750 × 1,150 × 550 mm | Also 600 × 600 × 600 mm |
| Rotary work | Ø400 mm table | For bores and features around a part axis |
| Inspection | 100% before shipment | Reports on request |
| Order size | One piece to 10,000+ | No minimum order quantity |
| Quote turnaround | Within 12 hours | Includes a free DFM analysis |
Fifteen years on aluminum parts, three wholly-owned plants and 7,600 m² of floor space across Dongguan and Singapore.
Sixteen simultaneous 5-axis centers, twelve 4-axis mills, twenty-seven 3-axis machines and sixteen mill-turn centers.
Held on critical features and verified before the part leaves the floor.
Raw material check, in-process monitoring and final inspection on every run.
A quotation plus free DFM analysis within 12 hours of a usable step file.
Production can begin within 24 hours once the drawing and finish callouts are locked.
Late-delivery probability on past orders, tracked rather than promised.
Also IATF 16949, ISO 13485 and ISO 27001. NDA available on request.
Extruded side rails machined flat, drilled and anodized so the panel gasket seals against a square face.
Face plates and heat-sink housings where anodize appearance and flatness matter as much as the hole pattern.
Brackets and visible trim from 6063 T5 where weight and finish drive the alloy choice.
Sensor mounts and rail carriages that need straight, stable faces after machining an extrusion.
Usually no, unless the loads are light. T5 temper sits below 6061-T6 in yield strength, so a bracket carrying a motor or a heavy cable run will need more section or a different alloy.
If the bracket is mostly a spacer or a cover mount, 6063 T5 is fine and anodizes better than 6061. Send the load case with the drawing and we will say which way it goes.
The alloying elements in 6063 sit in a narrower range, so the anodic layer grows more evenly and takes dye with less blotching. On visible faces that difference is obvious.
6061 carries more magnesium and silicon, plus copper in some tempers, and that shows up as a darker or less uniform coating. If appearance is the priority, 6063 T5 is the safer pick.
Yes. Send the profile drawing or a cut sample, plus the machined features you need. We machine cut lengths from your profile or supply the extrusion ourselves.
One thing to plan for: an existing die sets the wall thickness and the corner radii. If a feature needs more wall than the profile has, the design changes, not the extrusion.
Rough machining first, then a stress-relief pause or cycle, then finishing cuts with light depth of cut and sharp tooling. The part is supported along its length rather than clamped at two points.
For very thin sections we sometimes leave a sacrificial web that is cut at the end. Flatness is measured on the bench, not in the fixture.
For an M3 thread we want about 2.5 mm of wall, and for M4 about 3 mm, if the thread will see repeated assembly. Below that, use a thread insert or move the hole into a boss.
T5 is not soft, but it is not 6061-T6 either. Threads cut cleanly with the right tap and lubricant; the failure mode is usually the wall, not the thread.
No. A quotation and a DFM analysis come back within 12 hours at no cost. We flag thin walls, deep pockets, tight radii and features that will not survive anodize masking.
If the geometry is fine, the quote stands. If it is not, you get the note before the tool is in the spindle, which is cheaper than finding it at first article.
One piece. There is no minimum order quantity, and the same setup and inspection process applies whether the run is one prototype or 10,000 parts.
Small runs and large runs share the same quality route. What changes is the fixture investment and how we sequence the machines.
Uploads are treated as confidential, and we sign an NDA on request before files are exchanged. Access to the files stays with the engineers who quote and program the job.
If your program requires it, we can restrict the drawing to a named set of machinists and keep the inspection records under the same control.
Upload a step file and get a price plus DFM notes in 12 hours. No minimum order, 100% inspection before shipment.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo minimum orderNDA on request
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