Laminated carbon fiber and CFRP parts machined on 5-axis centers. We hold ±0.005 mm, control dust at the spindle, and inspect every part before it ships. One prototype or a 10,000-piece run.
CFRP is not aluminium with a different color. It behaves differently at the cutter, and the failure modes show up late.
A standard 2-flute end mill lifts the outer plies instead of shearing them. The top layer splinters, the bottom layer tears out, and the part fails cosmetic and structural checks. The fix is geometry and feed direction, not more spindle speed.
Carbon dust is abrasive. It wears the drill margin within a few dozen holes, so hole size creeps and the drill walks. On a bolted joint that shows up as a stack-up error you cannot adjust out at assembly.
Dry CFRP dust is conductive and it does not settle. It shortens machine way life, clogs filters, and creates an exposure risk for operators. Wet cutting or sealed extraction has to be planned before the first cut, not after.
Carbon work depends on ply orientation, layup thickness, and whether the part is net-shape molded or trimmed from a panel. A price without those assumptions is a number, not a plan. Expect it to move once the drawing is read properly.
Two things decide whether a carbon part comes off the machine good: tool geometry and how the dust is handled.
Carbon fiber reinforced polymer is abrasive and anisotropic. Strength runs along the fibers, so the cutter meets a hard matrix in one direction and a soft one in the other. We select diamond-coated end mills and burr-style routers, set climb milling as the default, and keep the part supported on both faces so the exit ply does not blow out.
For thin laminates under 2 mm, we back the part with a sacrificial plate and take light finish passes. For thicker stacks, we rough with lower helix tools and finish with a compression cutter that shears the top and bottom plies at the same time. Feed rates stay conservative. Burning the resin is worse than a slower cycle.
Carbon dust is the part of the job most shops underestimate. It is abrasive, conductive, and fine enough to travel through a shop. We run wet or mist-assisted cutting where the geometry allows, and local extraction at the spindle where it does not. Chips are collected rather than blown into the aisle.
A machined carbon edge leaves bare fibers exposed. They wick moisture and they fray with handling. Where the drawing calls for it, we seal cut edges with a compatible resin or apply a light finish, and we mask surfaces that must stay bondable. If your part bolts to metal, we can also machine isolating sleeves to keep the joint from galvanic corrosion.
Not every carbon part should be cut from a panel. This is how we usually decide.
| Situation | Recommended route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One prototype, complex 3D shape | 5-axis machining from laminate | No tooling cost, geometry changes are free |
| Flat bracket, holes and trim only | 3-axis routing from cured panel | Fastest and cheapest per part |
| Hollow or closed section | Molded shell, then machined interfaces | Machining cannot create internal voids |
| Run above 5,000 identical parts | Compression mold with net-shape trim | Tooling pays back on cycle time |
| Tolerance under ±0.02 mm on a bore | Machine the bore after layup | Cure shrinkage moves the hole, not the cutter |
| Cosmetic visible weave surface | Machine from the back face | Keeps the show surface untouched |
Carbon work sits inside a wider machining shop, so interfaces, hardware, and fixtures can be made in the same plant.
Contoured trim, angled holes, and compound surfaces cut in one setup on 16 simultaneous 5-axis centers. Fewer setups means fewer chances to chip an edge.
Flat panels, brackets, and plates routed from cured laminate. The practical choice for simple geometry and short lead times on 27 three-axis machines.
Metal and plastic hardware that pairs with carbon assemblies: bushings, inserts, spacers, and adapter plates held to the same tolerance.
Machined carbon and composite prototypes for fit checks before you commit to tooling. Quotation and free DFM analysis within 12 hours.
Edge sealing, bead blasting, and masking for bondable areas. Laser marking available at a minimum character height of 1.5 mm.
Vacuum fixtures and soft jaws machined in-house, so thin laminates stay flat and supported through the whole cut.
Numbers we can hold on CFRP work. Tighter values are possible on specific features after a drawing review.
| Parameter | Capability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General tolerance | ±0.005 mm | Achievable on machined metal features |
| Carbon feature tolerance | ±0.05 mm typical | Depends on layup and cure stability |
| Maximum part size | 4,000 mm | 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm travel |
| Rotary table | Ø400 mm | For angled holes and contoured trim |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.8–1.6 μm | As-machined carbon is rougher at cut edges |
| Laser marking | 1.5 mm minimum | Character height, not line width |
| Inspection | 100% before shipment | Reports on request |
| Order quantity | No minimum | One prototype to 10,000+ parts |
These are the numbers and habits that decide whether CFRP work goes smoothly.
Fifteen years of prototype and production work across metal, plastic, and composites. Composite jobs sit next to metal jobs, so interfaces get made together.
A mix of 5-axis, 4-axis, 3-axis, and mill-turn centers. The right machine gets picked for the feature, not for whatever is free.
Programmers, machinists, and inspectors in-house. Carbon work depends on tool choice and setup, so those decisions stay on our floor.
7,600 m² of manufacturing space in Dongguan plus a Singapore factory at No.3 Joo Koon Circle. One point of contact across both.
Quotation and free DFM analysis within 12 hours. Production can start within 24 hours of approval.
ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, ISO 13485:2016, and ISO 27001:2022. Uploads are secure and an NDA is available on request.
Carbon links and arms need mass low and stiffness high. Bores for bearings and harmonic drives have to line up.
Battery enclosures and structural panels in CFRP. Flatness and hole position drive assembly fit.
Carbon gantries and moving frames. Weight reduction only helps if mounting faces stay true after machining.
Ribs, brackets, and control-surface hardware. Ply orientation and hole quality matter more than cycle time.
We machine cured laminate. That covers trimming, drilling, pocketing, and contouring on flat panels and 3D shells.
What we cannot do is create internal geometry. A closed hollow section has to come from a mold first, then we cut the interfaces and mating faces.
Machined metal features on the same assembly can hold ±0.005 mm. Carbon itself is less predictable because cure shrinkage and ply orientation move the part after layup.
On carbon features we typically work around ±0.05 mm, and we machine critical bores after cure rather than before. Send the drawing and we will tell you which features are realistic.
Tool geometry and cut direction do most of the work. Diamond-coated compression cutters, climb milling, and support on both faces of a thin laminate.
After machining, exposed edges can be sealed with a compatible resin where the drawing allows. That stops moisture wicking and limits handling damage.
Both. It is abrasive and conductive, so it wears tooling fast and can contaminate nearby assemblies.
We cut wet or with local extraction at the spindle, and we mask bondable surfaces. If your part bolts to metal, we can machine isolating sleeves to avoid galvanic corrosion at the joint.
Up to 4,000 mm on our large-travel machines, with travels of 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm.
For angled holes and contoured trim we use a Ø400 mm rotary table. Long thin panels usually need a vacuum fixture, which we make in-house.
No minimum. We run from one prototype up to 10,000+ part runs.
Prototypes usually go on a 3-axis or 5-axis machine with no tooling. Once the design freezes, we quote the production route separately.
Quotation and free DFM analysis within 12 hours. Production can start within 24 hours of approval, and parts typically ship in 3–5 days.
That timeline assumes the material is available and the drawing is complete. If a feature needs a fixture, we will say so in the quote.
Yes. Aluminium, stainless, titanium, and engineering plastics are machined in the same plant, so inserts, bushings, and adapter plates ship with the carbon parts.
That keeps interfaces consistent. Tolerances across the assembly can be checked together instead of across two suppliers. Uploads are secure and an NDA is available on request.
Upload a drawing or a STEP file. You get a quote, a free DFM review, and a clear answer on which features we can hold.
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