GreatLight machines unfilled and filled PEEK to ±0.005 mm on 5-axis centers. Send a STEP file and we return a quote with DFM notes within 12 hours. One prototype or ten thousand parts, same process control.
Most rejected PEEK parts are not cut badly. They are held, clamped or cooled badly.
PEEK is roughly 20 times softer than steel. Too much radial engagement pushes a 1.5 mm wall away from the cutter, and the finished part bows. By the time it is measured on a CMM, the wall is out of tolerance and the batch is scrap.
Poor heat removal leaves smeared flanks and a burnt smell. A cutter run too fast turns the chip into a sticky ribbon that welds back onto the part. Surface finish drifts past Ra 3.2 μm and the seal face will not hold pressure.
PEEK absorbs moisture and relaxes after the cut. A ring machined from a dry blank can grow a few hundredths of a millimeter overnight. If the drawing calls for a press fit, that growth either locks the assembly or leaves it loose.
Sharp internal corners and deep pockets concentrate stress in a notch-sensitive material. Parts pass incoming inspection, then crack in the field under thermal cycling. The failure shows up at the customer, not at the machine.
Tooling, fixturing and annealing are set for plastic, not adapted from a steel job.
We cut PEEK with sharp, polished carbide at high surface speed and low feed per tooth. Chips clear fast, and the heat leaves with them instead of soaking into the part. For unfilled grades that is usually enough. For 30% glass-filled or carbon-filled PEEK we move to diamond-coated tooling, because the fiber abrades carbide in a few hours.
Cooling matters as much as the cutter. We use high-pressure air blast or a mist of clean coolant, never a flood that lets the chip recirculate. On a 4,000 mm machine bed we can hold a long insulator or a thin valve plate without stacking soft jaws.
PEEK gives way under point loads. A vise tightened the way you would tighten on aluminum will leave jaw marks and a bowed bore. We hold parts on soft jaws machined to the blank profile, or on a vacuum plate when the wall is under 2 mm. Clamping pressure is set to the material, not to the operator's habit.
For parts that need tight flatness we rough machine, stress-relieve, then finish. The intermediate anneal lets the blank relax before the final pass, so the dimensions stay put after the part leaves the machine. Every PEEK job gets a first-article check and a final CMM report on request.
Tell us the service temperature and the chemical exposure, and we will confirm the grade before cutting.
| Grade | Typical part | When to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Unfilled PEEK | Seals, bearings, insulators | Wear surfaces under high load |
| 30% glass-filled | Structural brackets, pump housings | Sliding contact against metal |
| 30% carbon-filled | Wear pads, gears, bushings | Parts needing electrical isolation |
| PEEK with PTFE | Low-friction seals and liners | High-load bearing surfaces |
| Medical-grade PEEK | Surgical instruments, dental parts | Non-medical industrial use |
PEEK is one material in a shop that covers metals, plastics and finishing under one roof.
Complex PEEK geometry in one setup. Undercuts, angled ports and contoured seal grooves without re-fixturing the part.
Mill-turn centers handle a PEEK blank to finished part, including cross-holes and threads, with fewer setups.
One PEEK prototype for fit and function testing before you commit to a tool or a production run.
Bead blasting, tumbling and polishing on plastic parts, with masking where sealing faces must stay flat.
Where a PEEK part is too complex to cut, we print the geometry and machine only the critical faces.
Press fits, inserts and final dimensional reports handled before the parts leave the plant.
| Item | Capability |
|---|---|
| Tolerance | ±0.005 mm (±0.0002 in) |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.2–0.8 μm for sealing faces |
| Maximum part size | 4,000 mm on the large travel machine |
| Machines available | 127 CNC machines, 16 five-axis |
| Order quantity | One prototype to 10,000+ parts |
| Quote turnaround | 12 hours with free DFM analysis |
| Inspection | 100% before shipment, reports on request |
Micron-level accuracy on PEEK features, verified on a CMM before the lot ships.
Sixteen simultaneous 5-axis centers take on contoured and undercut PEEK geometry.
The large travel machine reaches 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm for long insulators and rails.
Medical-grade PEEK runs under a quality system built for device components.
Raw material check, in-process monitoring and final inspection on every lot.
Once the drawing is released, machining can begin within 24 hours.
Insulating bushings and sensor housings that survive underhood heat.
Surgical instrument bodies and dental components machined from medical-grade PEEK.
Insulators and wafer-contact parts where outgassing and conductivity both matter.
Seal rings and valve seats for high-temperature fluid service.
Start from the service conditions, not the datasheet headline. Unfilled PEEK covers most seal, insulator and bearing work. Add glass fiber when you need stiffness and dimensional stability at temperature.
Carbon-filled grades raise wear resistance but conduct slightly and will chew through uncoated carbide. Tell us the temperature, the chemical and whether the part slides against metal, and we will confirm the grade before cutting.
Yes, on features that are rigid enough to measure. A 20 mm bore in a thick wall is straightforward. A 0.5 mm fin is not, because the material deflects under the probe.
We flag marginal features in the DFM review and tell you which dimensions we can hold and which ones need a geometry change.
POM machines faster and costs less, but it softens well below PEEK's range and will not take steam or aggressive solvents. PTFE is more chemically inert but creeps under load.
Choose PEEK when the part sees heat above 150 °C, repeated sterilization or high mechanical load. If none of those apply, POM is the cheaper answer.
They can. PEEK takes on moisture from the air and releases internal stress after the cut. A ring machined dry may move a few hundredths of a millimeter over the following days.
For tight fits we rough machine, stress-relieve, then finish, and we measure at a controlled temperature. If your assembly needs a press fit, tell us and we will plan the sequence around it.
STEP or IGES for the geometry, plus a 2D drawing for tolerances, surface finish and critical dimensions that the 3D model cannot carry.
Send both and we return a DFM analysis with the quote, usually within 12 hours.
There is no minimum order quantity. We run a single PEEK prototype and we run 10,000-part production lots on the same machines with the same inspection routine.
Prototype parts ship in 3–5 days once machining starts. Batch work is scheduled after the first article is approved.
Yes. Glass and carbon fillers are abrasive, so those jobs get dedicated tooling and a clean-down before the run. Medical-grade PEEK is kept separate from industrial grades.
Uploads stay confidential and we sign an NDA on request before any file is opened.
Every lot is inspected before shipment: raw material check, in-process monitoring and a final dimensional check. Reports are issued on request.
For medical and aerospace parts we can include a first-article report and material certificates with the shipment.
Upload a STEP file and get pricing with DFM notes. One part or ten thousand, inspected before it ships.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo minimum orderNDA 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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