Infocus CNC Processing Service: How to Pick It Without Getting Burned

• 1
  Key takeaways
• 2
  What to compare before you commit
• 3
  Machine capability: what an infocus CNC processing service can actually cut
• 4
  Tolerance, finish and inspection: reading the numbers correctly
• 5
  Material and finishing fit: where cheap quotes break
• 6
  Lead time, MOQ and quote scope: the commercial checks
• 7
  Certifications and industry fit: which one you actually need
• 8
  When to walk away from a quote
• 9
  Seven steps to qualify an infocus CNC processing service

The first question is not price. It is whether the shop owns the machine your geometry needs. An infocus CNC processing service that runs 16 simultaneous 5-axis machining centers can hold a part in one setup and cut five faces without re-fixturing. That single fact controls both accuracy and cost on angled holes, contoured pockets and thin-wall features.

Look at the size envelope too. GreatLight machines up to 4,000 mm, with a large travel of 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm and mid-size travels of 750 × 1,150 × 550 mm and 600 × 600 × 600 mm. Compact cells cover 500 × 500 × 450 mm and 500 × 310 × 200 mm, and a Ø400 mm rotary table handles round parts that would otherwise need a fourth setup.

Count the machine mix, not just the total. Twelve 4-axis mills and 16 mill-turn centers matter for shaft work and parts with cross-drilled holes. Twenty-seven 3-axis machines are the right home for flat plates and simple brackets, and putting that work on a 5-axis center only raises the hourly rate.

• 1
  One setup beats threeEvery re-fixture adds positional error you cannot inspect away later.
• 2
  Check the long axisA 4,000 mm part needs a bed that long, not a promise to tile two setups.
• 3
  Ask which machine will run your partA generic answer usually means the quote was priced on the cheapest cell.

A shop that quotes ±0.005 mm (±0.0002 in) is stating a floor, not a default. That figure applies to specific features on a specific material with a stable setup. On a 400 mm aluminum plate, thermal drift alone can eat half of it. Ask which dimensions carry the tight callout and how many parts will be measured to prove it.

Surface finish is the same story. Ra 0.2–0.8 μm needs a finishing pass and often a polished tool. Ra 0.8–1.6 μm is the normal machined-and-honed band for sealing faces. Ra 1.6–3.2 μm is as-machined and fine for brackets, covers and fixture plates. Specifying a finer finish than the function needs adds cost on every part.

Inspection is where quotes quietly differ. GreatLight inspects 100% of parts before shipment and runs raw material checks, in-process monitoring and a final inspection, with reports on request. A supplier that only samples the first article is telling you the rest of the batch is unverified.

Qualification rate is worth asking about directly. A 99.99% figure across a production run means rework and scrap stay out of your incoming inspection, which matters more than a few percent off the unit price.

• 1
  Tight callouts need a numberAsk for the CMM report format before the order, not after.
• 2
  Do not over-specify RaA sealing face and a cosmetic cover do not need the same finish.
• 3
  Get the inspection plan in writingSampling plans hide batch variation.

Material availability drives lead time more than machining does. Aluminum grades like 6061, 7075 and 6082 are routine. Stainless 303, 304, 316L, 17-4PH and 440C are common, but 17-4PH in the H900 condition needs a heat-treat step that adds days and a second inspection point.

Titanium and nickel alloys are the real filter. TC4 (Ti-6Al-4V), TA1, TA2 and Inconel cut slowly, generate heat and wear tools fast. A shop that lists them without commenting on tool life and spindle load has probably not run many. Magnesium AZ31B and AZ91D bring a chip-fire risk that needs dedicated handling.

Finishing is quoted separately for a reason. Anodizing in clear, color, hardcoat and conductive variants behaves differently on the same alloy. Electroless nickel and zinc plating change dimensions by a few microns, which matters on a ±0.005 mm bore. Powder coating and black oxide are cosmetic or corrosion choices and should not be applied to a mating surface without masking.

Bead blasting, tumbling, brushing and polishing each leave a different texture. Laser marking needs a minimum character height of 1.5 mm to stay readable after anodizing. If your part number and QR code are smaller than that, the marking step will fail at the end of a long build.

Ask when the spindle turns, not when the order is confirmed. A quotation and free DFM analysis within 12 hours, production starting within 24 hours and parts shipping in 3–5 days is a fast cycle, but it depends on material being in stock and the drawing being manufacturable. Send a STEP file with tolerances and the DFM feedback tells you whether the promise holds.

MOQ is the second filter. No minimum order quantity, from one prototype to 10,000+ part runs, means the same shop can take your pre-production unit and your production ramp. That removes a second supplier qualification cycle, which is usually the slowest part of a program.

Read the quote scope line by line. Two quotes for the same bracket differ because one includes material, finishing and a dimensional report while the other assumes you will source the blank. Ask whether deburring, edge break and packaging are in the number.

Confidentiality is a commercial term too. Secure uploads and an NDA available on request protect your design before you commit. A supplier that hesitates on a mutual NDA is telling you how it treats drawings.

• 1
  Pin the clockAsk for the date the first chip is cut.
• 2
  Check the rampOne supplier from prototype to 10,000 pieces saves a qualification cycle.
• 3
  Compare identical scopeA cheaper quote often excludes finishing or inspection.

Certifications are not a ladder. They map to industries. ISO 9001:2015 is the baseline quality system and covers most industrial machinery, robotics and electronics work. IATF 16949:2016 is what automotive and EV programs expect, and it brings traceability and change-control discipline.

ISO 13485:2016 applies to medical devices, where process validation and record retention are audited. ISO 27001:2022 covers information security, which matters when you upload CAD files and patient-adjacent or defense-adjacent data is involved. GreatLight holds all four, which lets one supplier span aerospace, automotive, medical and industrial work.

Match the certificate to the part, not the company brochure. A cosmetic enclosure does not need a medical quality system. A brake component does need IATF traceability. Over-specifying the certification adds cost and paperwork without improving the part.

Ask how the certificate is maintained. Annual surveillance audits, corrective action records and a named quality owner are the signs that the system is live rather than framed on a wall.

Walk away when the shop cannot name the machine. If a supplier will not say whether your part runs on a 3-axis mill or a 5-axis center, the quote was priced on hope. That is the most common reason a first article fails.

Walk away when tolerance is quoted as a company-wide number with no feature list. ±0.005 mm on every dimension of a 500 mm part is not a manufacturing plan. It is a marketing sentence.

Walk away when finishing and inspection are invisible in the quote, or when the supplier asks you to send files before discussing an NDA. Both signal that the commercial process is less mature than the machining process.

Walk away when the lead time has no dependency. Every real shop ties the date to material stock and drawing readiness. A flat promise with no conditions usually slips.

• 1
  No machine name, no orderThe process plan starts with the spindle.
• 2
  No feature-level toleranceA blanket number is not a spec.
• 3
  No scope, no comparisonYou cannot compare totals with different inclusions.