We machine 6061 and 6061-T6 into brackets, housings, heat sinks and fixtures, holding ±0.005 mm on features that bolt to something else. Send a STEP file and get DFM feedback within 12 hours.
Most of these are decided before the spindle starts turning.
The drawing says ±0.1 mm, so the shop machines to ±0.09 mm. Three parts later the bolt pattern no longer lines up and the whole bracket gets reworked. Bearing bores, dowel holes and mating faces need to be called out separately from cosmetic surfaces.
Walls under 1.5 mm on a 6061 housing look fine on the machine and bow when the vise comes off. Without a stress-relieved blank and light finishing passes, the flatness callout is gone before anodizing.
Hardcoat adds 20–50 μm per surface. A pin that slid in before coating now seizes. Tell us the coating thickness and we machine the pre-plate dimension to suit, instead of guessing and re-cutting.
A PDF with no tolerances, no material temper and no finish note goes back and forth for days. A STEP file plus a tolerance block lets us return a price and a DFM note in 12 hours.
Three things decide the outcome on a 6061 run: stock condition, workholding, and how the tight features are sequenced.
A bracket with features on four sides normally means four setups, four chances to lose 0.02 mm. On our 16 simultaneous 5-axis centers the part stays in one fixture and the tool reaches the angled faces in a single program.
That matters most for housings and manifolds where a bore and a mounting pad must stay perpendicular. It also removes the hand deburring that follows a multi-setup job.
6061-T6 arrives with internal stress from the mill. Cut a 2 mm wall out of a solid block and it will move after the clamps release. We rough, let the part rest, then take light finishing passes so the final dimensions hold after the part cools.
For flatness-critical plates we specify stress-relieved stock and check flatness on the granite before and after the last pass. Anodizing, bead blasting and laser marking are done in-house, so the pre-plate dimension is set on the same job ticket.
A quick read on temper and stock choice before you lock the drawing.
| Part type | Stock and temper | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosure, cover, cosmetic panel | 6061-T6 plate | Thin walls under 1.5 mm; add stiffening ribs |
| Structural bracket, frame joint | 6061-T6 extruded bar | Grain direction; keep dowel holes off the extrusion seam |
| Heat sink, thermal plate | 6061-T6 plate | Flatness after machining; fin width vs tool reach |
| Prototype housing, low volume | 6061-T6 plate, no tooling | Plate cost drops as thickness drops; nesting matters |
| Wear pad, sliding surface | 6061-T6 plus hardcoat | Add 20–50 μm per coated surface to the pre-plate size |
| Weldment, fabricated frame | 6061-T6, weldable filler | Distortion after welding; machine critical faces last |
6061 parts rarely need one process only. Here is what we keep in-house.
Angled faces, deep pockets and contoured surfaces cut in one setup on 16 simultaneous 5-axis centers.
Round and prismatic features on a Ø400 mm rotary table, good for shafts and multi-face housings.
Plate work, covers and flat brackets on 27 three-axis machines with fast changeover.
16 mill-turn centers handle turned bosses, threads and milled flats without a second OP.
One-off 6061 prototypes from a STEP file, so the first article is the real material.
Anodizing, electroless nickel, powder coating, bead blasting, brushing and laser marking.
Standard scope unless the drawing says otherwise.
| Item | Range | Included as standard |
|---|---|---|
| Material | 6061, 6061-T6, 6063, 6082, 7075 | Mill certificate on request |
| Tolerance | ±0.005 mm on critical features | ±0.1 mm on general surfaces |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.2–0.8 μm to Ra 1.6–3.2 μm | As machined, Ra 1.6–3.2 μm |
| Part size | Up to 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm | Larger work quoted case by case |
| Order size | 1 part to 10,000+ parts | No minimum order quantity |
| Inspection | 100% before shipment | Reports on request |
| Lead time | Parts ship in 3–5 days | Production starts within 24 hours |
Six figures an engineer can check against the drawing.
15 years on aluminum, stainless, titanium and engineering plastics, across three wholly-owned plants.
127 high-precision machines, so a repeat order goes back to the same platform and the same fixtures.
That is ±0.0002 in on bores, dowel holes and mating faces, verified on the granite.
A STEP file and a tolerance block get you a price and a manufacturability note within 12 hours.
Raw material check, in-process monitoring and final inspection on every batch.
From one prototype to 10,000+ part runs on the same process and the same inspection plan.
Housings, busbar supports and brackets with dowel-hole location held to size.
Lightweight arm links and joint plates where mass and hole position both matter.
Chassis panels, heat sinks and mounting plates with flatness held after machining.
On critical features such as bearing bores, dowel holes and mating faces we work to ±0.005 mm. General surfaces sit at ±0.1 mm unless the drawing says otherwise.
Tell us which dimensions carry the assembly and which are cosmetic. That split usually cuts cost without touching function.
6061-T6 covers most brackets, housings and plates and anodizes cleanly. Go to 7075 when you need higher strength or better fatigue behavior on a thin section.
7075 machines well but costs more and is harder to weld. If the part gets welded, stay with 6061.
We rough the part, let it rest, then take light finishing passes. Stress-relieved stock is specified for flatness-critical plates.
Walls under 1.5 mm get checked on the granite before and after the last pass. If the wall is too thin for the function, we say so at DFM review.
Machining comes first, then anodizing. The pre-plate dimension is set on the job ticket so the coated part still meets the fit.
Hardcoat adds roughly 20–50 μm per surface. Slip fits and threaded holes need that allowance built in from the start.
A STEP file is best. IGES and native SolidWorks also work. Send a PDF drawing alongside it with the tolerance block, material temper and finish callout.
Without tolerances and finish notes we can only quote a range. With them you get a firm price and a DFM note within 12 hours.
Yes. There is no minimum order quantity, so a single prototype and a 10,000-part run use the same process and the same inspection plan.
Keeping the fixtures and programs on file means the 500th part matches the first one.
Uploads are secure and confidential. We can sign an NDA before you send drawings.
Files stay inside the quoting and production team and are not shared outside the job.
Every batch is inspected 100% before shipment. That covers raw material check, in-process monitoring and final inspection.
Inspection reports and 3D scan data are available on request. Tell us at quote stage which dimensions you want recorded.
Upload a STEP file and our engineers return a quote with DFM feedback within 12 hours.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo minimum order quantityNDA on request
Trusted by engineers and manufacturers worldwide
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
Material: not selected Machine: not selected Post-process: not selected
