Most custom parts are still best made in three axes. If the features can be reached from the top and bottom faces, three-axis machining gives the shortest cycle time, the simplest fixtures and the most predictable price.
Typical parts
Mounting plates and adapter plates, enclosures with a machined face, brackets and gussets, cover panels with cut-outs and counterbores, heat sinks with slot patterns, and prototype housings that have not yet been optimised for tooling.
Keeping costs down
- Use standard stock thicknesses so the part needs less material removal.
- Avoid very small internal radii — they force small cutters and slow the cycle down.
- Keep thread depths sensible and use standard thread sizes.
- Group similar parts in one order so setup time is shared.
If the geometry needs machining from several directions, the part is usually better made on a 4-axis or 5-axis machine — which we will recommend during the engineering review rather than quoting a more expensive process than necessary.