CNC Machining for Industrial Automation
Fixtures, jigs, brackets, bearing blocks, motor mounts and robot end-of-arm tooling — machined to your drawing, from a single replacement part to a repeat run of a few hundred.
- No minimum order quantity — one prototype or two hundred of a kind
- ISO 2768-m as standard, ±0.01 mm on the dimensions you mark critical
- Aluminium, stainless steel, carbon and alloy steel, and engineering plastics
- Quote within 48 hours in the normal case; standard lead time 2–4 weeks
The short answer
Automation work is mostly not exotic. It is brackets that have to bolt up, housings that have to seal, and fixture plates whose hole pattern has to line up every time someone clamps a part into them.
What matters on these parts is repeatability more than a single heroic tolerance: the twentieth part has to assemble like the first. We machine prototypes and production on the same process, so the part you approve is the part you receive.
What we hold on automation parts
The numbers we quote against, and what they mean for the parts above.
General tolerance
ISO 2768-m
Applies to every dimension with no callout of its own. Most brackets and plates need nothing tighter.
Critical features
±0.01 mm
Held on bore fits, shaft fits, datum faces and hole patterns — the dimensions you mark as functional.
Milling envelope
1000 × 600 × 500 mm
3-axis and 4-axis work. Larger is quoted case by case.
Turning capacity
Ø 300 × 500 mm
Shafts, hubs, bushings and coupling parts, with Ø 42 mm bar capacity for small turned parts.
Materials
Al / SS / steel / plastics
6061-T6 and 6082, 304 and 316, 1018 to 4140, plus POM, PEEK, nylon and UHMW.
Finishing
On the same order
Anodising, passivation, zinc and nickel plating, black oxide and powder coating arranged with the machining.
Automation parts we machine most
What each part is usually made from, and what actually drives the cost on it.
| Part | Typical material | What usually matters |
|---|---|---|
| Fixture and jig plates | 6061-T6, tool steel | Flatness, hole pattern accuracy, repeat location across batches |
| Sensor and camera brackets | 6061-T6, 304 | Hole position relative to the mounting datum, and keeping the part light |
| Bearing blocks and housings | 6061-T6, 4140 | Bore fit and concentricity between the two bores |
| Motor and gearbox mounts | 6061-T6, 1045 | Flatness of the mounting face and squareness to the shaft axis |
| Linear rail mounting plates | 6061-T6, 316 | Flatness along the rail and positional tolerance on the tapped holes |
| Robot end-of-arm tooling | 6061-T6, POM | Weight, rigidity, and consistency across a set of identical jaws |
| Pneumatic manifold blocks | 6061-T6, 316 | Port position, sealing face finish, and no cross-leaking passages |
| Shafts and coupling hubs | 4140, 316 | Roundness, concentricity and keyway symmetry |
Have a drawing ready?
Send a STEP, IGES or DWG — you get a priced quote within 48 hours in the normal case, with tolerance and lead time stated on it.
Why repeatability matters more than tolerance
A bracket that measures in tolerance once is easy. A bracket that measures the same way on the two hundredth part is the hard part — and it is what actually keeps a line running.
Three things decide it. The process stays the same between prototype and production, so the first article is not made by a different route than the rest. Fixturing is planned before the run, not improvised on the second setup. And the critical dimensions are measured in process, not only at the end.
If your assembly uses several of the same part, say so when you send the drawing — it changes how we plan setups and how often we measure.
For robot tooling — gripper bodies, adapter plates, sensor brackets and nests — see CNC machining for robotics.
For one-off tooling and machines whose drawings are still moving, see CNC machining for custom automation equipment.
For sealing jaws, format parts, lane guides and pockets — see CNC machining for packaging machinery.
Processes behind these parts
Most automation parts use one or two of these. Where a job needs more than one, we run them on the same order rather than handing it back to you to coordinate.
POM · PEEK · UHMW
Insulators, wear strips and light tooling that metal cannot do.
Getting the drawing right the first time
Small decisions on the drawing that cut hours off the machine time.
- Tolerance only the dimensions that matter. Everything else falls back to ISO 2768-m and costs nothing extra.
- Mark which faces are datums. Hole patterns quoted to a marked datum assemble; the same holes quoted to an edge do not.
- Anodising, plating and painting add roughly 5–25 µm per surface. Say so when a fit is involved.
- Use standard thread sizes. A non-standard thread means a non-standard tap, and you pay for the tool as well as the part.
- On long, thin plates say which face must stay flat — thin aluminium moves under the cutter and the fix is in the process, not the tolerance.
- If a part is one of a set, note it. Identical jaws and plates are fixtured together so they match each other.
Frequently asked questions
What automation and robotics customers ask before they send the first drawing.
Can you make a single replacement part from a sample?
Yes. Send the part and we will measure it, draw it, and quote to that. A one-off is quoted as a one-off — there is no minimum order quantity.
How do you keep repeat orders consistent with the first batch?
Prototypes and production run on the same process and the same fixturing approach, and critical dimensions are measured in process rather than only at the end. If you tell us a part will repeat, we plan setups for the run, not just for the sample.
We have a 3D model but no 2D drawing. Is that enough?
It is enough to quote. Send STEP, IGES or DWG plus a dimensioned PDF with the tolerances and threads marked. If you only have the model, tell us which dimensions are functional and we will quote against those.
Which aluminium do you recommend for fixture plates?
6061-T6 for most plates — it machines cleanly, stays flat and anodises well. 6082 is the usual European equivalent. Cast tooling plate is quoted case by case.
Do you machine plastic parts for automation equipment?
Yes — POM, PEEK, nylon, PTFE and UHMW for insulators, wear strips, guides and light gripper parts. They are machined on dedicated tooling with coolant chosen for the polymer.
What do you need to quote?
A 3D model plus a dimensioned PDF, the material, the quantity including any estimated repeat volume, the finish, and your target date. We quote within 48 hours in the normal case with price and lead time stated.
Send us the drawing
Send a STEP, IGES or DWG model with a dimensioned PDF, the material, the quantity and your target date. If an NDA needs signing first, say so and we will do that before you send anything.
Quote within 48 hours in the normal case, with tolerance and lead time stated on it. Standard lead time is 2–4 weeks; rush orders are confirmed case by case — tell us your deadline up front and we will say straight away whether it is achievable.
Ready to Start Your Project?
Send drawings in STEP, IGES or DWG. You get a priced quote within 48 hours in the normal case, with tolerance and lead time stated up front.
For test fixtures, instrument enclosures and metrology parts, see CNC machining for test and measurement.