Design Guide: CNC Machining
With all of today’s innovative CNC machining capabilities, it’s important to understand the strengths and trade-offs of this process. Download our guide for CNC manufacturability recommendations to optimize your designs, reduce machining time, and lower your costs.
Download the Guide
When it comes to producing precision metal and plastic parts, CNC Machining offers unparalleled results. By subtracting from raw materials, rather than printing in layers, CNC Machining enables you to build market-testing prototypes and production parts with the material you need and the finish you want.
With all of today’s innovative CNC machining capabilities, it’s important to understand the strengths and trade-offs of this process. Download our guide for CNC manufacturability recommendations to optimize your designs, reduce machining time, and lower your costs.
A Look Inside at the Table of Contents
Overview
- What is CNC Machining?
CNC Manufacturing Standards
- General Manufacturing Standards
- General Tolerances
- Tight Tolerances
- Size Limitations
Design Guidelines
- Part Complexity
- Fillets
- Holes
- Pockets and Cavities
- Threads & Tapped Holes
- Wall Thickness
- Machined Text
- Undercuts
Materials and Post-Processing
- Metal Materials
- Plastic and Composite Materials
- Inserts
- Part Markings
- Finishes
Additional Resources
- CNC Design Quick Reference Poster
- Additional Resources at Xometry
About Xometry
Xometry provides a custom online CNC machining service to engineers, product developers, designers, and more through our vetted network of 10,000+ suppliers. Our highly qualified AS9100D machine shops can make any custom design, simple or complex. We offer rapid machining, small-batch machining, and high-volume production, with all orders serviced by Xometry from end to end. Upload a CAD file to the Xometry Instant Quoting Engine® to get a price, lead time, and design-for-manufacturability feedback on your custom CNC parts. Our fast CNC machining capabilities include services for metals and plastics, as well as flexible production and shipping options to meet you at the perfect price and product development stage.
Xometry assures the quality of your machined parts with our ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485, IATF 16949:2016, and AS9100D certified quality management system, ITAR registration, and options to add inspections, hardware traceability, material certifications, and CoCs. We accept technical drawings and have support teams to ensure you get quality CNC-machined parts on time.