Process | Function | Best For | Tolerance | Surface | Material Suitablity | Advatanges |
CNC Milling | Rotating tool cuts stationary workpiece | Complex 3D shapes & surfaces | ±0.01 mm or better | Good (Ra ~0.8–1.6 μm) | Metals, plastics | Multi-axis machining, versatile geometry |
CNC Turning | Rotating workpiece, stationary cutting tool | Cylindrical parts | ±0.01 mm or better | Very good (Ra ~0.4–1.6 μm) | Metals, plastics | |
Grinding | Abrasive wheel removes very fine material | Precision surface finishing | ±0.005 mm or finer | Excellent (Ra < 0.2 μm) | Hardened steel, carbide | Ultra-precise tolerances, mirror finish |
EDM | Electrical discharges erode material | Intricate cavities, sharp corners | ±0.01 mm or better | Excellent | Hardened steel, titanium, conductive materials | No tool pressure, sharp internal geometries |
Wire EDM | Thin wire cuts through conductive material | Thin slots, fine details | ±0.005 mm | Excellent | All conductive metals | Cuts very hard materials, no mechanical force, high |
aluminum | stainless steel | steel | plastic | brass |
clear anodized | polishing | zinc plating | plating | gold plating |
color anodized | passivating | nickel plating | polishing | electroplating |
sandblast anodized | sand blasting | Chrome plating | sand blasting | |
chemical film | laser printing | oxide black | laser printing | |
brushing | carburized | silk printing | ||
plating | heat treatment | |||
painting | painting | |||
powder coated | powder coated | |||
laser printing | electroplating | |||
silk printing | ||||
polishing |
| Best for | Pros | Limitations |
3-Axis CNC Milling |
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4-Axis CNC Milling |
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5-Axis CNC Milling |
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If your design requires multiple faces, deep cavities, or complex curves, 5-axis will often save money in total project cost despite higher hourly rates—because fewer setups mean fewer errors and faster completion.
For simpler parts, 3-axis is the most economical, and 4-axis is the sweet spot for medium complexity.
The cost calculation considers factors like machine operation time, material costs, and labor involved in the machining process.
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