Low-volume CNC Machining for Production Parts

We’re not only the fastest manufacturing supplier of machined prototypes but also the most reliable source of on-demand production parts. Why is this important? You have a single-source supplier from concept validation to short-run production.

We offer more competitive pricing at higher quantities in addition to tighter tolerances, hardware assembly, first article inspection (FAI) reporting, material certifications, and additional finishing options like anodizing and chromate plating. It’s CNC machining designed around your project needs—whether prototyping or production.

4 Reasons to Turn to Protolabs for Machined Production Parts

1. Reduced Piece-Part Price with Higher Quantities

Lower your part cost when you order higher volumes of production parts.

2. Inspection Reporting and Certifications

Get added quality assurance from conventional FAI reporting, CoC documentation, and AS9100 certification.

3. More Finishing Options

Choose from anodizing and chromate plating for complete parts from one supplier.

4. Supply Chain Flexibility

Avoid warehousing fees by ordering only the amount (starting at quantity 15) you need each month.

Production Materials for CNC Machining

Production Capabilities for CNC Machining

Tolerances

• Shop tolerance = +/- 0.005 in.
• Able to hold +/- 0.002 in. for reamed holes (print required)
• Up to +/- 0.002 in. feature location on the same side (print required)
  
  

Surface Roughness

• Flat and perpendicular surfaces = 63 µ in.
• Curved surfaces = 125 µ in.
  
  

Surface Finish Options

Multiple surface finishes are available for production machined parts.

As Machined

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Tumbled (standard)

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Bead blasted

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Anodizing

This process is typically used on machined aluminum parts. Your anodizing options at Protolabs:

• Type II
• ROHS compliant
• Class 1 (Clear)
• Class 2 (Black)
  
  

Chromate Plating

Your chromate plating options at Protolabs:

• Type I, Non-ROHS (Yellow)
• Type II, ROHS (Clear)
• Class 1A: for maximum protection against corrosion, painted or unpainted
• Class 3: For maximum protection against corrosion where low electrical resistance is required
  
  

Hardware Assembly

• Dowel pins
• PEM inserts
• Helicoils
• Key inserts
  
  

Ink Stamping

• Black and white
  
  

Threading Options

Quality Reporting

When all of your parts are machined at Protolabs you can be assured those parts are going to be produced in one of our AS9100- and ITAR-certified facilities and never outsourced to another machine shop. All parts are inspected for cosmetic conformance to workmanship standards and dimensional conformance on at least three dimensions (typically X, Y, and Z), but with production parts for machining, we also provide conventional inspection reporting like FAIs, Certificate of Compliance (CofC) documentation, and additional certifications like ISO 9001 and AS9100.

CERTIFICATIONS