Custom Machined & Custom Manufacturing
A “custom machined” part generally refers to piece-parts, or component parts which are custom machined to a customer’s specific requirements. Generally the customer’s requirements are conveyed by a detailed drawing along with additional notations.
Custom machined parts are typically purchased for one or more of the following reasons:
• The part is not available as a catalog or off-the-shelf item
• The part has special requirements
• The volume of parts needed is too low to justify other forms of fabrication
• A formed, cast, or molded part would not have an adequate level of precision or strength
• The parts are needed very quickly
Depending on the part’s shape and requirements custom machined parts might be made on a lathe, a milling machine, a stamping press, a press-brake, a precision shear, or machined on a myriad of other types of precision equipment. In many cases a custom machined part might pass through many of the operations listed before being finished. Although custom machined parts are typically more expensive than a mass-produced method, quite often the higher price is justified due to the fact that custom machined parts are generally more accurate, offer higher strength and/or integrity and can be made much faster than most other methods.
Today most custom machined parts are made on equipment known as CNC machines. CNC is an acronym for Computer Numerical Control. Modern CNC machines are amazingly fast, accurate and dependable. Over the years CNC machines have become so commonplace that for the most part they have become a commodity machine. It is not uncommon to find CNC machines in shops all around the world.
