3, 4 and 5-axis milling. From prototype to production.

3-axis milling moves the cutter in X, Y and Z — adequate for most prismatic parts. 4-axis adds a rotary A or B axis, letting you machine around a cylindrical part or reach the four sides of a block in a single setup. 5-axis adds a second rotary axis, so the tool can approach any surface at any angle — essential for impellers, turbine blades, complex aerospace brackets, and any part with undercuts or compound angles.

Specify 5-axis when: (1) your part has surfaces that can't be accessed in 3 or 4-axis setups without multiple fixtures; (2) you need tolerance stack-up below ±0.05 mm across multiple features (5-axis machines all features in one setup); (3) your geometry has compound angles or organic curves (turbine blades, orthopedic implants); (4) setup cost of multiple 3-axis fixtures exceeds the premium of single 5-axis setup.

Our largest 3-axis envelope is 1200 × 800 × 600 mm (Haas VF-5 class). 4-axis envelope 1020 × 510 × 635 mm. 5-axis maximum Ø 650 × 560 mm (DMG MORI DMU 65). For larger parts, we can subdivide and fixture-weld, or partner with sister shops for sub-assembly approach.

Standard as-milled finish is Ra 3.2 µm. Fine finish passes achieve Ra 1.6 µm. With high-speed machining and sharp tools on aluminum, Ra 0.8 µm is achievable directly on the machine. Below 0.8 µm requires secondary polishing, lapping, or grinding.

Yes — we routinely mill pre-hardened P20 (30 HRC), H13 (45 HRC), and D2 (58–62 HRC) for tooling and die components, using carbide and CBN tooling. For materials above 50 HRC, expect 3–5× longer machining time vs soft steel.

Standard vises, custom aluminum soft-jaws, vacuum fixtures for thin parts, dedicated hard fixtures for repeat production, modular fixture kits (Zero Point), and 5-axis trunnion setups. For production runs above 500 parts, we design and fabricate custom fixtures to minimize cycle time.