What Materials Can Be CNC Machined?
CNC machining can produce parts from a wide range of metals, plastics, and engineering materials. At Dakings, material selection is matched to the part’s required strength, weight, machinability, surface finish, operating environment, and production requirements. The following are some of the most commonly CNC-machined materials we work with.
Metal CNC Machining Materials
Aluminum
Aluminum is one of the most widely used CNC machining materials because it offers low weight, good machinability, corrosion resistance, and a strong strength-to-weight ratio. It is well suited for housings, brackets, frames, robotics components, and other lightweight precision parts.
Common grades include 6061, 6063, 7075, and 2024 aluminum.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel provides high strength, corrosion resistance, and durability, making it suitable for parts exposed to moisture, chemicals, wear, or demanding operating conditions. It is commonly used for medical components, industrial equipment, automation parts, and mechanical assemblies.
Common grades include 304 and 316 stainless steel, along with other machining-grade stainless steels.
Carbon Steel
Carbon steel offers a practical combination of strength, hardness, machinability, and cost efficiency. It is often selected for structural and mechanical components where corrosion resistance is less critical.
Common grades include 1018, 1045, and other carbon steel grades selected according to the required mechanical properties.
Tool Steel and High-Speed Steel
Tool steels and high-speed steels are selected when a component requires high hardness, wear resistance, or dimensional stability. Their higher hardness can make machining more demanding, requiring appropriate tooling and cutting strategies.
Dakings can machine grades such as D2, O1, and M2, depending on the part requirements and material condition.
Titanium
Titanium combines high strength, low density, corrosion resistance, and excellent performance at elevated temperatures. It is commonly used for aerospace, medical, robotics, and other high-performance components.
Because titanium generates significant cutting heat and can be challenging to machine, proper tooling, cutting parameters, and process control are essential.
Brass and Copper
Brass offers excellent machinability, corrosion resistance, and electrical properties, making it suitable for fittings, connectors, bushings, and precision components.
Copper provides excellent electrical and thermal conductivity and is commonly used for electrical components, heat-transfer parts, and conductive components. Its high thermal conductivity and tendency to deform require appropriate machining strategies.
Other Engineering Metals
Depending on the application, CNC machining can also be used for magnesium alloys, nickel alloys, bronze, and other engineering metals. Material selection depends on the component’s mechanical, thermal, electrical, and environmental requirements.
Plastic CNC Machining Materials
ABS
ABS is a lightweight, economical engineering plastic with good impact resistance and dimensional stability. It is commonly used for housings, covers, prototypes, fixtures, and general-purpose components.
POM
POM, also known as acetal, provides low friction, good wear resistance, dimensional stability, and excellent machinability. It is well suited for gears, bushings, rollers, guides, and other moving components.
Nylon
Nylon offers a useful combination of strength, toughness, wear resistance, and low weight. It is commonly used for bushings, gears, rollers, brackets, and other mechanical components where reduced weight and good wear performance are required.
PEEK
PEEK is a high-performance engineering plastic with excellent chemical resistance, wear resistance, dimensional stability, and temperature performance. It is used for demanding applications in medical, aerospace, semiconductor, and industrial equipment.
Its higher material cost and specific machining requirements make process planning particularly important.
Acrylic
Acrylic (PMMA) is valued for its optical clarity, weather resistance, and attractive surface appearance. CNC machining is commonly used to produce transparent covers, optical components, display parts, prototypes, and custom housings.
Other Engineering Plastics
Dakings also supports CNC machining of other engineering plastics, including PC, PTFE, HDPE, UHMW-PE, PVC, and reinforced plastics, depending on the required mechanical and environmental performance.
The right plastic is selected based on factors such as strength, stiffness, wear resistance, temperature, chemical exposure, dimensional stability, and appearance.
How Material Selection Affects CNC Machining
Material selection affects more than the final part properties. It also influences tooling, machining parameters, cycle time, surface finish, and overall cost. At Dakings, material selection is evaluated together with part geometry, tolerance, production volume, and application requirements.
Machinability
Materials with good machinability can be cut efficiently with stable tool performance. Harder, tougher, or heat-sensitive materials may require specialized tooling and more controlled cutting parameters.
Tool Wear
Material hardness, abrasiveness, and thermal behavior directly affect tool life. Materials such as hardened steels and titanium generally require more careful tool selection and process control than softer, highly machinable materials.
Machining Time
Material properties influence cutting speeds, feed rates, depth of cut, and the number of machining passes required. Difficult-to-machine materials can therefore increase cycle time, particularly for complex or tight-tolerance parts.
Surface Finish
Material characteristics and machining conditions affect the final surface quality. The right combination of tooling, cutting parameters, toolpath strategy, and finishing operations helps achieve the required surface finish.
Cost
Material cost is only one part of the equation. Machinability, tooling, machining time, finishing requirements, and material availability can all affect the final CNC machining cost.
CNC Machining Applications by Industry
CNC machining supports industries where components require repeatable dimensions, reliable material performance, and controlled manufacturing quality. At Dakings, we manufacture custom CNC parts for a wide range of industrial applications.
Robotics and Automation
CNC machining is widely used for robot housings, joint components, mounting brackets, end-effectors, frames, shafts, gears, and precision mechanical components. Aluminum, stainless steel, steel, and engineering plastics are commonly selected according to weight, strength, and motion requirements.
Automotive and EV
For automotive and electric vehicle applications, CNC machining supports motor housings, transmission components, brackets, shafts, fixtures, battery-related components, and structural parts. Material and process selection depends on strength, dimensional accuracy, thermal requirements, and production volume.
Medical Devices
Medical applications require consistent dimensions, suitable materials, and controlled surface quality. CNC machining is used for medical device components, surgical instruments, housings, fixtures, and precision mechanical parts.
Aerospace
Aerospace components often require high strength-to-weight ratios, tight tolerances, and reliable material performance. CNC machining is used for structural components, brackets, housings, fittings, and other complex precision parts, including components made from aluminum and titanium.
Electronics and Optical Communications
CNC machining supports the production of electronic housings, heat sinks, brackets, frames, optical equipment components, connectors, and precision enclosures. Aluminum and engineering plastics are often selected for their weight, machinability, thermal properties, or dimensional stability.
Semiconductor
Semiconductor equipment relies on components with high dimensional accuracy, surface quality, and material compatibility. CNC machining is used for equipment housings, chambers, brackets, fixtures, structural components, and other precision parts.
Industrial Equipment
Industrial machinery uses CNC-machined shafts, gears, housings, brackets, fixtures, rollers, plates, and custom mechanical components. Material and machining processes are selected according to load, wear, operating environment, and production requirements.
How CNC Machining Requirements Differ by Industry?
The CNC process may be similar, but part requirements vary significantly between industries.
- Robotics & Automation: Lightweight structures, tight tolerances, complex geometries, and repeatable assembly fit.
- Automotive & EV: Production efficiency, dimensional consistency, strength, and scalability.
- Medical: Material suitability, precision, surface quality, and controlled manufacturing processes.
- Aerospace: Weight reduction, complex geometries, tight tolerances, and high-performance materials.
- Electronics & Optical Communications: Lightweight construction, thermal management, dimensional accuracy, and appearance.
- Semiconductor: Precision, surface quality, material compatibility, and process consistency.
- Industrial Equipment: Strength, wear resistance, reliability, and cost-effective production.
At Dakings, we evaluate the application, material, geometry, tolerance, quantity, and quality requirements together rather than applying the same machining approach to every industry.
What CNC Parts Can Be Manufactured?
Dakings supports custom CNC manufacturing for prototype, low-volume, and production parts across robotics, automotive, medical, aerospace, electronics, semiconductor, automation, and industrial equipment applications.
Our CNC machining capabilities cover a broad range of custom components, including:
Precision Mechanical Components
Shafts, pins, bushings, gears, rollers, spacers, couplings, and mechanical fittings for motion and mechanical assemblies.
Housings and Enclosures
Motor housings, gear housings, electronic enclosures, sensor housings, optical equipment housings, and custom covers manufactured to specified dimensions and finishes.
Brackets and Structural Components
Mounting brackets, support frames, plates, arms, base components, and structural parts for robotic, automotive, automation, and industrial systems.
Robotics Components
Robot joint components, end-effector parts, actuator components, housings, mounting interfaces, and precision mechanical components designed for robotic assemblies.
Automotive and EV Components
Motor and transmission components, brackets, shafts, fixtures, housings, and custom mechanical parts for automotive and electric vehicle systems.
Medical and Precision Components
Medical device components, instrument parts, precision fixtures, housings, and custom mechanical components manufactured according to project-specific requirements.
Aerospace and Semiconductor Components
Lightweight structural parts, precision brackets, equipment components, fixtures, housings, and complex machined parts for demanding technical applications.
Dakings supports 500+ engineering and production materials across metals, plastics, and other engineering materials, allowing material selection to be matched to the component's performance and application requirements.
For projects requiring more than machining, Dakings can also coordinate surface finishing, secondary processing, assembly, and related manufacturing services, helping customers move from prototype parts to production-ready components.
