Micro machining services
Micro Machining: Swiss-Type Turning, Micro Milling and Micro Drilling
Parts under 10 mm are made with different machines than standard CNC parts. Tell us what you need and we match you with shops that have the right ones. Reply within 24 business hours.
Four Processes Cover Most Micro Parts
The right process depends on geometry more than size. This is how micro parts are usually split between machines.
| Process | Best for | Typical size range | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss-type turning | Pins, shafts, contacts, screws, cannulas | ⌀0.5 to 20 mm bar, long slender parts | Guide bushing supports the bar next to the tool |
| 5-axis micro milling | Housings, mounts, implants, fluidic parts | Envelopes from 1 mm, end mills down to 0.1 mm | One setup for several faces |
| Micro drilling | Nozzles, orifices, pin holes, cross holes | Holes from ⌀0.2 mm, deeper with pecking | Depth usually up to 10 x diameter |
| Wire and sinker EDM | Sharp internal corners, thin slots, hardened steel | Wire ⌀0.03 to 0.1 mm typical | No cutting force on thin walls |
Why General CNC Shops Struggle Below 1 mm
Micro machining is unforgiving. Three effects that barely matter on a 100 mm part decide the result on a 3 mm part.
- Tool deflectionA 0.2 mm end mill bends under a cutting load that a 10 mm tool ignores. Shops compensate with light, fast passes and high-speed spindles.
- Thermal driftA spindle that grows a few microns while warming up is a rounding error on normal parts and a scrap part at ±0.005 mm. Warm-up cycles and temperature control are part of the process.
- Chip evacuationChips that do not clear re-cut, break tools and leave burrs. Coolant, peck cycles and tool geometry are chosen for it.
- RunoutSpindle and holder runout of a few microns eats a large part of the tolerance. Micro shops use shrink-fit or precision collets and check runout per tool.
- HandlingParts that fit on a fingertip get lost, bent or contaminated. Trays, part catchers and cleaning are part of the quote.
Typical Micro Parts by Industry
These are the part families that come through micro machining RFQs most often.
Medical devices
Surgical instrument tips, endoscopic components, dental abutments, orthopedic micro-screws. Material certs and FAI are standard requests. SS 316L and Ti Grade 5 dominate.
Semiconductor
Chamber components, wafer handling pins, RF housings. Cleanroom-compatible packaging on request. Aluminum 7075 and titanium are most common.
Optics and photonics
Lens mounts, fiber alignment housings, laser cavity components. Tight concentricity and runout, so single-setup 5-axis or Swiss-type work is preferred.
Watches and instruments
Watch components, sensor housings, connector pins and small shafts for precision instruments. Brass, stainless and hardened steel.
Illustrative photos.
How Matching Works
We are a matching service, not a machine shop. That lets us send your part to the process it needs instead of the machine we happen to own.
Send one RFQ
Drawing, material, quantity, tightest tolerance and preferred supplier region. NDA on request.
We match up to 3 shops
Only shops with the process, material experience and measurement your part needs. Reply within 24 business hours.
Shops quote you directly
You compare and order from the shop you choose. No commission on the order.
Micro Machining FAQ
More in the guides.
What counts as micro machining?
In practice: parts with an overall size under about 10 mm, or larger parts with features under 1 mm, such as holes below 0.5 mm, slots of 0.3 mm or walls of 0.15 mm. The cutting tools, spindles, workholding and measurement are different from standard CNC work at that scale.
Swiss-type turning or micro milling: which one does my part need?
Round, slender parts with a length to diameter ratio above about 3:1 usually go on a Swiss-type lathe with live tools. Prismatic parts, housings and parts with pockets on several faces go on a 5-axis micro mill. Many parts need both. Tell us the geometry and we match shops with the right mix.
Can a regular CNC shop make my micro part?
Sometimes, if the tolerances are loose. Below about 1 mm features and ±0.01 mm tolerances, spindle runout, tool deflection and thermal growth start to decide the result, and a shop without high-speed spindles, micro tooling and suitable measurement will scrap parts or quote high to cover the risk.
Which secondary operations are common on micro parts?
Deburring (abrasive, electrochemical or thermal), passivation of stainless, anodizing of aluminum, electropolishing, heat treatment of tool steel and ultrasonic cleaning. Micro burrs are a real problem, so name the edge condition on the drawing.