Micro-Machining: How We Create Micro Machined Parts

In precision industries, there is often a need for a large volume of small, cylindrical components, such as rings, pins and gears. Micro-machining is used to create these high-precision components in just a few millimetres, working to tight tolerances.

Precision Turned Parts Manufacturers

Micromanufacturing or Micro-machining?

Let’s start with some definitions.
Micromanufacturing has two separate definitions:

1. Manufacturing a small number of parts
2. Manufacturing parts with small dimensions

While Wilco Manufacturing can offer small batch machining, for this article, micromanufacturing refers to making components on a small scale, under 10mm in diameter and creating extremely fine detail on substrate surfaces, sometimes to a tolerance of just 10 microns.

Micro-Machining or Micro-Turning is the method we use for micro-manufacturing. Machining includes any mechanical cutting processes, including milling, grinding and turning. Turning cuts a workpiece into a cylindrical shape around an axis. Performing these actions on a scale less than 20mm is considered operating on a micro scale.

We have 18 CNC lathes that produce cylindrical parts of less than 13mm diameter, and frequently produce components just 1mm across.

Micro-machining involves removing material on an extremely fine scale. It requires appropriate tooling to maintain the extreme near-zero tolerances, avoiding warping or deposition. With this method, we can achieve high surface quality and excellent functionality.

Some engineers call these extremely small parts micro-parts, which are typically <10mm in all dimensions, with tolerances of +/-0.01 mm (10 microns).

Industries That Rely on Micro-Machined Parts

Providing precision and fine detail is crucial to fabricating electronic and mechanical components for industries where there is little room for error.

Aerospace

Micro-turning is used to manufacture miniature cylindrical components for aerospace engines & navigation systems.

Medical Devices

Medical implants & surgical instruments such as guide tubes, short needle components, ferrules, cannula tips and pacemaker parts.

Electronics

Micro-machining can produce complex semiconductor components for microchips and computing.

Automotive

Micro-parts are also used in high-performance engines for sports and supercars, such as valves, pins and endpieces for fluid cables.

Our Process for Creating Miniature Turned Parts

CNC Technology and Equipment

Complex geometries are produced at scale using CNC machining, as the navigational control works with a high degree of accuracy. When manufacturing at a micro-scale, these machines can reproduce the same complexities to tight tolerances, in plastic or metal.

Tolerances and Quality Standards

Machine tolerances are especially important in micromachining. For example, a 6mm bolt to fit into a 7mm hole must be made to a tolerance less than +/-0.5mm, or it won’t fit the intended interface. Precision turning with advanced CNC machines can achieve these tight tolerances.

Micro Manufacturing Small Turned Parts

Our small parts manufacturing services are rooted in experience. We make small components on a range of sliding head and spindle CNC lathes, we can manufacture many thousands of miniature parts (minimum 1mm diameter, lengths up to 1200mm) with a fast turnaround. Our usual batch sizes range from 50 off to several hundred thousand parts.

Checking production keeps our output at a consistent quality, and we maintain our machinery for repeatability so that bulk production can occur again and again. We also provide stockholding for turned parts to enable quick reorders.

With the range and quality of our many micro-turning machines, we can use the optimal machine types for your component and material type.

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