We’ll start by saying that super close tolerances aren’t necessary for every part. In fact, some companies spend far more than they need to holding close tolerances, even though a lesser degree of precision would sufficed. In these cases, we do our best to steer our clients to a more cost-effective solution.
But in other cases, a high degree of precision is absolutely necessary. This kind of tight tolerance machining is our specialty. If you have a precision part you need, especially if you’re looking to convert from metal to plastic, Reading Plastic is the machine shop that can hold those close tolerances. Much of our clientele demands highly precise machining, as members of the military and aerospace industries.
In this blog, get some questions answered about when tight tolerance machining is necessary and why we’re the machine shop to do it.
When do you need to machine to close tolerances? Close tolerances are most often needed in complex part designs. When parts must interact with other parts, there’s a high potential for tolerance accumulation. That’s why it’s so important to keep each element as precise as possible. In other cases, a particularly demanding environment may make tight tolerances necessary.
What makes close tolerances possible? The capacity to machine to close tolerances comes in part from our experts and in part from our fast, reliable machines. With machines like the Miyano BNA-42S, we can achieve unmatched precision even while slashing cycle time and expanding the parts’ complexity. Furthermore, we can use the manufacturing method best suited to the part, since we’re capable of milling, turning, routing and die stamping to close tolerances.
What if the part has already been 3D-printed? Often times, 3D-printed parts can’t hold the close tolerances an application demands. We can and frequently do help in these cases. If you send us 3D-printed parts, we can do secondary operations to get the tolerances where they need to be. Furthermore, since 3D-printed parts often break down under certain tensile stresses, we can assist with machining the part to hold up to these tensions.
Learn more about Reading Plastic as a high-end machine shop for tight tolerance machining in this video! We’re proud to be part of the manufacturing community in Berks County.
Reach out today for a free quote on your project. We’re confident we can machine your precision parts to meet any requirements and deadlines.
