CNC Machining for Robotics and Automation
Joint housings, gearbox flanges, encoder mounts, robot finger links and end effectors — usually aluminium, usually needed sooner than the schedule allows. Quotes in 16 hours, no minimum order.
Problems buyers bring us in this sector
Robotics work is iterative and impatient. These are the three problems that come up most, and how we keep them from slowing you down.
“Revision three is due before revision two has arrived”
Quote in 16 hours. We keep programs and setups per part number, so a revision of a part we have already made sits at the fast end of the 7–15 day window. Give us the previous part number in the RFQ and we will find the file.
“The bearing bore is loose — or the bearing will not go in”
Tell us the fit class, not just the nominal. We work ISO 286 IT6–IT7 on bearing bores and check them with a gauge as well as on the CMM, because a bore that measures right and feels wrong is still wrong.
“Bores on two faces do not line up”
On a four-axis setup the part is not re-clamped between faces, so we hold about 0.01 mm between them. If the geometry forces two setups, you hear about it in the quote, not on the first article.
What we machine for robotics customers
Robotics work is iterative: a part gets made, tested, changed and made again. We quote fast and we keep your programs, so revision two is quicker and cheaper than revision one.
Joint and actuator housings
Milled 6061 and 7075 housings with bearing bores held to an interference or transition fit.
Gearbox and motor flanges
Turned and milled flanges with pilot diameters and bolt circles in true position.
Encoder and sensor mounts
Small precision mounts where concentricity to the shaft decides whether the encoder reads true.
End effectors and grippers
Finger links, knuckles, pivot blocks, finger bases, custom jaws, vacuum plates and tool adapters — usually 6061-T6 or 7075, with press-fit pins and smooth pivot bores.
The parts in the hero are a typical set: three proximal links, three distal links, matching knuckle blocks and pivot pins, machined in one batch and anodised black.
Structural plates and brackets
Mounting plates, links and arms milled from plate, anodised or bead blasted.
Cable and harness hardware
Strain reliefs, clamps and guides — small parts nobody wants to wait three weeks for.
Robot and quadruped joint housings: four views
These are the parts behind the photos: aluminium joint and actuator housings for robot arms and quadruped robots (robot dogs). Each is machined from solid 6061-T6 or 7075, with the bearing bore, bolt circle and mounting face cut in the same setup where the geometry allows.
What we hold on this family
- Bearing bores to IT6–IT7, with roundness checked on the CMM.
- Concentricity between bearing bore and motor bolt circle: typically 0.01 mm.
- Flatness on mounting and sealing faces: typically 0.02 mm.
- Bolt patterns positionally toleranced to Ø0.05 mm, drilled and reamed in one 4-axis setup where possible.
- Rib and wall thickness controlled to 1.5–2.5 mm to avoid chatter and distortion.
Typical calls, not a guarantee: send the drawing and we will confirm what the feature needs. See 4-axis milling, aluminium grades, anodising and CMM inspection.
Robot dog leg brackets and actuator mounts
The other half of a quadruped robot is the structure around the actuator: the brackets that carry the motor, hold the bearing and connect the joint to the leg. These four are recent parts, machined from 6061-T6 aluminium.
What these brackets have in common
- Two or three mounting planes, machined square to each other — typically 0.02 mm.
- Counterbores for M3–M6 socket-head screws, with the bolt pattern positionally toleranced.
- A central bore that has to stay concentric with the actuator pattern, usually within 0.01 mm.
- Relief around the link so the bracket clears through the full range of joint travel.
- Bead blast, anodising or laser marking on request; 6061-T6 standard, 7075 for higher stiffness.
Send the drawing and the mating parts; we will quote the bracket, the housing and the pin as one set. See CNC machining services, 4-axis milling and get a quote.
What these parts are usually made from
6061 for most structure, 7075 where stiffness or strength decides it, POM and nylon where weight or noise does.
What we watch on a robotics drawing
Bearing fits, concentricity and mounting faces
Almost every robotics part we make comes down to a bearing bore and the features around it. The housing in the photo is a 6061-T6 prototype: bearing bore, 12-hole circle and mounting pads cut in two setups. Nineteen of our 32 machining centres are four-axis, so a housing with bores on more than one face can stay in a single setup and hold true position between them.
- Bearing bore fitsISO 286 IT6 – IT7
- Bore-to-bolt-circle concentricity0.01 mm, one setup
- Bolt pattern positionØ0.05 mm
- Mounting face flatness0.02 mm
- Achievable, milled±0.002 mm on critical features
- Surface finishRa 0.8 – 1.6 µm
- Four-axis centres19 of 32
- Typical quantity1 – 500
- Unmarked dimensionsISO 2768-mK
Motor swing arms and joint links for gimbals, drones and small robot arms
Elbow and shoulder joint brackets that a motor bolts straight into
These are the arms that carry a motor in a gimbal, a drone or a small robotic arm: a bearing seat at one end, a motor bolt pattern at the other, and a thin web between them that has to stay flat. We machine the family as a set — link, swing arm and the motor housing they mount to — so the bolt circles and bores are cut to the same datums and the joint goes together without shimming.
- Part familyJoint links, swing arms, motor housing
- Used inGimbals, drones, small robot arms
- Critical featuresBearing bore, bolt circle, web flatness
- FinishPolished bright
What buyers in this industry ask
How fast can you turn a revision around?
Can you hold concentricity between bores on different faces?
Do you do small assemblies?
How we make them
CNC Milling
Housings, plates and brackets on 3- and 4-axis centres. CNC milling →
CNC Turning
Shafts, bushings and fittings on twelve lathes. CNC turning →
Inspection
First article on the CMM before the run continues. Quality →
Ready for a quote?
Send the drawing — price and lead time within 16 hours. STEP, IGES, X_T, DWG, DXF or PDF.
No minimum order.