Mecvona manufactures CNC turned metal and plastic parts for prototypes, low-volume builds and repeat production. From shafts, pins and bushings to threaded connectors and complex turn-mill components, we help engineering and sourcing teams move from drawing to production-ready parts with stable quality control.
Tightest turning tolerance
Part diameter range
Metals & plastics in stock
Engineer-reviewed quote
CNC turning is a subtractive machining process in which a bar of stock rotates at high speed while a cutting tool moves along it, removing material to produce cylindrical geometry — shafts, pins, bushings, fittings, threaded connectors, and any part defined around an axis of rotation. It is the fastest and most economical way to produce round parts with high repeatability, from a one-off prototype to a 100,000-piece production run.
Our turning cell combines three machine classes so your part lands on the right spindle instead of the available one: 2-axis CNC lathes for straightforward cylindrical work, turn-mill centers with live tooling that add cross-holes, flats, keyways, and slots in a single setup, and Swiss-type sliding-headstock lathes (Tsugami and Citizen platforms) for long, slender, small-diameter parts where a conventional lathe would let the workpiece deflect and chatter.
Because turning, live-tool milling, and sub-spindle back-working happen in one clamping, concentricity between features is machined in — not assembled in. That single-setup discipline is what keeps total runout inside your ⌰ callout across a full production batch.
Turned parts look simple, which is exactly why instant-quote algorithms mis-price them. The cost and risk hide in the callouts: a 6g thread class instead of 6h, a total runout tolerance across three diameters, a 0.6 mm wall that will spring open when the parting tool touches it, an L:D ratio of 15:1 that demands a Swiss lathe rather than a chuck. At Mecvona, a manufacturing engineer reads those callouts on every RFQ and tells you — in writing, before you commit — how we’ll hold them, or what small design change would cut your cost without touching function.
The envelope below covers our combined lathe cell. If your part sits outside these limits — larger swing, tighter tolerance, exotic alloy — send the drawing anyway; the engineering team will confirm feasibility rather than auto-reject it.
| SPECIFICATION | STANDARD CAPABILITY | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum part diameter | ⌀ 420 mm (16.5 in) | Chuck-type CNC lathes |
| Maximum turned length | 1,000 mm (39.4 in) | Longer shafts with steady rest, on review |
| Minimum part diameter | ⌀ 0.5 mm (0.02 in) | Swiss-type sliding headstock |
| Swiss lathe bar capacity | ⌀ 1 – 32 mm | Tsugami / Citizen platforms, guide-bushing fed |
| Standard tolerance | ISO 2768-f (fine) / ±0.01 mm | Applied where drawing gives no callout |
| Tightest attainable tolerance | ±0.005 mm (±0.0002 in) | Diameter-critical features; confirmed at DFM review |
| Concentricity / total runout | 0.01 mm attainable | Single-setup turn-mill machining |
| Surface finish (as-turned) | Ra 1.6 µm standard · Ra 0.4 µm attainable | Ra 0.2 µm with grinding / polishing |
| Threading | M1.6 – M64, UNC/UNF, NPT/BSPT, custom | OD & ID single-point, thread mill, or tap |
| Live tooling | Axial & radial drilling, milling, tapping | Cross-holes, flats, keyways, slots in one setup |
| Order volume | 1 – 100,000+ pcs | Prototype through serial production |
| Lead time | 5 – 10 business days typical | Expedite to 3 days for eligible parts |
Values reflect standard production capability; tighter limits are quoted case-by-case against the drawing.
A modern turning center is not one process but a family of them. These are the operations our lathes run daily — most of them combinable in a single setup, which is how unit cost stays low and concentricity stays high.
External and internal diameter machining to size — the core operation for every stepped shaft, sleeve, and bore.
Machining the end face square to the axis, establishing datum surfaces and controlling overall length.
Single-point OD/ID threads to metric, UNC/UNF, and pipe standards, held to the thread class on your drawing.
O-ring grooves, snap-ring grooves, relief grooves, and clean part-off from bar stock.
On-axis holes from center drill through deep-hole drilling; boring for precise internal diameters and tolerance fits.
Finishing drilled holes to tight diameter tolerance and fine surface finish for bearing and pin fits.
Conical geometry for seats, sealing surfaces, and standard tapers (Morse, NPT sealing angles).
Diamond and straight knurl patterns for grip surfaces on knobs, handles, and press-fit zones.
Radial and axial milling on the lathe: flats, hex features, keyways, and slots without a second machine.
Off-axis holes drilled in the turning setup, keeping true position relative to turned diameters.
Guide-bushing-supported machining for long, thin parts (L:D beyond 3:1) and micro-diameters down to ⌀0.5 mm.
Turning hardened steels (up to ~HRC 60) with CBN tooling — often replacing grinding for bearing seats and seal journals.
We keep certified bar stock on the floor in the grades below and source mill-certified material for anything else, with full traceability from heat number to finished part. Material certs ship with your order on request.
The default choice for turned housings, fittings, spacers, and lightweight shafts. 6061 balances machinability, strength, and anodizing response; 7075 approaches mild-steel strength at a third of the weight for aerospace and high-load applications. Aluminum turns fast, which makes it the most economical metal for prototypes and mid-volume production alike.
Typical turned parts: pneumatic fittings, sensor housings, spacers and standoffs, drone motor shafts, optical mounts.
303 is the free-machining workhorse for high-volume turned fasteners and fittings; 316L adds marine and chemical corrosion resistance; 17-4 PH delivers high strength with heat treatment for valve stems and pump shafts. We routinely single-point thread and hard-turn martensitic grades after heat treatment.
Typical turned parts: valve components, marine shafts, food-contact fittings, medical device housings, hydraulic connectors.
12L14 free-machining steel is the cost leader for high-volume turned parts that will be plated; 4140 pre-hard covers gears blanks, shafts, and tooling that need through-strength. We coordinate quench-and-temper, induction hardening, and case hardening with certified heat-treatment partners, then finish-turn or grind to final size.
Typical turned parts: drive shafts, gear blanks, pins, bushings, threaded studs, roller cores.
C360 brass is the fastest-machining metal we run — ideal for high-volume fittings, inserts, and electrical contacts where cycle time drives cost. C110 copper serves conductivity-critical parts; bronze covers bearing and wear applications. Swiss lathes handle small brass connectors at very high throughput.
Typical turned parts: electrical contacts and terminals, plumbing fittings, threaded inserts, EMI/RF connector bodies, bushings.
Turning titanium well is a process discipline: rigid setups, sharp tooling, controlled speeds, and flood coolant to manage heat that the material refuses to conduct away. Our parameters are proven on aerospace and medical work, and we quote titanium with realistic cycle times instead of aluminum-adjacent guesses.
Typical turned parts: aerospace fasteners and standoffs, medical instrument shafts, marine hardware, high-performance bicycle and motorsport components.
POM is the precision-plastic default — dimensionally stable, low-friction, and it turns to crisp tolerances. PEEK covers high-temperature and implant-adjacent applications; PTFE demands the slow, sharp-tool approach that we’ve standardized. Plastic turned parts are quoted with tolerance bands appropriate to each polymer’s thermal movement, not copy-pasted metal tolerances.
Typical turned parts: seal seats, insulator bushings, rollers, wear rings, fluid-handling fittings.
Turned surfaces come off the lathe smoother than milled ones — often smooth enough to ship as-machined. When the application needs corrosion protection, wear resistance, or a cosmetic standard, these are the finishing routes we run through qualified partners under our inspection plan.
Clean turned finish with fine, uniform tool lines. Fastest and lowest-cost option.
Ra 1.6 μm std · Ra 0.4 μm attainable
Uniform matte texture that hides tool marks and handling wear; common pre-anodize step.
Cosmetic grade on request
Corrosion-resistant oxide layer on aluminum, dyeable in black, clear, red, blue, gold.
8–12 μm typical build
Thick, wear-resistant coating for sliding and sealing surfaces on aluminum parts.
25–50 μm typical build
Chemical treatment restoring the chromium-oxide layer on stainless after machining.
ASTM A967 compliant
Brightens and deburrs stainless while improving corrosion resistance — common for medical and food-contact parts.
Ra reduction up to 50%
Sacrificial or barrier plating for steel parts; clear or yellow chromate available on zinc.
Per ASTM B633 / B689
Thin conversion coating on steel for mild corrosion protection and reduced glare, with no dimensional change.
<1 μm — safe for tolerance fits
These are the rules our engineers check your drawing against at DFM review. Designing inside them is the single biggest lever on your part price — every guideline below exists because violating it forces slower cycles, extra setups, or scrap risk that ends up in your quote.
| FEATURE | RECOMMENDED | WHY IT MATTERS |
|---|---|---|
| Wall thickness | ≥ 0.8 mm metals · ≥ 1.5 mm plastics | Thin walls deflect under cutting force and clamping pressure; diameters go out of round before the part leaves the chuck. |
| Length-to-diameter ratio | ≤ 3:1 unsupported · up to 15:1 on Swiss | Slender parts chatter on a conventional lathe. Past 3:1 we plan tailstock support or route the job to a Swiss guide bushing. |
| Internal corner radii | ≥ 0.4 mm, or add an undercut relief | A truly sharp internal corner can’t be turned; a relief groove costs nothing and lets mating parts seat fully. |
| Thread length | ≤ 1.5 × diameter engagement | Longer threads add cycle time without adding joint strength — engagement past ~1.5 D carries almost no additional load. |
| Deep holes | Depth ≤ 10 × drill diameter | Beyond 10:1, drills wander and chip evacuation fails; gun drilling is possible but priced separately. |
| Grooves | Width ≥ 1 mm, depth ≤ 2 × width | Standard grooving inserts cover these proportions; narrower or deeper grooves need custom tooling. |
| Tolerance callouts | Tight-tolerance only where functional | ±0.005 mm on one bearing seat is routine; ±0.005 mm on every dimension multiplies inspection time and cost with zero benefit. |
| Engraving / marking | Character height ≥ 2 mm, depth ≥ 0.3 mm | Ensures legibility after finishing; laser marking available where engraving would break a thin wall. |
Guideline values, not hard limits — parts outside them are quoted after engineering review.
If your drawing violates one of these guidelines, we don’t silently price around it. The quote comes back with the specific line item flagged and, where one exists, a suggested revision — e.g., “opening this groove from 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm removes a custom insert and cuts unit price ~12%.” You decide; we machine either version.
For rotational parts, “in spec” means more than diameters: it means runout, concentricity, cylindricity, and thread fit verified with the right instruments. Our inspection plan is written per part at DFM stage, not improvised at final inspection.
ISO 9001:2015 quality management, IATF 16949:2016 for automotive programs, and AS9100D for aerospace work — audited systems, not logo decoration. PPAP documentation supported for automotive customers.
CMM inspection for true position and profile; roundness and runout verified between centers with dial and electronic indicators; thread verification with GO/NO-GO ring and plug gauges to the class on your drawing; surface roughness testing to confirm Ra callouts.
First article inspection reports (FAIR), dimensional reports on critical features, material certificates traceable to heat number, and finish certificates from plating partners — bundled with your shipment or delivered digitally before it leaves the dock.
| TOLERANCE STANDARD | APPLICATION |
|---|---|
| ISO 2768-f / -m | Default general tolerances where the drawing carries no callout (fine for metals, medium for plastics) |
| Drawing-specific GD&T | Runout, concentricity, cylindricity, true position – inspected per your datum scheme |
| ±0.005 mm critical features | Quoted feature-by-feature and confirmed in writing at DFM review before production |
Send us the drawing and we’ll route it — but if you’re still designing, this is the decision logic our engineers apply.
Many real parts need both: a turned body with milled flats, or a milled housing with a turned seal journal. Our turn-mill centers cover the hybrid middle ground in a single setup — and when a part is better split across processes, the same engineer plans both operations so datums agree.
These part families make up most of the work crossing our lathe cell.
Stepped, splined, and keyed shafts with runout and journal tolerances held between centers.
Locating pins, pivot pins, and press-fit dowels to h6/g6 fits — high-volume Swiss work.
Bronze, steel, and polymer bushings with concentric ID/OD and honed bores where specified.
Hydraulic, pneumatic, and fluid fittings with NPT/BSPT sealing threads gauge-verified.
Threaded and plain standoffs in aluminum, brass, and stainless at production volumes.
Stems, seats, and glands in stainless and brass with lapped sealing surfaces on request.
Conveyor rollers and guide wheels with balanced, concentric running surfaces.
Knurled press-in inserts and double-ended studs, thread class verified by ring gauge.
Six steps, one engineering owner from RFQ to delivery, and no surprises priced in after the PO.
Upload STEP/IGES plus a 2D drawing (PDF/DWG) through the RFQ form. NDA available before you send anything.
A manufacturing engineer checks tolerances, threads, L:D ratios, and wall sections — and flags anything that will cost you money unnecessarily.
Firm pricing with lead time, the inspection plan for critical features, and any suggested revisions clearly separated from the as-drawn price.
Your part is routed to the right spindle — 2-axis, turn-mill, or Swiss — with in-process checks at first-off and set intervals.
Final inspection per the agreed plan: CMM, runout, thread gauging, surface roughness. FAIR and material certs compiled.
Rust-prevention, individual protection for finished surfaces, and DDP/DAP shipping to North America, Europe, and Australia.
The questions engineers and sourcing managers actually ask us before their first turning order.
Standard work is held to ISO 2768-f or ±0.01 mm, whichever your drawing specifies. On diameter-critical features — bearing seats, seal journals, press-fit pins — we hold ±0.005 mm, and confirm that capability in writing for your specific feature at DFM review rather than promising it generically. Runout and concentricity callouts down to 0.01 mm are achievable through single-setup turn-mill machining.
In turning, the workpiece rotates and the tool is (mostly) stationary — which makes it ideal for round parts like shafts, bushings, and fittings. In milling, the tool rotates and the workpiece is fixed — better for prismatic parts like brackets, plates, and housings. Turning is faster and cheaper for anything with an axis of rotation; milling wins when geometry is dominated by flat faces, pockets, and 3D contours. Our turn-mill lathes blur the line by adding milled features during the turning cycle.
Two triggers: slenderness and volume. If your part’s length exceeds roughly three times its diameter unsupported, a conventional lathe will let it deflect and chatter — a Swiss lathe’s guide bushing supports the bar millimeters from the cutting point, so L:D ratios of 10:1 or 15:1 machine cleanly. And because Swiss machines run bar-fed with simultaneous front and back working, they’re extremely economical at volumes in the thousands: medical pins, connector contacts, small fasteners. Our engineers route your part automatically; you don’t need to specify the machine type.
One piece. Prototypes and first articles are a normal part of our workload, not an exception we tolerate. That said, turning economics reward volume steeply — setup is a fixed cost, so unit price at 500 pieces is often a fraction of unit price at 5. Your quote shows price breaks at multiple quantities so you can decide with real numbers.
We sign NDAs before you transfer files. Drawings live in access-controlled storage restricted to the engineers and operators on your project, and we never photograph or publish customer parts without written permission. For customers with export-controlled or otherwise sensitive work, we’ll walk you through our handling procedure in detail before you commit.
Four things: (1) a 3D model (STEP preferred), (2) a 2D drawing with tolerances, thread classes, and surface finish callouts, (3) material grade — not just “stainless” but “316L” — and (4) quantity, including future volumes if you want price breaks quoted. If any of these are missing we’ll still quote, but we’ll have to state assumptions, and assumptions are where quotes and reality drift apart.
Yes. We single-point, thread-mill, or tap metric (M1.6–M64), unified (UNC/UNF), and pipe threads (NPT/BSPT), held to the class on your drawing and verified with GO/NO-GO ring and plug gauges — not just “it threads on.” Sealing threads like NPT are checked with L1 gauges. Custom and non-standard threads are quoted after engineering review.
Most turned-part orders ship in 5–10 business days from PO, depending on quantity, material availability, and finishing. Eligible parts can be expedited to 3 days. International door delivery adds 3–7 days by express courier or longer by sea for heavy production volumes — your quote states the full door-to-door timeline, not just the ex-works date.
Upload your STEP file and drawing for a firm quote within 24 hours — with DFM feedback, an inspection plan for your critical features, and price breaks across quantities. No account required, NDA available first.
