What the part has to do
- Fit the hardware you already use, rather than forcing a redesign.
- Survive repeated assembly by someone in a field with gloves on.
- Hold position under vibration without a thread locker doing all the work.
- Be replaceable and identifiable, which means marked.
Material and finish
6061 and 7075 for most hardware, titanium Grade 5 for fasteners and highly loaded small fittings, stainless for pins and wear parts, POM for non conductive spacers and bushes.
Type II or hard anodise on aluminium, passivation on stainless, PVD on wear faces where a coating is specified.
The features that decide it
Tolerance these. Let everything else on the drawing run to the general tolerance, because it costs money and changes nothing.
Thread class and fit
A part that meets someone else's hardware inherits their tolerances, so the fit has to be stated.
Shaft and bore fits
Hubs and adapters locate something, so the fit is the function.
Wear surfaces
Latches and quick release parts wear at one face. Harden it, coat it or make it the replaceable part.
Marking
Small parts get mixed. Laser marked part number and revision costs nothing at the machining stage.
What we hold
| Feature | Held |
|---|---|
| Turned diameter | ±0.01 mm |
| Threads | Class stated on the drawing |
| Cross holes and flats | ±0.05 mm |
| Everything else | General tolerance |
Normal production figures for this shop, not a best case. Full tolerance reference.
What we need to quote it
- The mating hardware, by part number where possible
- Thread size and class
- Assembly frequency, because that decides inserts and coatings
- Marking requirement and where it goes
- Quantity, since small turned parts break sharply at volume
Send what you have. A STEP file and a quantity are enough to start, and the rest sharpens the number.
Read before you draw it
- Threads in thin aluminium
- Marking and traceability
- Folding arm hinges and pivot pins
Tools for this part
Run your part through them and send the answers with the model. It makes the quote sharper and the questions fewer.
Questions about hardware and quick release
Will you copy a part I can no longer buy?
We will machine a part to your drawing. If you only have the physical part, send it with dimensions you have measured and we will quote from that, and we will not reverse engineer somebody else's patented or branded design.
Is there a minimum on small turned parts?
One piece for a prototype. Small turned parts are where quantity changes the price most, so ask for a price at three quantities and the break will be obvious.
Quote this part
Send the model and the quantity. Price, lead time and any question that would cost you money if we guessed come back within 24 business hours, EXW, in USD.
Need the full form with tolerances, finish and documents? Open the RFQ page.
Other parts we cut
Arm and boom clamps
The joint that holds the arm on. It has to grip a tube that is never the diameter the catalogue says, without crushing it, and come off again after a season in the weather.
OpenMotor mounts and bells
A plate with four holes that decides whether a motor runs cool and whether the replacement one sits the same way the first did.
OpenGimbal brackets and yokes
A small part with a hard job. The camera has to point where the controller says it is pointing, through vibration, while weighing as little as possible.
OpenEnclosures and housings
The parts that keep water, dust and spray away from electronics, and the place where most ingress ratings are lost before the gasket is even chosen.
Open