Aluminum
CNC Machined Aluminum Parts
The default metal for custom parts, and the one that quotes lowest.
CNC machined aluminum parts are the default for most custom work, light, corrosion-resistant, easy to anodize, and quick to cut, which keeps the price down. 6061 handles most brackets, housings, and plates; 7075 steps in when a part needs to be stronger. Send a STEP file and a PDF print through the quote form and a real person sends back a quote in 24-48 hours, no minimum order, and every part inspected before it ships.
Updated June 2026
Why aluminum is the default for machined parts
If a print just says “aluminum,” there’s a good reason it’s the most common material on the quote board. It’s light, it’s corrosion-resistant enough to live bare indoors, it takes a clean anodized finish, and it’s stocked everywhere in plate, bar, and extrusion, so material availability rarely stretches a lead time. Most of all, it cuts fast and predictably. And since machining time is the dominant cost in a custom part, that speed is what keeps aluminum parts affordable. The same geometry quoted in stainless or titanium routinely costs several times as much in material and time.
The honest exception is when the part needs something aluminum can’t give: real heat tolerance, maximum strength per dollar, or chloride-proof corrosion resistance. Short of those, aluminum is usually the smart default, which is why it covers the bulk of brackets, housings, plates, and fixtures that get quoted here.
What gets made from aluminum
The part types repeat across every industry. Brackets and mounts are the most common, milled from plate, light and stiff enough for most structural duty. Housings and enclosures protect electronics and mechanisms. Flat plates and faceplates serve as baseplates, manifold bodies, and mounting surfaces. Manifolds and fluid blocks get drilled and ported from solid. And on the lathe, aluminum turns into standoffs, spacers, bosses, and bushings.
Most of this is milled work, with turned parts a close second. It suits one-offs and small batches as readily as repeat runs, there’s no minimum order, and typical tolerances run ±0.005 in on milled features and ±0.001 in on critical turned diameters, tighter where the print calls for it.
The grades at a glance: 6061 and 7075
Two grades cover nearly everything. 6061 is the workhorse: about 40 ksi yield in the T6 temper, weldable, corrosion-resistant, and stocked in every shape. If a part doesn’t have a specific reason to be something else, it’s 6061. 7075 is the strength upgrade, roughly 80% higher yield, the alloy of high-load brackets and motorsport and robotics hardware, at two to three times the material cost, and it can’t be welded.
The catch most people miss: the two alloys are equally stiff and nearly the same weight. 7075 resists bending and cracking under load, not flexing. If a part deflects too much, neither alloy fixes it. The geometry has to change. The full side-by-side lives on the 6061 vs 7075 page; when the call is close, both can be quoted on the same request.
Finishes, in real detail
Anodizing is the workhorse finish, and it comes in two types. Type II is the standard protective callout, clear or black are the everyday picks, with dyed colors like red, blue, and gold available, though dye lots vary slightly between batches and shade-critical parts should say so on the print. Type III hardcoat is a thicker, tougher layer for surfaces that slide or wear; it runs darker and mutes color, so spec Type II when the exact shade matters. Both grow from the aluminum itself, so they won’t chip or peel the way paint can.
Beyond anodize: bead blasting evens out tool marks into a uniform matte and is usually the prep step before anodizing. Powder coat lays down a durable paint-grade color when you want something other than an anodized look. And as-machined is a real option, bare aluminum is fine for indoor fixtures and prototypes, and skipping finish saves a line item and a few days of lead time. Anything that lives outside, gets handled daily, or bolts to steel hardware is worth anodizing; it’s small next to the machining cost.
Questions
Before you send a job.
01 Which aluminum grade should I use?
6061 unless the stress math says otherwise, it covers most brackets, housings, and plates with room to spare, welds cleanly, and costs the least. Step up to 7075 when a part bends, cracks, or wallows out its bolt holes in 6061, accepting two to three times the material cost and no weldability. If you’re unsure, the comparison page walks through it, or note your loads in the quote and the team will flag the fit.
02 What tolerances can aluminum parts hold?
±0.005 in is routine on milled features and ±0.001 in on critical turned diameters, with tighter fits held where the print calls for them. Call out which dimensions are critical so inspection focuses where it counts, every part is checked against the print before it ships.
03 Is there a minimum order for aluminum parts?
No. One piece is a normal order, and so is a few hundred, see no minimum order. Per-piece cost falls as setup spreads across more parts, so ask for two or three quantities on one quote and you’ll see your part’s actual price curve.
04 Can aluminum parts be anodized in color?
Yes. Clear and black are the workhorses, with red, blue, gold, and other dyed colors available in Type II. Two notes: dye lots can vary slightly between batches, and Type III hardcoat runs darker and mutes color, so spec Type II when the exact shade matters. Note the target color on the print and it’s built into the quote.
05 How fast can I get a quote and the parts?
A real person sends a quote in 24-48 hours after reading your files. Standard lead time is 4-6 weeks after approval; rush is 1-2 weeks when a date won’t move. Finishes like anodize run in outside batches and add a few days, which the quote spells out.
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A quote in 24-48 hours, no minimums. Like the quote, and we’ll make your parts and ship them to you.
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