DE S IG N G U I D E

CNC Machining
Design Guide - CNC Machining

Table of Contents
2 Overview Holes
What is CNC machining? Standard Drill Sizes
CNC Milling Machines Hole Depth to Diameter Ratio
CNC Lathes Other Hole Design Tips
Pockets and Cavities
5 CNC Manufacturing Standards Wall Thickness
General Manufacturing Standards Threads & Tapped Holes
General Tolerances Embossed & Engraved Text
Part Tolerances Undercuts
Size Limitations
Mill Parts 19 Materials and Post-Processing
Lathe Parts Metal Materials
Material Blank Size Plastic & Composite Materials
Inserts
10 Design Guidelines Part Markings
Part Complexity Finishes
Fillets
Inside Corner Fillets 24 Additional Resources
Floor Fillets Quick Design Reference Chart
Additional Resources at Xometry

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CNC MACHINING

Overview

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Introduction

What is CNC Machining?

CNC (Computer Numerical Controlled) Machining is a means to remove material using high speed,
precision machines that use a wide variety of cutting tools to create the final design. CAM (computer
aided manufacturing) software, in conjunction with the CAD (computer aided design) model provided
by the customer, is used to program the instructions the machines will use to produce parts.

Because a computer controls the machine’s movement, the horizontal, vertical, and rotational axes
can all move simultaneously to create everything from simple straight lines to complex geometric
shapes. However, despite advancements in tooling and CNC controls, some limitations still exist in
CNC machining, and not all profiles and features can be created. These limitations will be discussed
later in this guide.

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Introduction

What is CNC Machining?

CNC Milling Machines CNC Lathes

With CNC mills, parts are manufactured by holding down the stock Complex cylindrical shapes can be manufactured more cost effectively
material or workpiece to the machine bed while a fast-turning spindle using a CNC lathe versus a 3 or 5-axis CNC milling machine. With
holding the cutting tool removes material. Horizontal and vertical a CNC lathe, the part stock turns while the cutting tools remain
movements of the spindle and bed are used to manipulate the stationary. To create the geometry of a part, the CNC computer
workpiece’s position, allowing various shapes and depths to be cut. controls the rotational speed of the stock, as well as the movement
In machines with an additional axis of control, such as the rotary axis and feed rates of the stationary tools. If square features are required
in 5-axis machines, the tooling can access multiple faces and hard-to- on an otherwise round part, typically, the round geometry is created
reach areas to create complex features with reduced setups. first using a lathe, then the part is moved to a milling machine to
create the square features. Lathes with live or driven tools take
exception to this and can perform certain milling operations such as
drilling, slotting, and tapping within the lathe itself.

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CNC MACHINING

CNC Machining
Standards

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CNC Machining Standards

General Manufacturing Standards

Unless otherwise specified, Xometry
manufactures CNC machined components to the
following standards:

• As-machined surface finish is 125 Ra or

better. Machine tool marks may leave a
swirl-like pattern.

• Sharp edges will be broken and deburred by

default. Critical edges that must be left sharp
should be noted and specified on a print.

• Clear or transparent plastics will be matte

or have translucent swirl marks on any
machined face. Bead blasting will leave a
frosted finish on clear plastics.

• Tolerances on foam or similar compressible

materials cannot be guaranteed.

A part with a standard finish, cleaned and deburred. Milling and tool marks may be visible with a 125µin Ra finish.

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CNC Machining Standards

General Tolerances
Tolerance is the acceptable range for a dimension which is determined by the designer based on
the form, fit, and function of a part. Unless specifically called out by the designer, Xometry will follow
industry standard ISO 2768 tolerances listed below:

Dimensional Tolerance
For features of size (length, width, height, diameter) and location
(position, concentricity, symmetry): +/- 0.005”

• For features of orientation (parallelism and perpendicularity) and form (cylindrical, flatness,
circularity, and straightness), apply tolerances as follows:

Part Length Orientation and Form Tolerance Angularity Tolerance

0”-12” ± 0.005” ± 0.5 Degree

Did you know...
A piece of printer paper is
about 0.004” thick!
12” - 24” ± 0.010” ± 0.5 Degree

Note: These tolerances apply to machined metal components.

24” - 36” ± 0.016” (1/64”) ± 1.0 Degree The tolerance for plastic and composite materials is typically
double that of metal.

36” - 60” ± 0.031” (1/32”) ± 1.0 Degree If tighter tolerances (less than the standard, e.g. +/-.002”) are
required, information regarding which dimensions require
tighter tolerances must be communicated. A technical drawing
or specification sheet is the best way to share this information.
Over 60” ± 0.063” (1/16”) ± 1.0 Degree

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CNC Machining Standards

Tight Tolerances
General tolerances for CNC machining are
typically ± 0.005”. Tight tolerances typically
describe tolerances smaller than the general
standard. With CNC machining, we can achieve
tolerances as tight as ± 0.001”. With specialized
setups and additional operations such as
reaming, grinding, etc., even tighter tolerances
are possible for some features depending on the
material and part geometry. Overall geometric
tolerances (GD&T) can also be applied to the
drawing for the part; however, these may lead
to longer inspection times due to the tools and
time required to check them.

While tighter tolerances can benefit a part’s

form, fit, and function, some disadvantages go Pro Tip:
along with them. Tighter tolerances can lead to To help minimize cost and lead time, apply tight or
higher scrap rates, additional fixturing, special geometric tolerances exclusively to critical areas and
only specify what is required to meet your part’s form,
measurement tools, and longer cycle times from fit, and function.
slower cutting speeds, all of which can cause
pricing and lead times to increase. Depending on
the tolerance call out and its geometry, the part
cost can be more than double what it would be
with a standard tolerance.

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CNC Machining Standards

Size Limitations
Milled Parts Lathe Parts
Part size is limited to the machine’s capabilities Xometry’s capabilities allow for turned parts up
and depth of cut required by a part’s features. to 32” (813mm) in diameter and 62” (1,575mm)
Xometry can typically mill parts up to 80” x 48” in length. In addition to standard 2-axis lathes,
x 24” (2,032 x 1,219 x 610 mm). The features Xometry’s manufacturing facilities utilize
and size of each unique part will determine specialized equipment such as live tooling
that part’s machinable height. If your part systems, multi-spindle machines, and swiss
goes beyond 24” in machinable height, it lathes, which are great for producing lathe parts
will require an additional manual review for with milled features or small, delicate features.
manufacturability.

Material Blank Size

“Material blank” or simply “blank” refers to the size of the raw material used to create the finished
part. Blanks typically need to be slightly larger than the finished part’s measurements to allow for
variations in the raw material and to cut away the rough faces of the raw material. For example, if the
final dimensions are to be 1” x 1” x 1”, then a suitable blank for the part would be roughly 1.125” x
1.125” x 1.125”.

Designers should keep blank sizes in mind when designing their parts. Optimizing your design
to allow for smaller and standardized blank sizes is a good way of reducing part cost and waste.
Remember that some blank sizes are more common in particular materials than others.

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CNC MACHINING

Design Guidelines

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Design Guidelines

Part Complexity
Part Complexity
CNC machining can effectively produce highly
complex designs; however, that does not mean
you should not strive to simplify your designs.
A part with contoured geometry or multiple
faces that need to be cut will typically take
longer to machine and thus have a higher cost
when compared to a piece that only requires
one setup and three axes (X, Y, and the tool
movement of the Z). Minimal cuts are made
with small tools to create a complex curved
surface with a suitable surface finish. These tiny
cuts take significantly longer to machine than
the more significant cuts that can be made on
broader or planar geometries, increasing the
cost.

To help minimize cost and machining time, try

to design parts using on-axis planes as much
as possible. Avoid unnecessary draft angles
and contoured or organically shaped geometry.
Minimizing feature variations, such as internal
corner radii and tapped holes, will also help
reduce tool changes, thus further saving time
and cost through a simplified design.

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Design Guidelines

Fillets
When using a CNC vertical or horizontal milling machine, interior vertical walls cannot be left sharp and
will be machined with a radius. Radii must be present because the material is removed using a round tool
spinning at high RPMs. Part designers must consider where radii will occur due to this limitation.

Inside Corner Fillets

Pro Tip:
When it comes to inside corner fillets, the radii Use a radius 1.3 times the radius of the closest standard
size is key. Sizing corner radii appropriately can tool size and aim for a radii-to-depth ratio of 1:4 for
pocket radii.
improve not only cutting efficiency and cost
but quality as well. Consider the following for
internal corner radii in your designs:
Floor Fillets
• Use a radius that does not correlate with
Generally speaking, floor fillets can be time-
standard tool sizes
consuming and difficult to machine and thus
Larger radii also enable bigger tools for
• Radii should be above 1/32” should be avoided unless vital to your part’s
machining the parts that remove more material
form and function. When creating a floor radius
• Use as large a radius as possible with each cut, reducing machine time and
that meets a corner, it is much easier to machine
overall cost. When the cut’s depth exceeds two
• Avoid small, deep radii if the floor radius is smaller than the wall radius.
times the diameter of the cutting tool, the tool’s
By having the floor radius smaller than the wall
Most cutting tools come in standard fractional feed rate must slow down, increasing the cycle
radius, the same tool can be used to remove the
sizes, such as ¼”, ⅛”, etc. Avoid these standard time and part cost. Though small radius tools
material, which creates a smooth flow through
sizes; if the tool radii match the designed corner (down to a .015” radius) are available, sometimes
the corner.
radii, it will not have the proper clearance to turn the depth of cut required makes it impossible
into the cut. Instead, the tool must come to a because the tool is not manufactured in the
complete stop, pivot 90 degrees, then resume required length. Even if the tool exists, the part Pro Tip:
For better manufacturability of floor fillets, use a
cutting. These abrupt cutting paths reduce cost will increase significantly due to the extra
standard bull nose mill radius.
efficiency and lead to quality issues such as manufacturing time required to machine a part
chatter. using only minuscule cuts.

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Design Guidelines

Holes
Holes are typically created using drill bits that plunge into the workpiece to remove material. Drilling
is a fast and efficient method of creating holes and is what most machinists will defer to when
they can. More significant or oddly sized holes can be made via helical milling with an endmill, but
this is slower and less efficient than drilling methods. In either case, designers should make a few
considerations when designing holes in their parts.

Standard Drill Sizes Hole Depth to Diameter Ratios

Pro Tip:
Designers should become familiar with standard As the depth of a hole increases, so does the Pick hole sizes that work universally. Lowering hole size
drill bit sizes and design holes to match, allowing manufacturing difficulty. Excessively deep and variation means the same tool can be used for multiple
features, reducing cycle time and cost.
fast drilling and accurate hole sizes. Non- narrow holes can lead to manufacturing issues
standard sizes may require expensive custom such as tool breakage, drill walking, and chip
tooling or additional passes with endmills evacuation issues, among others. Hole depth
and reamers to achieve the dimension, which to diameter should be kept as low as possible. Pro Tip:
Keep your drill hole diameter-to-depth ratio below
increases cycle time. Drill sizes usually come in Holes with significant depth-to-diameter ratios
1:10 for manufacturability. Even better is a time and
conventional fractions of an inch, such as 1/8”, may require specialized tooling, such as gun cost-saving ratio of 1:4. For example, a 0.250” diameter
1/4”, or whole numbers of millimeters. drilling, to achieve the geometry. drilled hole at 1” deep is optimal, while a depth of 2.5” is
achievable.

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Design Guidelines

Holes
Other Hole Design Tips
Here are some other quick tips and considerations you can follow to improve hole manufacturability
of your parts:

• Avoid partial (e.g., on edge) holes; these are difficult to

manufacture. If necessary, keep at least 75% of the hole
inside the part edge.

• Keep holes and pockets at least 1/32” (0.030”) from walls

to avoid defects in metal parts. This value doubles for
milled plastic or composite materials.

• Keep the hole axis perpendicular to the surface; avoid

drilling on sloped or curved surfaces. Adding a flat to
curved surfaces where the hole is will ensure the drill
enters perpendicularly.

• Use through holes over blind holes when possible; they

are more accessible to machine, ream, and tap.

• If you need to use blind holes, add 25% additional depth

than you require to account for drill points and chip
evacuation.

• Avoid designing holes that intersect with cavities, which

can lead to manufacturing issues. If an intersection is
unavoidable, keep the center of the drill axis away from
the cavity.

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Design Guidelines

Pockets and Cavities

Pockets and excessively deep cavities can pose manufacturing issues such as tool deflection, chip
evacuation problems, and tool breakage. Cavities greater than six times deep than they are wide are
considered too deep; the ideal width-to-depth ratio is D < 4*W.

If you require deeper cavities, consider using a variable cavity width that is wider at the top allowing
for better tool access at the bottom.

Pro Tip:
When a straight rectangular part will be assembled
into a cavity, and a sharp corner is desired, adding
corner reliefs or dog bone cuts is better than using a
small radius.

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Design Guidelines

Threads and Tapped Holes

There are several ways to create threads in a part: cut taps, form taps, or thread mills. All of these
methods are effective, but designers should keep the following in mind:

• Only thread to the length necessary; going beyond twice the hole diameter is not usually needed
for metals. Deep, threaded holes can increase the part cost as specialized tooling may be required
to meet the depth requirements.

• Consider using threaded inserts for softer materials such as aluminum or plastics.

• Always choose the largest thread size allowed by design—making the manufacturing process
more manageable.

• The smaller the tap, the greater the chance it will break during production. Threads below M2 in
size become risky to form due to a high potential for tool breakage.

• Avoid using uncommon or custom thread specifications; these may require costly taps or custom
tools.

• For blind holes, add an unthreaded length of at least half the diameter of the hole after the
thread to allow for tap lead and chip evacuation. It is not necessary to design a drill relief into the
3D model but should be called out as allowable on a technical drawing.

• Add threads to your quote and attach a specified drawing to communicate your requirements.
Drawing specifications should fully define the tapped feature, including thread type, hole size and
depth, and any blending treatment, such as countersinks.

Please see a list of Xometry’s supported threads on our Support page here.

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Design Guidelines

Wall Thickness and Machined Text

Wall Thickness
Walls should be kept thick enough to ensure strength and rigidity. When thicknesses become
excessively thin, they are prone to warping, breakthrough, and general failure when under stress.
Additionally, as rigidity is lost, vibrations from the machining process can result in chatter, forcing
the machinist to slow things down to mitigate this issue. It is also more difficult to maintain accuracy
when cutting walls that are not rigid enough due to being too thin.

Minimum wall thickness should correspond with the following:

• Metal Materials: 0.030” (0.762mm)

• Plastic & Composite Materials: 0.060” (1.52mm)

Machined Text
Machined text can be designed in one of two ways: embossed text that rises above the surface
or engraved text that sits below the surface. Of these methods, we recommend creating text as
engraved instead of embossed. Engraving requires minimal material removal, unlike embossing,
which involves a large amount of material removal adjacent to the text to create the embossed effect.
If you do not require machined markings, consider laser marking as an alternative method for adding
text to your part.

Pro Tip:

Use 20-point sans serif fonts and remember any sharp internal edges of characters will

be machined with a radius.

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Design Guidelines

Undercuts
Some features cannot be reached by a standard
machining tool, thus creating an undercut region
on the part. Care must be taken when designing
an undercut for two reasons:

First, suppose the feature dimension does not

correlate to a standard cutter size. In that case,
the undercut may require creating a costly
custom tool, causing part cost and lead time to
increase significantly— especially if only a few
parts are to be manufactured. If a standard
radius were to be used, the price is greatly
reduced since standardized tooling can be used.

Second, there are limits to the cut depth due

to the tool’s construction (typically a keyseat
cutter, a horizontal cutting blade attached to
a vertical shaft). There is no “standard depth”
for undercuts, but the shallower the better.
Designing undercuts in accessible places is
also critical. The figure to the right depicts an
undercut feature that cannot be manufactured
via a machining process

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CNC MACHINING

Materials and
Post-Processing

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Materials and Post-Processing

Standard Materials
Material selection is critical in determining a part’s overall functionality and cost. The designer
must determine the material characteristics key to the part’s design – hardness, rigidity, chemical
resistance, heat treatability, thermal stability, etc. Xometry machines a wide variety of metal and
plastic materials, listed below, and other custom materials upon request.

Material type is a critical driver in determining

the overall cost of a part. Plastics and softer
metals (e.g. aluminum and brass) in general
machine easily and subsequently require less
machine time, reducing the cost of machining.
Harder materials like stainless steel and carbon
Metal Materials Plastic & Composite Materials
steel must be machined with slower spindle
• Aluminum • ABS • Polypropylene
RPMs and machine feed rates which makes for
• Brass • Acetal (Delrin®) • PTFE longer cycle times over the softer materials. As a
• Bronze • Acrylic • PVC baseline estimate, aluminum will machine about

• Copper • Garolite • UHMW PE 4 times faster than carbon steel, and stainless
steel will machine half as fast as carbon steel.
• Carbon Steel • HDPE • Ultem
• Stainless Steel • Nylon • Other custom Plastic can be a less expensive alternative to
plastics
• Nitronic 60 • PEEK metal if a part’s design does not require the

• Titanium • Polycarbonate rigidity of metal. Polyethylene, for example, is

easy to machine and is about 1/3 the cost of
• Other custom metals
6061 aluminum.

Note: Depending on a part’s geometry, tight tolerances can

be harder to hold with plastics. Parts may also warp after
machining due to the stress created when material is removed.

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Materials and Post-Processing

Inserts
Inserts are a common method for creating
strong, reliable threads in parts. They are
especially useful in softer materials such as
aluminum or plastics, where tapped threads
are more prone to wear and tear. If you require
inserts, be sure to list the number of inserts
required per part on your quote. Xometry and its
manufacturing partners regularly install inserts
such as:

• Helical Inserts

• Key-Locking Inserts

• Press-Fit Inserts

• Heat-Set Inserts

• Tapping Inserts

When designing for inserts, follow the guidelines

specified by the instructions included with the Pro Tip:
off-the-shelf inserts. Make sure to note the part Do not upload your CAD model with inserts included
as an assembly; machinists will defer to technical
SKU and install direction in an accompanying drawings for insert callouts. Embedding inserts into
print for reference. your CAD file can cause problems with instant quoting
and CNC programming.

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Materials and Post-Processing

Part Markings
Part marking is a great way to add high-contrast markings, part numbers, logos, and more. The table
below compares the different types of marking methods we offer.

Marking Method Common Uses Pros Cons

• Graphics
• Color Variety • More costly at lower quantities
• Logos
Silk Screen • Crisp Detail • Susceptible to wear/fading over
• Text
• Works on a variety of materials time
• Multi-color markings

• Part Numbers • Low Cost • Limited to characters and numbers

Ink Stamp
• Serialization • Little to no impact on lead time • Generally less crisp

• Graphics
Laser Marking and • Extremely durable markings
• Part Numbers • Cannot produce colored markings
Engraving • Crisp Detail
• Text

• Serialization • Very low cost

Bag and Tag • Part Numbers • Can speed up inventory and • Non-permanent solution

• Bulk packaging receiving processes

NOTE: For markings with special font, graphics or logos, please provide artwork files in the form of a vector file such as a DXF; pixelated or raster files are not suitable.

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Materials and Post-Processing

Finishes
Applying a finish to your CNC machined parts can not only improve their cosmetic appeal but
also provide surface protection and increased performance. Below you will find some of the post-
processing options and finishes we offer.

Anodizing Metal Plating Adhesives and Coatings Conversion and Pretreatments

• Type II Anodize • Electroless Nickel • Black Oxide • Chem Film

• Type III Hard coat • Zinc • Dry Film Lubricants • Chromate

• Type III w/ PTFE • Gold • Powder Coating • Conversion Coating

• Silver • Wet Paint • Heat Treat

• Case Harden

• Passivation

• Pickle and Oil

• Bead Blasting

• Electropolishing

• Etching

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CNC MACHINING

Additional Resources
at Xometry

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 Design Feature Guideline Comments
References

Quick Design Interior Corner Fillet

R depth ÷ R edge ≤ 4
R edge = 1.3 * R tool
The larger the radii, the lower
the cost

Reference Chart Floor Fillet Less than wall radii

Increase manufacturability using
standard ball nose mill sizes

Hole Diameter-to-
Less than 1:10 A ratio of 1:4 is optimal
Depth Ratio

Consider using inserts for

Thread Depth Length < 2 * Diameter
plastics

Add an unthreaded depth

Additional Hole equal to 50% the hole Allows room for tool leads and
Depth diameter after threads or chip evacuation
inserts

Cavity Width-to- Use corner reliefs where tight

Depth < 4 * Width
Depth Ratio assembly fits are needed

Avoid designing walls at

Metals ≥ 0.030”
Wall Thickness minimum thickness, thicker is
Plastics ≥ 0.060”
better

Use machine engraved text

Machined Text 20pt + Sans-Serif instead of embossed text for
lower costs

Use chamfers instead of fillets

Edge Chamher 45°
for edge breaks to lower cost

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References

Additional Resources at Xometry

Online Instant Quoting Other CNC Machining Resources
• Web: Upload your CAD file at xometry.com/quoting/home/ • Standard Threads

• Accepted file types: STEP (.step, .stp), SOLIDWORKS (.sldprt), Mesh (.stl), Parasolid • Standard Inserts
(.x_t, .x_b), DXF (.dxf), Autodesk Inventor (.ipt), Dassault Systems (.3dxml, .catpart),
• How to Choose the Right CNC Material for
PTC, Siemens (.prt), ACIS (.sat)
Your Part
• Other Capabilities:
• Choosing the Right Finish for Your CNC
Machined Parts

• Video: How to Create a Technical Drawing for

CNC Machining
CNC Sheet Metal 3D Printing Urethane Injection Die-Casting
Machining Fabrication Casting Molding
• Manufacturing Standards

Metal Laser Tube Tube Bending Metal and More!

Extrusion Cutting Stamping

Live Support
• Hours: M-F 8AM-10PM EST, Sat.-Sun. 9AM - 5PM EST

• Email: [email protected]

• Phone: (240) 252-1138

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