High-Quality Plating for CNC Machined Parts with Tight Tolerances

When machine shops need to achieve the tightest tolerances for parts, plating can make or break their ability to meet those specifications.

At Focused on Machining, we take this responsibility very seriously. We’ve been burned by plating shops in the past, and we won’t risk letting it happen again. That’s why we only work with the best platers in the country. 

When you need your parts plated, you can count on us to select the right vendor, manage the entire process, and get your part done right the first time. 

Why Is Plating CNC Machined Parts So Risky? 

Tolerances are always measured post-plating. So we need to consider dimensional changes that may occur during this process before we begin machining. 

Low-risk plating processes like adding a thin coating to an aluminum part won’t change the dimensions at all. But as the thickness of the plating increases, the part will inevitably grow. This growth can affect tolerances. 

During regular anodizing, platers etch the part to remove a small amount of material before anodizing it. They typically replace only the etch of the part, moving it about 10% of our total tolerance. We have enough wiggle room with our tolerances that this minor part change usually isn’t a problem. 

Hard anodizing is where plating gets really risky. The plater adds so much growth to the part that we need to account for it during machining to ensure that it’s the right dimension post-plating. 

The Problem with Standard Plating Shops 

Because plating is such a complex and scientific process, it’s difficult to get it right. 

Plating consists of taking the parts, submerging them in a tank to clean them, transferring them to a tank of hot sulfuric acid, and calculating growth based on the surface area of the part. 

But for some of the parts we make, it’s impossible to calculate the surface area. The temperature of the tank, the electricity going into the tank, and the consistency of both variables can change the growth rate of the material.

Plating shops need the right people and the right processes in place to achieve the tightest tolerances. Unfortunately, many of them have neither, so it’s impossible for them to guarantee consistency and precision. 

Focused on Machining Guarantees High-Quality Plating for CNC Machined Parts

At our Denver machine shop, we won’t send your parts to just any plating shop. We have a well-vetted supply chain of vendors that we track and rate according to key performance indicators like quality and timing. 

We’ll be honest with you, the best plating shops do have longer turnaround times of up to 6 weeks. Sometimes the cost is even a little higher. But in our experience making parts with exceptionally tight tolerances, it’s always better to get the parts right the first time. 

If we send parts to a mediocre plating shop that rushes the process, there’s a good chance they won’t achieve the right tolerances and we’ll have to redo the entire order. We’ll never charge our customers extra money to make it right. But that’s a surefire way to miss a tight deadline!

When we need to hard anodize parts with tight tolerances, we like to send them to our preferred vendor in Chicago because they do such phenomenal work. 

We recently had an order for 150 tiny parts that had through-holes with exceptionally tight tolerances. Our customer wanted the parts hard anodized, which we knew would grow the material. We reached out to our preferred plating shop in Chicago before quoting the parts to see if they could achieve those tolerances and discuss our machining approach. 

We won the order and machined the parts according to the plater’s recommendations. We sent the parts to them to be hard anodized and they completely nailed it! All 150 parts came back to exactly the way our customer needed them. 
Don’t rely on just any machine shop’s vendor supply chain. When you need parts with tight tolerances plated to perfection, send them to our Denver machine shop. Request a quote for your next project!

The Advantages of Heat Treating CNC Machined Parts

Updated for December 2024

When you need hard and strong parts for aerospace and other high-stakes applications, heat treating is a great way to save money while meeting demanding specifications. 

You don’t have to resort to an expensive metal like titanium to get the hardness and strength you’re looking for. Focused on Machining can help you select an alternate material that, post-heat treating, will have all the properties your part requires. 

Best of all, we remain true to our promise of getting you high-quality parts when YOU need them, turning around heat-treating jobs in a few short weeks. 

Why Use Heat Treated Steel or Aerospace Alloys Instead of Titanium? 

Heat-treated steel or aerospace alloys offer significant advantages over more expensive materials such as titanium, Inconel, and Monel, both in terms of cost and performance. While these premium materials can be prohibitively expensive, heat-treated options provide a cost-effective solution without sacrificing strength or hardness.

For example, the 4340 aerospace alloy, developed specifically for aircraft components, can achieve a remarkable 260,000 psi in strength after heat treatment. This makes it even stronger than titanium in many cases, providing the necessary durability and resilience for high-stress applications. Additionally, when heat treated, steel and aerospace alloys offer substantial savings—typically ranging from $2 to $5 per pound plus a reasonable lot fee of $175-$300—compared to the volatile pricing of materials like titanium post-Covid.

Not only does this approach lower material costs, but it also results in a part that can outperform more expensive alternatives in terms of strength and hardness. For industries where both performance and budget are critical, heat-treated steel or aerospace alloys represent an optimal choice.

Challenges of Heat Treating CNC Machined Parts

Many machine shops shy away from quoting jobs that require heat treating due to the complexities and risks involved in the process. It's easy to make mistakes, such as over- or under-heat treating a part, which can lead to issues with strength or brittleness. Under-heat treating can result in a part that's not strong enough for its intended application, while over-heat treating can cause the material to become too brittle, compromising its integrity.

At our Colorado machine shop, we take a different approach by using the vacuum method for heat treating. We prefer this method because it offers several distinct advantages:

• Aesthetic Appeal: Vacuum heat treating minimizes the risk of parts coming out burnt, ensuring that the finished product is visually clean and professional-looking.

• Consistency: The vacuum method delivers more consistent results, reducing the chance of contaminants or other materials being impregnated into the parts, which can sometimes happen with traditional heat treating methods.

• Readiness for Further Processing: Parts treated using the vacuum method are ready for additional forming or machining without discoloration or the need for cleaning, streamlining the production process.

By using the vacuum method, we can offer a higher level of precision and quality control, ensuring that heat-treated parts meet the exacting standards required for demanding applications.

Why Rely on Focused on Machining for Heat Treating CNC Machined Parts?

Any machine shop can offer heat treating, but that doesn’t mean they’re doing it right. Your best bet is to rely on an AS9100 machine shop like Focused on Machining that will never just place a part in the oven and hope for the best. We manage heat treating through our expert vendor network, delivering high-quality parts with fast turnaround times. Here’s what we offer our customers: 

• Tight tolerance furnaces

• Material testing and analysis 

• Certified to AMS (Aerospace Material Specifications) standards

• ISO Certified 

• NADCAP certified

Heat Treated Pins for an Aerospace Customer

We recently made these heat-treated pins for one of our aerospace machining customers. These pins are critical components as they hold together the elevators that control an aircraft's up-and-down movement. Given the importance of this part, it was essential to meet specific performance criteria: the pins needed to be stronger than the shaft they support but still designed to break away if something goes wrong.

Heat-treated 4340 alloy steel was the perfect material for this part, providing the strength the customer required while also saving them money. We turned this job around in a quick 2.5 weeks, although the heat treating alone took about 5 days! 

Don’t rely on just any precision machine shop to heat treat your CNC machined parts. Let Focused on Machining own all the behind-the-scenes work for you. We’re a one-stop shop—no matter what services you need, we will manage your full manufacturing process and deliver you a completed part. For repeat production customers, we’ll even maintain an inventory of heat-treated parts to further cut lead times. 

Request a quote today for your cost-effective, high-quality heat-treated parts.

Common Questions About Heat Treating 

What are the types of heat treatment? 

The most common types of heat treatment include annealing, normalizing, hardening, and tempering. Each process serves different purposes in modifying material properties.

What metals can be heat treated? 

Most metals can be heat-treated, although ferrous metals are the most commonly heat-treated materials.

Can aluminum be heat-treated? 

Certain aluminum alloys can be heat-treated, but pure aluminum cannot be heat-treated.

Can stainless steel be heat-treated? 

Yes, stainless steel can be heat treated, but the process is somewhat complex due to its chromium content. Different stainless steel grades respond differently to heat treatment.

What is the heat-treating process for CNC machined parts? 

The heat-treating process varies depending on the type of heat treatment chosen and the specifics of the part. In general, it typically involves careful temperature control and proper fixturing to minimize distortion.

Should machining be done before or after heat treatment? 

Both options are possible, and several key factors will dictate whether heat treating before or after machining is optimal for a given project. Heat treating after machining, for instance, allows easier and faster machining, but there is a greater risk of distortion during heat treatment. 

What are the disadvantages of heat treatment? 

Heat treatment can add to processing time, and there are risks of complications such as distortion.

How much does heat treating cost? 

Pricing is dependent on factors such as part size, material type, treatment type, and complexity. Ultimately, pricing will vary from vendor to vendor.

How to Select the Right Material for Your CNC Machined Part

Last updated June 2025

Are you selecting the right materials for your CNC machined parts? You may be overlooking cost-effective alternatives that can satisfy part requirements.

Material affects everything from the design to the strength to the function of a part, so it’s important to get it right. Engineers can make educated decisions about material type, but a machine shop with deep knowledge of material properties can be a great resource for determining the ideal material. Form, function, and even availability are all important factors.

When you request a quote from Focused on Machining, our Colorado machine shop will provide expert material recommendations to reduce cost and lead time while ensuring the integrity of your part. But before we tell you how we can help, let’s bust some common myths about material selection.

Busting Common Myths About Materials in Precision Machining

Myth #1: Aluminum isn’t very strong.

There’s a popular misconception that aluminum is a weak material, but there are many different grades and some are incredibly strong! Engineers tend to default to steel (or even titanium for aerospace applications) without realizing that aluminum is a cheaper option that can often get the job done.

Recently, one of our aerospace customers sought out our CNC machining services for a 4130 alloy steel part. After discussing the stresses and forces that would be applied to the part, we determined that an aerospace grade 7075 aluminum would satisfy their part requirements, which saved on cost and cut back lead time for the parts.

Myth #2: 4000 series alloys are only for aerospace applications.

The common assumption in the design world is that 4000 series alloys are only used for aerospace machining. In reality, many of our non-aerospace customers take advantage of the impressive properties of these metals. Across the board, 4000 series alloys have a better strength ratio than carbon steel. They don’t rust easily, and they’re readily available due to the large volume of aerospace work in the United States.

Myth #3: General terms are sufficient when discussing materials.

Did you know that there are well over a dozen different grades of aluminum? There are also many types of titanium, all with varying specifications and properties. Providing the general material type when you request a quote isn’t enough. We’ll want to drill down into the details to make sure we select the specific grade that’s perfect for your part.

Myth #4: 304 stainless steel is always your cheapest option.

Many engineers know they want a 300 series stainless steel for their part and default to 304 because it’s the least expensive off the shelf. 

But that upfront material cost can be misleading. 304 is notoriously difficult to machine due to its gummy characteristics, which slow production and drive up costs. 

In many cases, 303 is the better choice. It’s less gummy than 304, and can be cut more easily, resulting in lower overall manufacturing costs—even when raw material prices are slightly higher.

Another option is 316 stainless steel, which is ideal for highly corrosive environments or food-grade applications. Though it's harder than 304, its consistent machinability allows us to run jobs efficiently.

If you’re considering a 300 series stainless steel but don’t have a strong preference between grades, ask us! We’re happy to recommend the best fit based on your part’s needs.

Myth #5: Titanium can’t be machined at a reasonable cost.

Titanium has a reputation for being costly and hard to machine—but that can be heavily dependent on the shop you use. With the right tooling, speeds, and experience, titanium machining can be effective and affordable.

Many customers don’t realize titanium also supports outside processes like anodizing, which can enhance its strength and durability, making it an even more versatile option.

How Focused on Machining Helps with Material Selection

There’s no need for guesswork when a skilled CNC machine shop helps you select the right material for your part. 

Here’s what you can expect when you work with our team: 

• Unparalleled knowledge. We know a lot about metal! Our team understands material specifications and properties to make the best recommendation every time.

• Years of experience. We’ve made thousands of parts over the years and have experience working with many materials.

• Insight into material availability. Why put time and energy into selecting the perfect material only to find out that it’s nearly impossible to procure? Rely on us to help you choose a comparable material that’s easy to find or that can be purchased in the right quantity for your order.

The next time you need a part made, let Focused on Machining help with material selection. Request a quote today and we’ll respond within 24 hours.

4 Smart Ways to Reduce Weight in Aerospace Manufacturing

Updated in December 2024

Weight reduction is an important consideration when designing and building parts for the aerospace industry. But engineers don’t always need to rely on sharp corners and tiny radii to meet these crucial specifications. The tooling required to machine unique geometries is often expensive and time-consuming—if it even exists at all. 

How can aerospace engineers reduce weight in parts and components without increasing cost and lead time? A simple conversation with this Colorado machine shop can help you find a solution. Here are some of the tips we give aerospace engineers to reduce weight in their initial designs. 

Weight Reduction Tips That Won’t Increase Cost or Lead Time 

Focused on Machining has extensive experience manufacturing high-quality, custom-machined parts and components for aerospace industry customers, so we encounter weight reduction challenges all the time. We’ve found several precision machining strategies for reducing weight that make life easier for engineers and machine shops:

1. Avoid small pockets. When a design includes shapes with sharp corners, such as triangles or squares, the inside pockets are often so tiny that it takes us up to 25 minutes to tool a single shape. Just think of all the milling required! If small pockets are absolutely necessary for your design, a drill hole is a much faster option that often accomplishes the same goal. 

2. Stick to circular shapes. If you don’t need a special shape, don’t use one. Circular shapes are almost always easier and faster for us to drill than anything with sharp corners. 

3. Use a standard wall thickness. Decreasing wall thickness from 0.06” to 0.03” may seem like a simple way to reduce weight, but you’ll pay more for this non-standard size. Eliminating a fraction of a pound usually isn’t worth the extra cost when there are better ways to drop ounces.

4. Increase the radius. A tiny radius can have a big impact on the amount of time it takes for us to create a pocket. If you’re designing a square pocket for weight reduction purposes, include at least a ⅛” radius. Any opportunity for us to use a ¼” tool cuts cost and lead time significantly.

BONUS TIP: In general, you can save production time and part costs by designing weight-reduction features specifically for manufacturability. For these non-functional features, specify looser tolerances like ±0.015" and rougher surface finishes with an RA of 63 or 125 microinches (µin). This simple change can potentially reduce machining time by 50% without any effect on the part's performance.

Focused on Machining Case Study

We recently received a design featuring pockets with sharp corners and a tiny radius. We knew that machining these pockets would be time-consuming and labor-intensive. We’d have to machine out a large portion with a big tool and then use a small radius tool to meet the specifications. 

How did we solve this problem? 

First, we contacted the customer to discuss their design. When we determined that the pockets were for weight reduction only, we increased the size of the radius and reduced labor time by nearly 10 minutes per pocket. And yes, we still achieved the weight the customer needed!

There will always be parts—in aerospace machining or otherwise—that require sharp-cornered pockets, 0.03” wall thicknesses, or tiny radii. If these specifications are key features of your part, we’ll absolutely take the time to machine the precise pockets you need. But when weight reduction is your goal, let’s figure out how to cut costs and lead time as much as possible.

Are you searching for the right  AS9100 machine shop for your next aerospace project? Look no further! We offer a range of capabilities with different aerospace materials, including nitronic 60, titanium, and Inconel machining.  

Request a quote today and we’ll be glad to assist you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is lightweighting in manufacturing?

Lightweighting is an approach that aims to reduce the weight of a product while maintaining or improving performance or functionality. 

What are the benefits of lightweighting in aerospace manufacturing?

There are a variety of benefits, including:

• Improved performance and increased payload capacity

• Reduced fuel load requirements

• Reduced emissions from more efficient engine operation

• Lower costs through reduced raw material usage

What materials are common in aerospace manufacturing?

Aerospace manufacturing uses a variety of materials, including aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, composite materials, steel alloys, and more.

What are lightweight metals?

Among the most common lightweight metals in manufacturing are aluminum, titanium, and magnesium.

What are some common design strategies for lightweighting aerospace parts? 

5 important strategies are to avoid small pockets, stick to circular shapes, use a standard wall thickness, increase your radii, and specify loose tolerances for weight reduction features.

Want Accurate Quotes? Avoid RFQs for Prototype and Production at the Same Time

When you’re requesting a quote for a prototype part, you may be tempted to ask your machine shop to provide a production quote simultaneously. Understandably, it can be helpful to know the cost of manufacturing larger quantities up front. But there’s one small (but often costly) problem:

It’s virtually impossible for manufacturers to accurately quote production before building a prototype. 

In fact, when machine shops delay quoting production volumes until after a prototype has been made, customers typically get the benefits of faster lead times and lower costs.

The Disadvantages of Quoting Prototype and Production Simultaneously

The bottom line is that it’s already challenging for manufacturers to estimate the cost of a part that they haven’t made before—and almost impossible to tell how the price will vary if we’re making 1,000 of that same part. When we quote a prototype part for the first time, we’re inevitably making educated assumptions about setup time, run time, inspection time, outside processing, and other factors that impact the end estimate. 

While these assumptions are to be expected for a prototype quote, our goal is to have as much information as possible before giving our customers a production quote. Quoting prototype and production simultaneously increases the likelihood of receiving an inaccurate production quote: 

• More often than not, the production quote is too high, because anytime a machine shop makes educated assumptions, they need to estimate conservatively 

• If for any reason the quote is too low, the shop will have to revise for production volumes and provide a new quote anyway

However, once we’ve built a prototype part, we have a much better idea of the cost that goes into making that part. And chances are we’ll have identified areas where we can improve efficiency and save you money on production runs.

The Best Way to Quote Prototype and Production

At Focused on Machining, we’re committed to efficiency and accuracy—not only in the parts we build, but in the quotes we provide to our valued customers.

Instead of rushing to put a production quote on paper immediately, your best bet is to let us get to work on the prototype first. We want to turn around your prototype parts as soon as possible. You’ll have your prototype in 2-3 weeks for testing; and once we know how to make it, we’ll provide you with an extremely detailed production quote. 

In other words, you’ll only have to wait a few weeks to receive your production quote, and you’ll know that the quote you get is extremely accurate (and may even save you money).

We do recommend that you tell us up front if you want a production quote—even though we won’t provide it immediately. If we know that you plan to order hundreds of parts following the prototype, we’ll be on the lookout for ways to streamline our processes specifically for production, resulting in shorter lead times and lower costs for you. 

If you need to get parts quoted for prototype, production, or both, turn to a trusted machine shop like Focused on Machining in Denver, CO that prioritizes accuracy and precision every step of the way. Request a quote today.

The Value of Working with an ISO-Certified Machine Shop

If you’re looking to get the most value out of a machine shop vendor—everything from quality and efficiency to traceability and documentation—your best bet is to select a machine shop that’s ISO-certified. Even if your industry doesn’t require it. 

ISO certification is the difference between working with a shop that flies by the seat of its pants and one that has a clear set of documented procedures to satisfy the highest possible industry standards. 

And if you’re thinking that this means paying more for a part, think again. Yes, it’s true that many ISO-certified manufacturers charge extra. But our Denver machine shop’s philosophy is that ISO certification shouldn’t come at any additional expense to customers. 

So whether you’re in an industry like defense where material traceability is essential, or a different commercial industry where standards aren’t as strict, you’ll benefit from Focused on Machining’s integrated ISO process. 

What is an ISO Certification?

An ISO certification ensures that a machine shop has developed, implemented, and maintains a quality management system conforming to a set of requirements defined by International Standards.

Focused on Machining is ISO 9001:2015 certified to provide manufactured components, which means that we: 

• Develop and document all processes 

• Provide traceability for materials and processes 

• Regularly self-audit and submit to external audits.

View or download our ISO certification here.

The documentation process that ISO-certified shops must follow creates standard procedures for key tasks involved in completing a manufacturing project. It makes each of the following processes easily repeatable with the goal of improving quality and efficiency: 

• Quoting

• Ordering and receiving materials

• Production

• Quality assurance

• Shipping

How We Run an Efficient ISO Process to Reduce Customer Costs

Although ISO requirements are strict, the reality is that implementation is often messy and time-consuming. Paper folders and handwritten information will satisfy documentation requirements, but they aren’t exactly a model of efficiency. And yet that’s how many shops are still handling ISO implementation. 

The big thing that sets our ISO process apart from other Colorado machine shops—and helps us keep costs down—is that we do everything digitally.

Our ISO checklist is embedded into the software we use. Digitally automating the ISO process takes the burden off our plates so that we can focus our time and resources elsewhere. Everything is accounted for, including: 

• Customer orders and quoting. When you request a quote, all data uploaded is secure and encrypted. It’s stored on servers designed to host sensitive data, regulated workloads, and address the most stringent U.S. government security and compliance requirements. 

• Manufacturing parts. We build parts digitally and store all relevant information in one place: customer data, materials we need to order, outside processes, and anything the machinists need to know. Our digital briefs replicate information automatically in the case of repeat production. 

• Inspection. We upload inspection results directly into our digital system. If you have an issue with a part down the road, we can go back years to provide any documentation you may need. All documentation is broken down into two pages for ultimate convenience and simplicity.

Benefits of Choosing an ISO-Certified Manufacturer (Even If You Don’t Need Documentation)

Simply put, ISO-certified manufacturers adhere to the highest possible standards. And since our streamlined system helps us reduce costs, we can offer our customers more for their dollar than other machine shops in Colorado.  

Whether you need documentation or not, you’ll enjoy these benefits when you work with Focused on Machining: 

• Advanced traceability. Traceability may only be essential for industries like defense and aerospace, but it’s still valuable in other commercial industries. We recently had a food and beverage customer ask about plating and material makeup for their parts. Thanks to our ISO process, we were able to easily pull up documentation and provide full traceability. 

• Lower risk. Since everything we do is process-driven, there’s a lot less room for error. You can trust us to get your quote right and deliver parts on time because we keep everything well-organized in our digital system. 

• Better customer service. Our efficient processes free us up to focus on what matters most: manufacturing high-quality parts to satisfy our customers. And if there’s ever an issue, we can troubleshoot it quickly and easily.

Next time you need a new part, Focused on Machining can provide you with exceptional results you won’t get anywhere else. Request a quote using our secure part upload form and we’ll respond within 24 hours.