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Process Capabilities Overview
Comparison table of size range, tolerances, surface roughness, and minimum features for each process — essential for engineer selection.
Process Comparison Table
| Process | Max Size | Typical Tolerance | Surface Roughness | Min Feature | Batch Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Axis CNC Milling | 1500×1000×500 | ±0.05mm | Ra 1.6 μm | Φ0.5mm Drilling | 1 – 5,000 |
| 5-Axis CNC Milling | 1000×800×600 | ±0.01mm | Ra 0.4 μm | Φ0.3mm Ball End Mill | 1 – 5,000 |
| CNC Turning | Φ400 × 1500 | ±0.01mm | Ra 0.8 μm | Φ0.5mm | 1 – 100,000 |
| SLA 3D Printing | 800×600×400 | ±0.1mm | Ra 6.3 μm | 0.4mm Wall Thickness | 1 – 100 |
| SLS 3D Printing | 700×380×580 | ±0.3% / ±0.3mm | Ra 12.5 μm | 0.7mm Wall Thickness | 1 – 200 |
| MJF 3D Printing | 380×284×380 | ±0.3% / ±0.3mm | Ra 10 μm | 0.5mm Wall Thickness | 1 – 1,000 |
| DMLS / SLM Metal | 400×400×400 | ±0.1mm | Ra 6-10 μm | 0.4mm Wall Thickness | 1 – 200 |
| Sheet Metal | 4000×1500 | ±0.1mm | Mill Finish | Thickness × 1.0 Bend R | 1 – 10,000 |
| Injection Molding (Soft Tool) | Part Weight ≤ 2kg | ±0.05mm | VDI/Texture/Mirror | 0.6mm Wall Thickness | 100 – 50,000 |
| Injection Molding (Hard Tool) | Part Weight ≤ 5kg | ±0.03mm | VDI/Texture/Mirror | 0.4mm Wall Thickness | 1k – 1M+ |
| Vacuum Casting | 500×500×500 | ±0.3mm | Injection-like | 0.75mm Wall Thickness | 1 – 50 |
| Die Casting (Al/Zn) | Part Weight ≤ 8kg | ±0.1mm | Ra 3.2 μm | 0.6mm Wall Thickness | 1k – 500k |
Quality Control
- CMM Coordinate Measuring Machine (Zeiss) — Full dimensional first article inspection
- 2.5D Vision Measuring System — Complex contours / angles
- Surface Roughness Tester (Mitutoyo) — Ra/Rz measurement
- Salt spray test, thermal shock, adhesion test
- SGS / Intertek third-party reports (if required by customer)