Motor housings
A thin-walled cylinder where bore coaxiality and face squareness determine how the rotor fits.
Part family · Turned components
Turned connector components
A ring-shaped turned part with slots: bore fit and slot indexing are more critical than the outside diameter.
What it is, and where it usually goes wrong
A connector ring looks like a simple turned part until the slots and flats are added. Those are milled after turning, and the moment the ring is clamped for milling it wants to go out of round — the bore fit you achieved on the lathe is what disappears.
How we machine it
- Turn the bore and both faces first, then mill slots on a fixture that supports the full circumference.
- Index slots from a machined feature, not from the outside diameter, so they stay evenly spaced.
- Keep the wall thick enough for the clamping force, or fill the bore with a close-fitting plug before milling.
- Chamfer the slot edges so the cable or hose does not catch when it is pushed through.
Where it is used
Cable and hose connectors, sensor mounting rings, rotation locating rings, locking rings.
What we check before it ships
- Bore diameter and roundness after milling
- Slot width, depth and angular spacing
- Flat position and depth against the mating key
- Thread condition, if the ring is threaded
Measured against your drawing and written on the inspection sheet that ships with the parts. First article reports are available on request.
What to send for a quote
- Bore diameter and the shaft or insert that fits into it
- Slot width and whether the slot is for a cable, a key or a tool
- Angular tolerance on the slots, if they must align with another part
- Material, especially if the ring is brass and will be plated
A STEP file plus a drawing is ideal; a PDF with tolerances also works. Quantity, material and finishing are enough to give you a real price instead of a range.
Questions we get on this part
Why does the bore go tight after slotting?
Clamping a thin ring in a vice squeezes it oval, and the milling releases the stress unevenly. Filling the bore with a plug, or supporting the ring on a mandrel, keeps the circle while the slots are cut; then the bore is still round when the clamp comes off.
Can slots and threads be done in one operation?
Only on a mill-turn machine with live tooling, and even then the part is usually finished in two set-ups for cost reasons. What matters is that both operations use the same datum so the slot pattern and the thread stay concentric.
Other turned components we machine
Long connecting rods
A slender tubular rod: straightness, bore alignment at both ends and end threads are the three control points.
Precision flanges
A disc-shaped connector: bolt-hole indexing and the flatness of the sealing face are what the drawing really asks for.
Send a drawing, get a price within 24 hours
STEP, IGES, DWG, PDF or a dimensioned sketch — plus material, quantity and finishing. We reply with a price and any questions in one message.