CNC machined heat sinks
Thin fins, deep slots and a large flat base — the combination that makes heat sinks the most deformation-prone part in milling.
Part family · CNC machined parts
CNC machined flashlight housings
A cylindrical shell where the coaxial relationship between knurled body, thread section and assembly shoulder matters most.
What it is, and where it usually goes wrong
A cylindrical shell looks simple on a lathe, but three features have to share one axis: the knurled body, the thread section and the shoulder the optics sit against. If they drift, the head does not seat squarely and the O-ring leaks.
How we machine it
- Turn the bore and the thread in the same set-up wherever the drawing allows; if not, use a soft jaw bored to the finished diameter.
- Cut the O-ring groove with a full-radius tool and check the groove width against the actual cord diameter.
- Knurl before the final thread pass so the knurl does not distort the thread lead-in.
- Protect finished surfaces with plastic sleeves before the part goes to anodising.
Where it is used
Handheld lighting, portable instruments, cylindrical housings with O-ring sealing.
What we check before it ships
- Coaxiality of bore, thread and shoulder
- Thread gauge fit at both ends
- O-ring groove width and surface finish
- Wall thickness at the thinnest section after knurling
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
- Wall thickness and the thread specification, including class
- The O-ring cord diameter, not only the groove drawing
- Whether the outside is knurled, and the knurl pitch
- Anodising colour and whether threads must be masked
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
Can you match a thread to an existing tail cap?
Yes — send the mating part or its thread drawing. Thread class matters more than nominal size here: a 1A/1B fit that feels right on one supplier's cap can bind on another's, so we cut to the class you specify and gauge it before shipping.
Does anodising change the thread fit?
It adds a few microns on every coated surface, which is enough to tighten a close thread. We either mask threads before anodising or cut them to allow for the coating — tell us which, because the two cannot both be the default.
Other cnc machined parts we machine
CNC machined brackets
Simple shape, difficult job: hole positions on several faces and one consistent datum for every set-up.
CNC machined enclosures
A visible part: besides dimensions, surface texture, edge condition and the gap at the joint line decide whether it passes.
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.