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
Camera base plates and optical seats
A thin-walled turned part where the concentricity of the inner shoulder and the mounting face sets the optical alignment.
What it is, and where it usually goes wrong
In a camera or lens module, the base sets the optical axis. The outside diameter is rarely the problem; what matters is whether the inner shoulder that the lens seats on is concentric with the mounting face, and whether that face stays flat after the part is screwed down.
How we machine it
- Turn the seat and the mounting face in one set-up, then mill the mounting holes from the same datum.
- Keep the wall thick enough during machining and remove the excess last, so the bore does not ovalise when unclamped.
- Use a low clamping force with a bored soft jaw; a three-jaw chuck on a thin ring is enough to leave a visible out-of-round.
- Clean and inspect before packing — a chip on the seat shows up as a tilted image, not as a dimension error.
Where it is used
Camera and lens module bases, optical interface rings, imaging module mounts.
What we check before it ships
- Concentricity of the inner seat to the mounting face
- Flatness of the mounting face
- Roundness of the bore at three heights
- Seat surface finish, since it becomes the optical reference
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
- The optical axis definition — which face and which bore set it
- Seat diameter and the lens or module that drops into it
- Mounting screw pattern and torque, if the face is thin
- Blackening or matt finishing inside the bore, if stray light matters
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
How do you hold concentricity on a thin ring?
Bore the soft jaws to the finished outside diameter, keep the clamping force low and take the final bore pass with a small depth of cut. On very thin rings we machine the part on a mandrel so the jaws never touch the finished wall.
Can the seat be adjusted after machining?
Only by re-cutting it. Shimming moves the lens but not the axis, so if the seat is eccentric the image tilts no matter how the module is shimmed. That is why the seat and mounting face are finished in one set-up.
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.
Flashlight housings
A cylindrical shell where the coaxial relationship between knurled body, thread section and assembly shoulder matters most.
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.