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Circular Pocket Milling Service
Are you looking to make round holes in metal or plastic? Circular pocket milling is a special way to cut clean, round pockets in your parts. Let’s learn how it works in simple words!
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23 Years
Istar Machining's years in the industry
300,000 square feet
The size of Istar Machining's factory
300 CNC machines
Our CNC equipment count
1000 skilled workers
Istar's number of skilled machinists/operators
What is Circular Pocket Milling?
Circular pocket milling is when a machine uses a spinning cutting tool to make round holes in materials. Unlike regular drilling, this method can make wide, flat-bottomed holes with very smooth walls.
At Istar Machining, we use this method to create perfect round pockets in many materials like:
- Aluminum parts for airplanes
- Steel molds for car parts
- Plastic cases for medical devices
- Metal parts for machines
Why Choose Circular Pocket Milling?
Circular pocket milling gives you many benefits over other cutting methods:
- Super Smooth Finish: Gets walls smooth without extra work
- Very Exact Size: Holes are the right size within 0.001 inches
- Flat Bottoms: Unlike drilling, the bottom is perfectly flat
- Works on Many Materials: Cuts aluminum, steel, plastic, and more
- Tools Last Longer: Special cutting paths make tools work better
How Circular Pocket Milling Works
When we do CNC pocket milling for round holes, our machines follow these steps:
- The machine starts with a tool in the middle of where the pocket will be
- It moves in special paths (like a spiral) to slowly remove material
- The tool cuts in trochoidal motion(fancy word for a special curved path)
- For deep pockets, the tool goes down in steps to avoid breaking
Important Tools and Settings
Here’s a helpful table showing tools and settings we use for different jobs:
Tool Size | Best For | Speed (RPM) | Material | Special Notes |
6-25 mm | Airplane parts | 8,000-24,000 | Titanium | Ball end mills for smooth corners |
10-20 mm | Car molds | 12,000-18,000 | Steel | Special coated tools last longer |
8-15 mm | Medical parts | 15,000-22,000 | Plastic | 30% stepover for smooth finish |
12-32 mm | Valve bodies | 10,000-16,000 | Stainless steel | Tools with coatings work twice as long |
6-12 mm | Electronics boxes | 20,000-24,000 | Aluminum | Feed rate: 0.2 mm per tooth |
Materials We Can Cut
Our CNC machining service can make circular pockets in almost any material:
Common Uses for Circular Pocket Milling
People use circular pockets in many different parts:
How We Make Sure Quality is Perfect
When we make circular pockets, we check them carefully:
- Measure Size: Every pocket is checked with digital tools
- Check Smoothness: We test how smooth the walls are
- Look for Problems: Special cameras look for tiny problems
- Test Fit: We make sure parts fit together perfectly
Advanced Techniques We Use
For the best results, our experts use these special methods:
- Spiral toolpathsthat move smoothly without stopping
- Trochoidal millingfor removing material without heat
- Special CAM softwarethat plans the perfect cutting path
- High-feed millsthat can remove material very fast
- Circle-segment end millsfor very smooth wall finish
Why Choose Istar Machining?
When you need perfect circular pockets, our 5-axis machining center can help:
25% Faster
Our special methods cut time by 25%
Expert Team
Our workers know how to make perfect pockets
Top Machines
We use the best CNC machines from Germany and Japan
Quality Control
Every part is checked three times
Fair Prices
Get high quality without high cost
Ready to Start Your Project?
If you need circular pockets in your parts, we’re ready to help! Our team can make your design come true with perfect round cavities in any material.
Get a free quote today! Just send us your drawings or 3D models, and we’ll show you how our CNC milling can make your parts perfect.
Frequently Asked Question
A: We can make pockets up to 10 times deeper than they are wide, depending on material.
A: We can make pockets as small as 1mm in diameter with special micro-tools.
A: We use special holders, slower speeds, and high-pressure coolant to stop vibration.
A: For aluminum, we use 0.1-0.3 mm per tooth with special coated tools.
A: Yes! Our machines can make walls at any angle from 0-90 degrees.
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