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CNC Pocket Milling Service
Are you looking for a way to make perfect cavities in your parts? CNC pocket milling is the answer! At Istar Machining, we’re experts at making closed-boundary milling that removes material to exact depths. This guide will show you everything about pocket milling and how our services can help your projects.
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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 CNC Pocket Milling?
CNC pocket milling makes hollow areas or cavities in a part without cutting all the way through. Think about the space where a screw head sits flush with a surface – that’s a pocket!
Pocket milling uses special tools and movements to create these spaces with exact:
- Depths
- Shapes
- Surface finishes
How Our CNC Pocket Milling Works
Our process follows these simple steps:
- You send us your design file (like DWG or STEP)
- We create special toolpaths for your pocket
- We use our Haas UMC-750 machine to cut your pocket
- We check everything with our measuring tools
- You get a perfect part!
Cool Things We Can Do With Pocket Milling
What We Make | How We Use It | Why It’s Great |
Flush fasteners | Aircraft and car parts | Screws sit perfectly flat with the surface |
Mold cavities | Plastic injection molds | Makes spaces for plastic to flow into |
Structural pockets | Lightweight parts | Removes weight while keeping strength |
Pressnut spaces | Assembly points | Creates perfect spots for threaded inserts |
Battery trays | Electronic devices | Makes spaces that hold batteries perfectly |
Optical components | Cameras and devices | Super smooth finishes for sensitive parts |
Our Amazing Tools and Methods
We use high-feed carbide end mills from top brands like Sandvik to cut material faster and better. Our special methods include:
- Peck milling cyclesthat safely remove chips from deep pockets
- Trochoidal toolpathsthat make mirror-like finishes (as smooth as 32 microinches!)
- Dynamic millingthat makes tools last 40% longer
- Depth controlaccurate to ±0.005″ (thinner than a human hair!)
Materials We Work With
We can make pockets in almost any material:
Why Our Pocket Milling Is Better
Super accurate depths
We use special probes to ensure your pockets are exactly the right depth
Perfect surface finish
Our techniques create smooth surfaces that need no extra work
Complex shapes
We can make pockets with angled walls or curved bottoms
Fast turnaround
We can finish prototype pockets in just 48 hours!
Custom options
Need special corner radiuses or floor patterns? No problem!
Real-World Uses for CNC Pocket Milling
Pocket milling is perfect for many industries. Here’s where we use it most:
Aerospace
Airplane parts need to be light but strong. We make structural pockets that remove extra material while keeping strength. These parts must meet strict Boeing standards for safety.
Medical Devices
Medical parts need precise cavities for components. Our precision medical machining creates perfect fits for things like batteries or sensors.
Consumer Electronics
Your phone or laptop has many tiny pockets inside for parts to fit perfectly. We can make these with tolerances as small as 0.0015"!
Automotive Parts
Cars need strong, lightweight parts. Our aluminum CNC milling creates perfect pockets for parts that save weight and fuel.
Send Us Your Design
Upload your CAD files (like STEP or IGES format)
Get a Quick Quote
We'll tell you the price and timeline within 1 hour
We Make Your Parts
Our skilled machinists program the CNC machines
Quality Check
Every part is inspected before shipping
Safe Delivery
Your parts arrive on time, ready to use
Get Started With CNC Pocket Milling Today
Ready to make your parts better with perfect pockets? Our team at Istar Machining is ready to help. As a top 5 CNC machining factory in China, we focus on high-precision, custom work that meets your exact needs.
Frequently Asked Question
Yes! With our 5-axis machining, we can create pockets with angles, curves, and undercuts that normal machines can’t make.
We can make pockets up to 4 inches (100mm) deep with special tools that reach down while staying accurate.
Just add a note saying “Depth: X.XX” in your design file, or we can help you figure out the right depth.
For aluminum, we use 3-flute carbide end mills with special coatings that cut smooth and fast.
We can make pocket floors with a mirror-like 32 microinch finish – smooth enough for optical components!
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