What Rapid Axis offers
Rapid Axis, based in Redwood City, California, is a precision machining and prototype manufacturer that runs a hybrid model: in-house 3, 4, and 5 axis CNC machining combined with a curated network of partners for capacity and added processes like sheet metal, DMLS metal printing, injection molding, and urethane casting. Quotes and manufacturability feedback come back within hours, and Rapid Axis inspects and certifies parts regardless of where they are made. For fast multi-process prototyping from a US-facing partner, it is a strong option.
Where Wexmar is different
Rapid Axis blends its own floor with outside partners. Wexmar keeps everything in one shop. Every turned, milled, or Swiss part is made and inspected in Canastota, New York, so the maker is always the one on the hook for the tolerance.
Wexmar is a US CNC machine shop in Canastota, NY that ships nationwide. The shop runs 10 CNC lathes, 6 Mazak horizontal machining centers (3 and 4 axis), and 4 Maier MLK-32 Swiss lathes turning bar stock to 32mm diameter, with 2 Brown & Sharpe CMMs for in-house inspection. Work runs from one-off parts through long-run production. Wexmar is SAM registered (CAGE 16AD7), NIST 800-171 scored 110 of 110 in SPRS, DFARS-relevant, Buy American, and Made in USA. Quality is ISO 9001-aligned.
Rapid Axis offers 5-axis machining, sheet metal, metal 3D printing, and molding that Wexmar does not. For those, the hybrid network is useful. Wexmar's focus is domestic turned and milled production, with Swiss capacity for small precision turned parts and CMM inspection in-house.
Side by side
| Factor | Rapid Axis | Wexmar |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Hybrid: own shop plus partner network | Single direct shop |
| Location | Redwood City, CA, USA | Canastota, NY, USA |
| Extra processes | 5-axis, sheet metal, DMLS, molding | Turning, milling, Swiss only |
| Swiss to 32mm | General CNC | 4 Maier MLK-32 Swiss lathes |
| Inspection | Certified across network | 2 Brown & Sharpe CMMs in-house |
| Compliance | US-based | SAM, SPRS 110/110, Buy American |
| Quote | Within hours | Instant quote from a drawing |
How to choose
Both are US-facing. If the program needs 5-axis, sheet metal, or additive work across a partner network, Rapid Axis fits. If you want turned and milled metal parts made and inspected entirely in one domestic shop with federal registrations in place, a single direct shop is cleaner. Wexmar quotes prototypes and production from one drawing. See CNC milling or get an instant quote.
Materials, tolerances, and lead time
Wexmar machines common and specialty metals for turned and milled work, including aluminum, stainless, carbon and alloy steels, brass, and bronze, with material choice driven by the drawing. The four Maier MLK-32 Swiss lathes handle small, tight-tolerance turned parts in bar stock to 32mm diameter, while the 6 Mazak horizontal machining centers cover 3 and 4 axis milled work. Every job can be checked on the shop's two Brown & Sharpe CMMs before it ships, and first-article and in-process inspection scale with the run. Lead time tracks material availability and quantity rather than a queue in someone else's plant, and the same drawing that priced the job runs it from prototype through production. Send a print to the instant quote page to start.
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