Wexmar provides CNC machining for research labs, universities, national lab contractors and R&D groups from our shop in Canastota, New York. When a campus machine shop is booked, lacks the right equipment, or cannot take on a production quantity, researchers use us as an outside machine shop for experiment hardware, instrument components, vacuum fittings, sample holders, test fixtures and prototype parts. We work from engineering drawings, STEP files and, for simple parts, clear dimensioned sketches.
What research labs and universities order from a machine shop
Research work is varied, but the part types repeat across physics, chemistry, engineering and life science labs. Typical requests include:
- Experiment hardware such as mounts, brackets, adapter plates and custom housings.
- Vacuum and pressure fittings, flanges, feedthrough bodies and chamber adapters.
- Sample holders and stages in aluminum, stainless, copper and plastics.
- Test fixtures and load frames for materials and structural testing.
- Instrument components including optical mounts, sensor housings and small shafts.
- Prototype parts for student design teams, sponsored research and spin-off companies.
- Short production runs when a lab needs 20, 50 or 100 identical parts.
Materials common to lab and research parts
Aluminum 6061-T6 is the default for fixtures, mounts and housings. 304 and 316L stainless serve vacuum, pressure and chemically exposed parts, and 17-4 PH is used for high-strength components. Copper C110 is chosen for thermal and electrical parts such as cold fingers and sample stages. Titanium, brass, bronze and high-nickel alloys such as Inconel and Hastelloy appear in specialized experiments. Engineered plastics, including PEEK, Ultem, PTFE, acetal and UHMW, serve as insulators and chemically resistant parts. Our materials page has notes by grade, which is useful when choosing a material for a new design.
Tolerances, finishes and documentation
Research parts range from loose-tolerance brackets to precision instrument components. Typical callouts are ±.005 in. on general features, ±.001 in. on mating features and bores, and ±.0005 in. on bearing fits and alignment features. Vacuum parts often need sealing surfaces with 32 Ra or finer and careful attention to trapped volumes and venting. If a drawing does not specify tolerances, our estimator will ask which features matter rather than guess.
Anodize, passivation, plating and heat treat are handled through qualified outside processors, and specialty cleaning for vacuum service can be arranged the same way when specified. Documentation available includes material certs, dimensional inspection results and CMM reports from our NIST-traceable Brown & Sharpe CMMs. Our quality system is ISO 9001:2015-aligned.
Quantity patterns: one-offs to short runs
Most lab orders are 1 to 10 pieces. Some programs need 20 to 200 identical parts for detector arrays, sample carriers or student lab kits, and spin-off companies may move from a handful of prototypes to production. We quote each request on its own and can advise where a small drawing change would cut cost on a one-off, such as opening a tolerance on a non-critical feature. Purchasing offices receive a formal written quote with our SAM.gov registration details and CAGE code 16AD7 for federally funded purchases.
How our floor handles CNC machining for research labs
Horizontal milling
Six horizontal machining centers with pallet changers run 3- and 4-axis horizontal milling on plates, housings, fixtures and vacuum adapters, reaching multiple faces in one setup.
Turning and Swiss
Ten CNC lathes with live tooling and Y-axis produce flanges, fittings, shafts and cylindrical housings. Four Maier MLK-32 Swiss machines make small pins, standoffs and fittings to 32 mm diameter. See our capabilities page for an overview.
Grinding and inspection
Centerless and surface grinders finish close-tolerance diameters and flat faces, and two CMMs plus an optical comparator verify parts before they ship. The full equipment list is on our machine list.
Typical lab parts, materials and tolerances
| Part | Common material | Typical tolerance | Primary process |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vacuum adapter flange | 304, 316L | ±.001 in., 32 Ra seal face | Lathe |
| Sample stage | Copper C110, 6061-T6 | .001 in. flatness | Horizontal milling |
| Test fixture | 6061-T6, 1018 | ±.005 in. general | Horizontal milling |
| Insulating spacer | PEEK, PTFE | ±.002 in. | Swiss or lathe |
| Instrument shaft | 17-4 PH, 303 | ±.0005 in. | Swiss |
| Sensor housing | 6061-T6, titanium | ±.001 in. bores | Lathe with live tooling |
Getting a quote
Send a drawing, STEP file or dimensioned sketch with material, quantity and your required date. You can upload a drawing for an instant estimate, and a human estimator reviews and confirms every quote. For research lab and university parts, call (315) 400-2654, Monday through Friday, 7 to 4 Eastern, or email ron@backwell.com.