Wexmar provides CNC machining for robotics and automation companies from our shop in Canastota, New York. Robot builders, cobot and AMR developers, gripper makers and integrators use us as a robotics machine shop for shafts, actuator housings, gearbox components, end effector parts and sensor mounts. We work in aluminum, alloy steel, stainless and engineered plastics, and we support the full product cycle from prototype lots to recurring production releases.
What robotics and automation buyers order from a machine shop
Robotic systems are built around rotating joints, linear stages and tooling at the end of the arm. That drives a consistent set of machined parts:
- Output shafts and hollow shafts with bearing seats, keyways, flats and through-bores for cable routing.
- Actuator and gearbox housings with bearing bores that must stay concentric and square.
- Joint flanges and adapter plates with bolt circles and dowel holes.
- End effector components such as gripper fingers, tool changer parts and vacuum manifolds.
- Linear motion hardware including carriage plates, spacers and motor mounts.
- Sensor and camera mounts, standoffs and small precision pins.
Materials common to robotics parts
Aluminum 6061-T6 and 7075-T651 are the default for housings, flanges and arm structure because of their strength-to-weight ratio, usually finished with anodize through qualified outside processors. Alloy steels such as 4140 and 4340 are used for shafts and gears that carry torque, and 17-4 PH or 416 stainless where corrosion resistance matters. Engineered plastics such as PEEK, acetal and UHMW are common for gripper fingers, wear pads and insulating spacers. Brass and bronze appear in bushings and small fittings. Our materials page has notes by grade.
Tolerances, finishes and documentation
Precision in a robot comes from bearing fits and alignment. Typical callouts include bearing bores at +.0005/-.0000 in., shaft seats at ±.0003 in., coaxiality between bores within .0005 to .001 in., and dowel hole positions at ±.0005 in. General features run ±.005 in., and surface finish of 32 Ra is common on bearing seats and sealing faces. Anodizing, black oxide, nitriding and heat treat are handled through qualified outside processors. For documentation, we supply CMM reports, material certs and certificates of conformance, and first article inspection in AS9102 format on request.
Quantity patterns: prototype to production
Robotics programs typically move through several stages, each with its own lot size:
- Prototype and alpha: 1 to 10 sets while the design is still changing.
- Beta and pilot: 25 to 200 sets for field units and validation.
- Production: 200 to several thousand pieces per release on stable part numbers.
- Service spares: small recurring lots for installed fleets.
We quote each stage on its own terms and keep revision history so changes between builds are tracked. When a design moves from prototype to production, we often suggest small drawing changes that reduce setups, such as opening a tolerance on a non-functional feature or adding a flat for workholding. Those suggestions go back to your engineering team for approval before anything changes on the floor, and the released drawing always governs.
How our floor handles CNC machining for robotics
Horizontal milling for housings
Six horizontal machining centers with pallet changers, including Mazak FH4800, PFH4800 and Nexus 5000-II models, run 3- and 4-axis horizontal milling. Boring bearing bores from both sides in one setup on an indexing table helps hold coaxiality, and chips fall away from the work. See our CNC milling page.
Turning shafts and flanges
Ten CNC lathes with live tooling and Y-axis turn shafts and flanges, then drill bolt circles and mill keyways without a second setup.
Swiss, grinding and inspection
Four Maier MLK-32 Swiss machines produce pins, standoffs and small shafts to 32 mm diameter. Centerless and surface grinders finish bearing seats, and two Brown & Sharpe CMMs verify bore alignment and hole positions.
Typical robotics parts, materials and tolerances
| Part | Common material | Typical tolerance | Primary process |
|---|---|---|---|
| Actuator housing | 6061-T6, 7075-T651 | +.0005/-.0000 in. bearing bore | 4-axis horizontal milling |
| Output shaft | 4140, 17-4 PH | ±.0003 in. bearing seat | Lathe, centerless grind |
| Joint flange | 7075-T651 | ±.0005 in. dowel position | Lathe with live tooling |
| Gripper finger | PEEK, acetal, 6061 | ±.002 in. | Horizontal milling |
| Standoff or pin | 303, 416 | ±.001 in. | Swiss |
Getting a quote
Send your drawings or STEP files, quantities for each build stage, and any finish or documentation requirements. You can upload a drawing for an instant estimate, and a human estimator reviews and confirms every quote. For robotics and automation parts, call (315) 400-2654, Monday through Friday, 7 to 4 Eastern, or email ron@backwell.com.