Wexmar provides custom shaft machining for OEMs that need turned, milled and ground shafts built to print. From our shop in Canastota, New York, we produce CNC machined shafts for pumps, gearboxes, motors, conveyors, instruments and defense hardware, from a single prototype to recurring production lots. Every drawing is reviewed and every quote is confirmed by a human estimator before it goes out.
What shafts do and who buys them
A shaft carries torque and locates rotating components: bearings, gears, pulleys, impellers, seals and couplings. Because so many mating parts register on it, a shaft is usually the most tolerance-sensitive part in an assembly. Our shaft customers include industrial pump and fluid power OEMs, power transmission and bearing manufacturers, instrumentation builders, medical device hardware suppliers and government build-to-print programs. Typical parts are stepped drive shafts, keyed motor shafts, splined or threaded spindles, pump shafts with seal journals and small precision pivot shafts.
How Wexmar machines custom shafts
Most shafts start on our CNC lathes. We run ten turning centers, including Mazak Nexus QT200, Nexus 250, Nexus 450-II and Multiplex 6300Y machines plus Doosan Lynx 2100A units, all with live tooling and Y-axis. That lets us turn diameters, cut threads, mill keyways and flats, and drill cross holes in one or two setups, which keeps features concentric to each other. The Multiplex twin-spindle machine finishes both ends without a manual re-chuck.
Small shafts up to 32 mm diameter run on our four Maier MLK-32 Swiss-type machines with FMB bar feeders. Swiss turning supports long, slender parts close to the cutting tool, so length-to-diameter ratios that would chatter on a conventional lathe hold size and straightness. Swiss work can run lights-out for production quantities. When a shaft needs features that are better cut on a milling center, such as long keyseats, wrench flats in multiple orientations or cross-drilled patterns, we move it to a Mazak horizontal machining center with a 4th-axis rotary. See our CNC turning and Swiss machining pages for more on each process.
Materials for CNC machined shafts
- Carbon and alloy steels: 1018, 1045, 1144 stressproof, 4140 and 4340 pre-hard or annealed, 8620 for carburized shafts.
- Stainless: 303, 304, 316, 416, 17-4 PH and Nitronic 50 for pump and marine service.
- High-nickel alloys: Inconel, Monel and Hastelloy for corrosive or high-temperature duty.
- Others: titanium, aluminum, brass and engineered plastics for light-duty or instrument shafts.
DFARS 252.225-7009 specialty-metals-compliant sourcing is available for defense work.
Critical shaft features and how we hold them
- Bearing journals: turned close to size, then finished on our centerless grinder when the drawing calls for tenths-level OD tolerance or a fine surface finish.
- Concentricity and runout: critical diameters are finished in the same setup or between centers, so journals, seal lands and gear seats share one axis.
- Keyways: milled with live tooling or on a horizontal to ANSI B17.1 width and depth, with symmetry controlled to the shaft centerline.
- Threads: single-point turned or thread milled to UN 2A or 3A class, or metric 6g, and checked with go/no-go ring gages.
- Straightness: controlled by support method, stress-relieved material where needed and in-process checks on long parts.
Typical tolerances and finishes
| Feature | Typical tolerance | Tighter on request |
|---|---|---|
| Turned OD | ±0.001 in | ±0.0005 in |
| Ground bearing journal OD | ±0.0005 in | ±0.0002 in |
| Runout between journals (TIR) | 0.001 in | 0.0005 in |
| Keyway width | +0.002 / -0.000 in | +0.001 / -0.000 in |
| Shoulder length | ±0.005 in | ±0.001 in |
| Threads | UN 2A | UN 3A |
| Surface finish, journals | 32 Ra | 8 to 16 Ra (ground) |
These are typical values. Achievable tolerance depends on material, length-to-diameter ratio and heat treat condition, and we will tell you at quote stage if a callout needs discussion.
Secondary operations
Heat treating (through-hardening, induction hardening, carburizing), nitriding, black oxide, plating and passivation are performed through qualified outside processors. We sequence the work so that hardened journals are ground after heat treat, and we manage the outside vendors so you receive finished shafts with one packing list.
Quantity patterns
Shaft orders typically fall into three groups: prototype and replacement shafts in quantities of 1 to 10, short production runs of 25 to 500, and blanket orders released on a schedule. Our second shift and Swiss lights-out capacity support recurring releases without re-quoting setups each time.
Inspection
We verify diameters with calibrated micrometers and bore gages, runout with indicators between centers, and profiles on our Mitsubishi optical comparator. Brown & Sharpe CMMs check positional features such as cross holes and keyway location. First article inspection in AS9102 format, CMM reports, material certifications and heat-lot traceability are available. Read more on our inspection and quality page.
Getting a quote
Send a drawing with material, quantity and any heat treat or finish requirements. You can upload a drawing for an instant estimate using a PDF or STEP file, and an estimator will confirm pricing and lead time. Or call (315) 400-2654, Monday through Friday, 7 to 4 Eastern.