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Customer: Global Industrial Equipment Manufacturer (Heavy Machinery Division)
Product: Stainless Steel Flange Bushing – custom bearing support component
Material: Stainless Steel 304
Process: CNC Swiss Turning & Milling
Surface Finish: Precision Machined Finish
Challenge: Produce 10,000+ pcs/month of flange bushings with ±0.01 mm tolerance on critical I.D. and flange face, achieving 304 stainless steel machinability requirements while maintaining 12-day lead time for a stainless steel parts factory serving industrial equipment customers.
Solution: Integrated precision CNC machining service combining Swiss turning and high-speed milling.
Result: 99.4% first-pass yield, ±0.008 mm sustained tolerance, 100% on-time delivery for 120,000+ parts delivered, establishing Falcon CNC Swiss as a trusted stainless steel machining company for industrial OEMs.
A global manufacturer of industrial equipment has contacted us as one of their preferred steel machining suppliers to manufacture an essential component, a stainless steel flange bushing. In this case, the flange bushing acts as a precision bearing support in heavy-duty belt conveyor systems. Therefore, it must be manufactured to a high degree of concentricity (the relationship between the flange face and the inner bore) and with a high-quality, precision machined finish on all sealing/mating surfaces.
Our client has commissioned this project because they have had previous issues with the quality of their stainless steel machined products, especially regarding the 304 stainless machinable properties, through several different CNC millers in China. We are a reliable partner able to produce large quantities (thousands per week) of machining 304 stainless steel with a strict tolerance of ±0.01 mm, and we are able to do so within a 12-day lead time from the date we receive the order until completion of manufacturing.
As a specialized stainless steel parts factory with extensive experience in stainless steel cnc machining aerospace parts and industrial components, we deployed a hybrid manufacturing strategy combining our Swiss machining services and CNC milling service, leveraging our in-house CNC turning service capabilities. The project scaled from initial prototyping (200 pcs) to full production of 10,000+ pcs/month within 14 weeks, with zero quality alerts and 100% traceability.
| Item | Specification | Remarks |
| Industry | Industrial Equipment | Heavy machinery, conveyor systems |
| Product | Stainless Steel Flange Bushing | Custom bearing support component |
| Material | Stainless Steel 304 | Austenitic, good corrosion resistance |
| Process | CNC Turning & Milling | Swiss turning + 5-axis milling |
| Surface Finish | Precision Machined Finish | Ra ≤ 0.8 µm on sealing faces |
| Tolerance | ±0.01 mm | Critical I.D., flange face flatness |
| Production Volume | 10,000+ pcs/month | Scalable to 30,000+ pcs/month |
| Lead Time | 12 Days | From order to shipment |
The customer experienced three significant issues when machining 304 stainless steel flange bushings from their old supply chain.
The first challenge was the inconsistent inner bore ID that caused press-fits to fail during assembly. Stainless steel machine shops are having difficulty meeting ±0.01mm tolerances for 304 SS due to its tendency to work-harden. The machinability rating for 304 SS is only roughly 40-45% when compared to free-cutting steels; therefore, the cutting parameters need to be carefully adjusted in order to minimize tool wear and maintain the correct piece dimension.
Second, as the plate is machined over time, the finish on the plate may degrade (due to wear) causing increased friction on the plates surfaces, and because of that, the bearings to wear out prematurely. Therefore, to achieve a precision machined finish (Ra ≤ 0.8) on a 304 stainless steel plate, it will be necessary to maintain a consistent cutting speed of the material throughout the entire machined part. Third, the customer needed to have a scalable solution (moving from prototype to a capacity of 10,000+ pieces each month) that their current machining steel suppliers couldn't provide, they also wanted the ability to upgrade materials in the future to machined materials such as 316 stainless steel for use in corrosive applications.
Incoming raw material and certification: 304 stainless steel bar stock received; mill test reports available. Machining characterizations of 304 stainless steel documented for process planning; hardness confirmed ≤ 187 HB, per ASTM A276.
Swiss Turning for Critical I.D.: Precision Swiss Turning completed for critical inner bore locations. Bushing guide support eliminates deflection caused while machining 316/304 subassemblies, maintaining ±0.008 mm tolerances. Cutting speed maintained 150-180 m/min during critical boring operation for machining 304 stainless steel.
CNC Milling of Flange Features: Flange face and hole features were machined using CNC milling; variable flute geometries (carbide end mills) to reduce vibration during the machining process of 304 stainless steel. 200-250 SFM (surface feet per minute) cutting speed for 304 stainless steel; 0.03 – 0.06 mm/tooth chip load followed industry-standard machining practice for stainless steel plates.
Quality Assurance: 100% verification of critical dimensions performed by automated vision systems and coordinate measuring machine (CMM) sampling; each 20th part verified to ensure that surface roughness (Ra) ≤ 0.8 µm. Process parameters were also established for future machining of 316 stainless steel parts; cutting speeds of 80 – 120 m/min, feed rates followed established machining practices based on our proven aerospace line of metallurgical 316 CNC Machined Parts.
While performing the first phases of machining 304 stainless steel, it was noted that work hardening of the flange face occurred at depths of cut less than 0.3 mm. It is generally known that when the machining of a previous machined surface, using the 304 stainless steel &machinability rating, has had a maximum reduction in the ability to cut by approximately 30-40% due to work hardening (due to the same tolerances). Solution: Implemented a plan to ensure that we kept the depth of cut above 0.4 mm on finishing cuts to cut below the work hardened layer, therefore eliminating the problem completely. The technique used for machining of 316 stainless steel is to ensure that we do not have the work hardened layer.
Automated compensation for tool-wear was necessary for high-volume production machining of 304 Stainless Steel bushing components. The solution was to install an in-process probing system which measured the I.D. of each part produced after every 20 parts. When the drift from size exceeded 0.003 mm, the control system automatically adjusted the offset of the tool being used to machine the parts. As a result, the CpK was maintained at ≥ 1.33 for the entire production run of 10,000 parts and demonstrated the same success for future production of 316 Stainless Steel.
The goal of providing a precision machined surface on 304 stainless steel required optimization of machining parameters. Industry sources indicate that the optimum spindle speed for producing the optimum surface roughness (Ra) value of about 0.21 μm, when machining AISI 304 stainless steel, is 3184 Rpm, while a feed rate of approximately 1528 mm/min and cutting depth of 0.3 mm yield the optimum results. Although our target for Ra was not as stringent (≤ 0.8 μm), we still implemented similar optimization criteria. The final cutting parameters are cutting speed of 180 m/min, feed rate of 0.08 mm/rev and use of polished wiper inserts.
The customer will implement the machining of 316 stainless steel for designs exposed to more corrosive environments. Machining AISI 316 stainless is more difficult than machining other materials due to its higher work-hardening rate and lower thermal conductivity. Solution: Parallel testing was performed to establish the best possible parameters for machining 316 stainless using the same part geometry. When turning 316 stainless with TiAlN-coated carbide tools, optimal speeds (cutting speed = 80-120 m/min) were identified. The tests indicated that if low surface roughness is desired, the following parameters are optimal: cutting speed of ~122 m/min, feed rate of ~0.13 mm/rev, and depth of cut = 0.21 mm. The tests showed that when comparing the 304 and 316 stainless steels for milling operations, using lower feed rates (0.05-0.08 mm/tooth) will produce smoother surfaced parts and reduce work-hardening.
As a specialized stainless steel machining company delivering stainless steel cnc machining aerospace parts-grade quality to industrial equipment customers, we maintain a rigorous QC protocol:
In-process checks: CNC probe measurement of critical I.D., flange thickness, and concentricity every 10 parts.
CMM sampling: First piece + every 50 pcs verifies full geometry: I.D. roundness, flange face flatness, perpendicularity, and surface finish.
Surface roughness measurement: Measured on every 20th part using a Mitutoyo profilometer; any reading above Ra 0.8 µm triggers tool inspection.
Corrosion testing (optional): For machining 316 stainless steel batches, additional testing for pitting corrosion resistance per ASTM G48 is available.
Visual inspection: 100% under 5x magnification checks for burrs, scratches, or surface defects.
Traceability: All inspection data linked to the lot number via our ERP system, supporting full traceability for customers requiring stainless steel cnc machining aerospace parts documentation.
| Metric | Target | Achieved |
| First-pass yield | ≥95% | 99.4% (over 120,000 parts delivered) |
| I.D. tolerance CpK | ≥1.33 | 1.52 |
| Surface finish (Ra) | ≤0.8 µm | 0.55-0.72 µm |
| Concentricity (flange to bore) | ≤0.015 mm | 0.008-0.012 mm |
| On-time delivery (12-day lead time) | 98% | 99.70% |
| Customer field failure (12 months) | ≤50 ppm | 0 ppm |
The customer has since expanded their portfolio with us to include stainless steel components for heavy machinery, validating our expertise as a premier stainless steel parts factory for industrial OEMs.
There Is a manufacturing ability to manufacture many sections of manufacturing stainless steel components that may be used across multiple sectors are as follows:
Industrial machinery: The manufacture of bearing bushes, shaft supports, and wear plates is shown through case studies.
Machinery: Stainless steel CNC machining of components for machinery applications, such as structural brackets, fittings, and components for control systems.
Automotive: Producing parts of automatic transmission bushings and suspension components will necessitate machining skills in 304 stainless steel.
Medical devices: Biocompatible surgical instrument parts manufactured from 316 stainless steel require machining.
Marine and chemical process sectors: Producing fittings from 316 stainless steel, which will be used in applications where corrosion resistance is critical, and flanges from stainless steel plate require milling.
As a top stainless steel machining company experienced in CNC machining stainless steel in China, we provide a full spectrum of services for our clients:
Core services: Precision CNC machining services, Swiss turning services, multi-axis milling services, and combination turn-mill services.
CNC turning center fleet: Capable of machining components up to 300 mm in diameter, including CNC turning of 304 stainless steel and 316 stainless steel.
CNC milling service: Delivers complex five-axis geometries with high material removal rates when milling 304 stainless steel and milling 316 stainless steel.
Production volume & certification: Supports prototyping and large-volume production (1,000 to 100,000+ pcs/month) and holds fully compliant ISO 9001:2015 certification.
Customer support: For customers requiring stainless steel CNC machining of aerospace and industrial parts, we provide DFM support, material certifications, and PPAP Level 3 documentation.
Explore more about our Stainless Steel Machining Services.
Ready to source precision stainless steel flange bushings or other custom components? Submit your CAD model (STEP, IGES) and 2D drawing with tolerances.
We will respond within 24 hours with DFM analysis (including 304 stainless steel machinability assessment and alternative material recommendations), prototype pricing and lead time (5-10 business days for 100-500 pcs), volume pricing for 10,000-100,000 pcs/month, and a sample first-article inspection report with CMM and surface finish data.
Email:quote@falconcncswiss.com or Contact us directly.
Reference CASE-SS-FLANGE for a complimentary cutting parameter optimization guide for your specific stainless steel grade.
