CNC Machined Housings & Enclosures
Housings protect what's inside — electronics, sensors, optics, gears — and often need sealing surfaces, precise bores, and a clean cosmetic finish. We machine billet aluminum housings and enclosures from one-off prototypes to production runs.
What is a CNC machined housings?
A housing or enclosure is a machined body that contains and protects internal components while providing mounting bosses, sealing grooves, connector cutouts, and bores for shafts or bearings. Machined-from-billet housings are chosen over cast or extruded enclosures when the design needs tight bearing bores, flat O-ring sealing faces, EMI shielding integrity, or low volumes where tooling can't be justified.
Common materials
The standard for enclosures — lightweight, thermally conductive, anodizes for cosmetics and corrosion.
Cast tooling plate (MIC-6) stays flat for large enclosure lids and optical bases.
For wash-down, food, medical, or harsh chemical environments.
Typical tolerance
±0.025 mm
Bearing bores and sealing faces are the critical features; bores are commonly held to H7 fits and sealing faces to a flatness and Ra spec.
How we machine them
Machines the body, pockets, bosses, and connector cutouts.
For precise, round bearing and shaft bores within the housing.
Type II for color/cosmetics, Type III hard-anodize for wear and impact resistance.
Design tips that lower cost
Design O-ring grooves to standard sizes
Use a standard O-ring cross-section and follow the gland dimensions in the supplier's chart. Custom groove geometry adds cost and risks a leak path.
Specify flatness on sealing faces, not the whole part
An IP-rated seal needs a flat, smooth mating face (e.g. flatness 0.05 mm, Ra 1.6). Call it out on that face only rather than over-specifying the entire housing.
Avoid deep narrow pockets
Enclosure cavities deeper than ~4× their width force long tools that deflect and chatter. Widen the pocket or split the part if the geometry allows.
Account for anodize build-up on bores
Anodizing adds 5–25 µm to surfaces. On press-fit or bearing bores, either mask the bore or machine it oversize so the finished fit is correct.
Industries we machine housings & enclosures for
Housings & Enclosures — frequently asked
Can you machine sealed, IP-rated enclosures?
Yes — we machine the O-ring or gasket grooves and the flat sealing faces needed for IP65/IP67 designs. The IP rating is validated at assembly with the correct seal and fasteners.
What finish is best for an aluminum enclosure?
Type II anodize is the default for color and corrosion. Choose Type III (hard anodize) for enclosures exposed to wear or impact, and bead-blast before anodizing for a uniform matte look.
Can you machine a matching lid and base as a set?
Yes. We machine mating housing and lid pairs together and verify the fit, sealing face flatness, and fastener alignment before shipping.
Need housings & enclosures machined?
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