What to Look for in a Custom Phenolic Machining Partner
Phenolics are high-performance composites that are comprised of reinforced layers of paper, glass, or fabric, with phenolic resin, producing strong, durable, and heat-resistant materials. They offer excellent insulation properties and mechanical strength, but are abrasive and brittle, requiring specialized machining to prevent delamination, cracking, or excessive tool wear. By choosing the right custom phenolic machining partner, you can ensure your products meet tight tolerances and preserve material integrity during production, prioritizing the proper tools, speeds, and techniques to reduce waste and improve product performance in your applications.
Evaluating Experience with Phenolic Materials
When looking for a partner to machine phenolic materials, it’s crucial to work with experts who understand the challenges of machining phenolics, which tools to use, and how to match your specification requirements. For decades, we have worked with industries nationwide, providing precision-machined, complex plastic parts for semiconductor processing, medical, as well as aerospace and defense industries. With the equipment and skills to deliver high-quality parts that meet even the strictest requirements, Upland Fab is a go-to problem solver for a range of plastic component machining solutions.
Incorporating Specialized Tooling and Equipment
Phenolics are special, thermosetting plastics with unique properties that require proper machining techniques to effectively remove layers of material and produce components with a high degree of accuracy and repeatability. To achieve precision machining of phenolic materials, it is important to assess certain factors during production, such as:
- Carbide-tipped cutting tools for tough materials or high-speed steel tools for softer grades
- Adjusting speed and feed for proper machining to limit overheating, delamination, and quality concerns
- Compressed air cooling to remove dust and debris while preventing overheating during machining
- Managing the speed, clearance, and tooling material to avoid binding and chip buildup in drilling operations
- Tapping threaded holes with oversized tools, as standard tap sizes may lead to tight or brittle threads
As an expert machining partner, Upland Fab can tailor tooling and machining processes to accommodate material properties and provide cost-effective, precision CNC machining services for phenolic materials. Our capabilities include CNC milling, CNC turning, and 5-axis machining to produce complex parts with complicated geometries, delivering fast prototype turnarounds, low upfront and operational costs, as well as high-quality final products with resistance to corrosion and chemicals to meet your requirements in demanding industries.
Quality Assurance Practices and Procedures
Choosing a machining partner with comprehensive quality control measures can help minimize errors in production and ensure that your custom phenolic components meet exact specifications. At Upland Fab, we are committed to meeting the required regulations and necessary guidelines to provide reliable plastic parts for industrial applications, holding certifications and compliance with:
- ISO 9001:2015
- AS9100 Rev D
- ITAR Registered
- 5PTPTT02-D Fracture/Durability Critical Parts
- 5PTPTT11-A Mission/Safety & Selected Durability Mech Equipment
- 5PTPTT12-B Wind Swept Surface Parts
- 2ZZP00006ASIP/MESIP Critical Parts - F-35
- D6-28479 Boeing Quality Management System
- D6-51991 Boeing DPD
Additionally, we conduct fully automated coordinate measuring machine (CMM) inspection processes, inspecting every manufactured part to evaluate any potential deviation from desired specifications. This system allows high-resolution measurement, within ±0.0001”, of thousands of reference points to provide real-time data for advanced quality control in your custom components.
Customer Support and Responsiveness
As a full-service CNC machining partner, Upland Fab offers fast turnarounds and assistance throughout the manufacturing process to support your operations. To help you navigate and manage your supply chain, our team of experts provides engineering support with digital product definition capabilities that prevent unintended modifications, missed dimensions, and more, so your precision plastic parts are produced correctly the first time. Additionally, our streamlined communication uses a single point of contact for increased clarity, faster problem-solving, and improved efficiency for high-quality plastic machining solutions that meet your specific requirements.
Pricing Transparency for Machining Services
By working with an established and reliable machining partner like Upland Fab, you can avoid unexpected cost increases on your projects. To ensure that your quoted price will not fluctuate, we work hard to anticipate and mitigate potential design issues, material prices or availability, and other factors that can impact plastic CNC machining costs before they arise. With a reputation for quality and reliability, Upland Fab is a recognized leader in precision plastics manufacturing located in the USA.
