Technical data / design for manufacturing
Design & tolerance guide.
What each process holds, how thin you can go, and the geometry that keeps a part off custom tooling. Design to these and your part quotes cleanly the first time.
Every figure here is confirmed against your actual geometry when we quote, with a free DFM review on each part.
- Axtonne spec
- Confirmed against our own process.
- Untagged
- Industry DFM target, confirmed against your geometry on the quote.
01 · Tolerance
What each process holds
Standard is what a process holds routinely at no added cost. Tight is achievable on specific, called-out features.
| Process | Standard | Tight (called-out features) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injection molding | ±0.10 mm (±0.004") | ±0.05 mm (±0.002") | Per DIN 16742; varies with resin shrink and feature size |
| CNC machining | ±0.125 mm (±0.005") | ±0.025 mm (±0.001") | Metals; engineering plastics run looser, about ±0.20 mm |
| Urethane castingAxtonne spec | ±0.15 to 0.50 mm by size | Hole ±0.10 mm · Angle ±1.5° | Rigid casts tighter; Shore A ±10A; shrink about +0.15% |
| Dimension range | Rigid (harder resins) | Soft (flexible resins) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 50 mm | ±0.15 mm | ±0.25 mm |
| 50 to 100 mm | ±0.20 mm | ±0.30 mm |
| 100 to 200 mm | ±0.28 mm | ±0.35 mm |
| 200 to 300 mm | ±0.35 mm | ±0.40 mm |
| Over 300 mm | ±0.45 mm | ±0.50 mm |
Angles hold ±1.5° and holes ±0.10 mm in both materials. Rigid resins hold tighter; flexible resins move more as they cure, so their bands open up across every size range.
Rule of thumb
A single tight tolerance can double the cost of a feature. Call out the two or three that matter for fit or function and leave the rest at standard.
02 · Wall thickness
How thin you can go
The biggest driver of part quality in molding. Thick sections sink and warp, thin sections short-fill. Where a thick section is unavoidable, core it out and rib it.
| Resin | Minimum wall | Recommended wall | Maximum wall |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABS | 1.14 mm (0.045") | 1.5 to 2.5 mm | 3.56 mm (0.140") |
| Polycarbonate | 1.02 mm (0.040") | 1.5 to 2.5 mm | 3.81 mm (0.150") |
| Nylon (PA) | 0.76 mm (0.030") | 1.0 to 2.0 mm | 2.92 mm (0.115") |
| Polypropylene | 0.64 mm (0.025") | 1.5 to 2.5 mm | 3.81 mm (0.150") |
| Acetal (POM) | 0.76 mm (0.030") | 1.0 to 2.0 mm | 3.05 mm (0.120") |
Uniformity beats thickness
A part with even 2 mm walls molds better than one that swings between 1 mm and 4 mm. Aim for wall transitions no steeper than a 3-to-1 taper.
03 · Geometry
Draft, radii, and finish
The per-process rules that decide whether a part releases from a mold, machines without a custom tool, and arrives at the surface you asked for.
Injection molding
- Draft, standard
- 1.5 to 2° per side
- Draft, textured
- 3 to 5°
- Rib thickness
- 40 to 60% of wall
- Rib height
- ≤ 3× wall
- Internal radius
- ≥ 0.5× wall
- Boss OD
- About 2× hole dia
- As-processed finish
- SPI grade to spec
- Finishing
- Pad print, paint, hot stamp
CNC machining
- Draft needed
- None
- Internal corner R
- ≥ 1 mm (tool)
- Pocket depth
- ≤ 4× tool dia
- Min hole dia
- ≥ 1 mm
- Hole depth
- ≤ 10× dia
- Min wall, metal
- 0.5 mm (0.020")
- Min wall, plastic
- 1.0 mm (0.040")
- As-processed finish
- 3.2 µm (125 µin)
- Finishing
- Bead blast, anodize, PVD
- Max envelope
- 1300 × 800 mm
- Axes
- 3 to 5
Urethane casting
Axtonne spec- Max part size
- Up to 3 ft dia
- Parts per mold
- 20 to 50
- Volume ceiling
- Up to 200
- Durometer, soft
- 35A to 95A
- Durometer, rigid
- 65D to 85D
- Shrinkage
- About +0.15%
- Draft, typical
- 0.5 to 1°
- Min wall
- 1.0 mm (0.040")
- Finish
- Gloss or matte, any PMS
Finishing is a service
Pad printing, painting, and hot stamping run in-house; anodizing and powder coating run through a managed partner on one PO. Call out the surface that matters and it gets planned into the quote.
Tagged figures are published Axtonne specs: the urethane tolerance set, durometers, part size and parts-per-mold, plus the CNC envelope and axis count. Everything else is a standard design-for-manufacturing figure that applies broadly across the industry, published so you have a known target to design against. Send a STEP, STL, IGES, or PDF and you get pricing, lead time, and design feedback from our US-based team.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Got a question? We've got answers. If you have something else, email sales@axtonne.com.
CNC machining holds ±0.125 mm (±0.005") as a routine standard on metals, and ±0.025 mm (±0.001") on specific called-out features. Engineering plastics run looser, around ±0.20 mm, because they flex under tool load. Dimension only the features that need it, tolerance is the single biggest cost driver on a machined part.
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