Precision parts, cut from solid block
Subtractive machining for metal and plastic components — from one-off prototypes to short production runs, sourced from vetted machine shops across Africa and beyond.
What it is
Machined, not moulded. CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining removes material from a solid block — milling cuts with a rotating tool, turning spins the part against a fixed tool. No mould or tooling investment required, so it works equally well for a single prototype or a batch of a few thousand identical parts.
Milling
3-axis and 5-axis mills cut pockets, holes, and contoured surfaces. Best for blocky, prismatic geometry.
Turning
Lathes rotate the workpiece for cylindrical parts — shafts, bushings, threaded fittings.
Mill-turn
Combined operations for parts with both rotational and off-axis features in one setup.
What's possible, within reason
CNC is forgiving, but geometry still shapes cost and lead time. Here's the honest picture.
Internal corners always carry a radius. Cutting tools are round — sharp internal corners aren't physically possible without EDM. Design around a corner radius matched to tool diameter.
Deep, narrow cavities cost more. Tools deflect as cavity depth-to-width ratio increases. Keeping cavities shallower than ~4× their width keeps quotes down.
Tight tolerances are a request, not a default. Standard shops hold general ISO 2768 tolerances. Sub-0.02mm features need manual quoting and should be called out on the drawing, not assumed.
Undercuts usually need a second setup. Features hidden from straight-down tool access add repositioning or specialised tooling — flag them early rather than late.
Large parts are supplier-dependent. Max envelope varies by shop and machine — some handle 2m+ beds, others are limited to smaller travel. Kutenga matches your size to a shop that can actually run it.
Threads and text add cost, not just time. Both are extra operations. Standard thread sizes and skipping engraved text where it isn't functional keeps quotes competitive.
Metals
Plastics
Finishes
From CAD file to delivered part
Upload & spec. Submit your CAD file (STEP, IGES, or native format), material, tolerance requirements, and quantity.
Matched & quoted. Kutenga matches your requirement to shops with the right machines and capacity, and you compare quotes side by side.
Confirm your order. Review and confirm specs, price, and lead time before production begins.
Machining. Production begins. Lead time depends on complexity, tolerance, and queue — typically from 5 business days for simple parts.
Inspect & confirm receipt. Check parts against your drawing on arrival and confirm receipt.
Corners — Match internal radii to a standard tool diameter (e.g. 3mm, 6mm) rather than specifying an arbitrary value.
Walls — Keep wall thickness above ~0.8mm for metals, ~1.5mm for plastics, to avoid vibration and warping during cutting.
Tolerances — Only tighten tolerances on the features that need it. Blanket tight tolerances on a drawing inflate cost across the whole part.
Setups — Aligning features to the six principal directions often lets a part finish in one or two setups instead of four or five.
A note on the numbers above: tolerance, lead time, and sizing figures are typical industry reference ranges for CNC machining, not a guarantee from a specific Kutenga supplier. Actual capability depends on which shop takes your order — Kutenga verifies supplier capability and certifications during onboarding, but does not perform its own quality control on parts. Confirm tight tolerances or unusual sizes directly on your RFQ.
Ready to get parts machined?
Upload your CAD file and get matched with vetted CNC shops across Africa and beyond.