Fabrication Services
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You don't need a machine shop to build a robot with metal or precision-cut parts. Online fabrication services will laser cut, waterjet cut, CNC machine, bend or 3D print parts from a file you upload, and ship them to you, often within a week or two. This page lists services and material suppliers commonly used by robot builders, and gives tips for ordering. For other robot parts, see Suppliers; for choosing materials, see Armor and Materials.
Listings here aren't endorsements, and services and materials change – always check the service's current material list and design guidelines.
Cutting and machining services
| Service | What they do | Notes for robot builders |
|---|---|---|
| SendCutSend | Laser, waterjet and router cutting; bending, tapping and other finishing | Very popular with insect-class builders. Offers aluminum (5052, 6061, 7075), AR400/AR500, 4130 chromoly, 1095 and spring steel, titanium (Grade 2 and Grade 5), carbon fiber, G10, UHMW, HDPE, polycarbonate and Delrin, among others. No S7 tool steel. See their materials list. |
| OSH Cut | Laser cutting and bending | Offers AR500, 4130, 7075, tool steels such as D2 and O1, and spring steels. See their materials list. |
| Xometry | CNC machining, sheet metal, waterjet, 3D printing | Instant online quotes. (Big Blue Saw, once popular with builders, now redirects to Xometry.) |
| Ponoko | Laser cutting of plastics and metals | Good for small plastic and thin metal parts. |
| JLCPCB and PCBWay | Circuit boards, plus CNC machining, sheet metal and 3D printing | Known for low prices; shipping from overseas adds time. Their circuit board services are also handy for custom electronics. |
Material suppliers
If you cut or machine parts yourself, or need materials a cutting service doesn't offer:
- McMaster-Carr – almost everything: plastic sheet (including thin UHMW and polycarbonate), metal stock, S7 tool steel bar, fasteners and hardware.
- OnlineMetals – metals and plastics cut to size, with a section for educational and combat robotics.
- Metal Supermarkets – a chain of local stores that cut metal to size.
- Speedy Metals – metal stock.
- Titanium Joe – titanium sheet and bar.
- Rock West Composites and DragonPlate – carbon fiber sheet and tube.
- Professional Plastics and eplastics – plastic sheet such as UHMW, polycarbonate and Delrin.
- Grainger – industrial supplies, stock and hardware.
Tips for ordering
- Files: cutting services usually want a 2D vector file (DXF, DWG, AI or SVG) drawn at full size; machining and 3D printing services want a 3D model (STEP or STL). Most CAD programs can export these.
- Check the design rules first. Each service lists minimum hole sizes, minimum distances between holes and edges, and the smallest features it can cut, which depend on the material and thickness. Holes smaller than the material thickness often aren't possible in metal.
- Hole sizes: laser and waterjet-cut holes aren't perfectly precise. If a bearing or shaft needs a tight fit, cut the hole slightly undersize and ream or drill it to size, or use the service's tapping or hardware options.
- Hardened materials: AR400/AR500 and Grade 5 titanium usually can't be bent, and AR steel is very hard to drill afterwards, so design all holes into the cut file.
- Heat treatment: cutting services generally don't heat treat. Steels like 1095 or S7 are shipped soft (annealed) and need professional heat treatment to reach full strength.
- Order early, and order spares. Shipping takes time, and you'll want extra wedges, weapons and armor panels for repairs between matches.