Materials · PVC

PVC CNC Machining Service

CNC milling CNC turning Waterjet cutting Injection molding

Machined and molded uPVC, high-impact PVC, CPVC and flexible PVC — the 4 grades published here, with the tolerance, minimum wall and lead time the shop holds.

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4Grades published

±0.125mmAchievable · ISO 2768

0.80 mmMinimum wall

3–10 daysPublished lead time

Grey PVC pipe, valve bodies and fittings stacked in the material store

Specifications

PVC specifications: ±0.125 mm tolerance, 0.80 mm wall, 3 to 10 days lead time

Six numbers a buyer asks for before sending a drawing — the process, the
tolerance we hold, the minimum wall, the largest envelope, the lead time and the price band.

Process

CNC mill · CNC lathe3-axis and 5-axis milling, turning

Achievable tolerance

Not lower than ±0.125mm (±0.005″)Based on the drawing, ISO 2768

Minimum wall

0.80 mmVaries with the wall-to-linear-dimension ratio

Maximum part size

200 × 80 × 100 cmLargest envelope quoted online

Lead time

3–10 daysComplex parts sit at the far end

Price band

$Where PVC sits against the other 22 materials

Read this first. Process, maximum part size and lead time are
identical on all 23 material pages — they describe the shop, not the material. Tolerance,
minimum wall and price band are the three that change from one material to the next.

Machining routes

Machining routes for PVC: milling, turning, molding and waterjet cutting

Milling and turning are what this page is quoted on. The routes below are the ones the same material takes when the stock form, the volume or the lead time changes — each one is a service page on this site.

CNC millingQuoted here3-axis and 5-axis milling of rigid PVC sheet and block — valve bodies, manifolds and fixture plates.CNC machining →

CNC turningQuoted hereTurned fittings, bushes and sleeves from PVC rod and tube.CNC turning →

Waterjet cuttingSheet stockAbrasive waterjet for PVC sheet — no heat, which matters on a chlorinated plastic.Waterjet cutting →

Injection moldingMolded hereFittings and housings in uPVC and CPVC are molded in volume; the machined versions on this page are the low-volume route.Injection molding →

Not used for PVC:EDM, die casting, laser cutting and knurling. PVC is an electrical insulator, a chlorinated plastic is not cut with a laser, and die casting is a metal process.

Published grades

The four PVC grades: uPVC, CPVC, high-impact and flexible

The four grades published for PVC, the polymer family each one belongs to, and the applications each is normally specified for.

Grades · the four published for PVC

Grade published	Polymer family	Applications named on this page
Rigid PVC (uPVC)	Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride	Industrial piping, conduits, valves and fittings
High Impact PVC	PVC with an impact modifier	Automotive trim and signage
CPVC (Chlorinated PVC)	Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride	Piping, valves and fittings
Flexible PVC	Plasticised polyvinyl chloride	Medical tubing

The four grades are four different materials. uPVC is rigid,
high-impact PVC trades some stiffness for toughness, CPVC carries a higher chlorine
content, and flexible PVC is plasticised so it bends. A drawing that says only "PVC"
leaves the grade open — name the grade or the property you need and it is confirmed in
writing before the first cut.

No mechanical figures are published here. Hardness, tensile
strength and flexibility move with the formulation — two flexible PVC compounds are not
the same material — so a single figure per grade would mislead. Ask for the datasheet,
or state the property on the drawing.

Which polymer?

uPVC, CPVC or ABS: choosing by service and impact

Each answer points at a page on this site that covers it in more depth — a
comparison, a grade guide or a process page.

Is it a pipe, a valve body or a fitting?

uPVC and CPVC are the two grades here selected for pipework. The guide to PVC on this site covers where each of them goes and how the jointing differs.

PVC guide Thermoplastics

Read the PVC guide →

Does it have to resist chemicals, or weather?

PVC is bought for chemical resistance more often than for anything mechanical. PTFE is the other page here selected on inertness, and it takes that further.

PTFE (Teflon)Machinability

Compare with PTFE →

Does the part have to take a knock?

Then the impact pages are the comparison: ABS and polycarbonate are the two published here for parts that get hit, and high-impact PVC is the grade on this page for that job.

ABS Polycarbonate

Compare with ABS →

Volume, eventually?

The part is the same cut; the moulding and printing pages cover the routes it can move to once volume changes.

Injection molding 3D printing

See all 23 materials →

Comparing PVC with something else?Send the model and the drawing. If the material is still open, the grade call comes back with the price instead of as a separate question.

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Machining & tolerance

Tolerancing and inspecting PVC parts to ISO 2768

The published tolerance on this page is Not lower than ±0.125mm (±0.005″)
on the drawing, to ISO 2768. Where a feature needs better than that, say so on the
drawing — that conversation belongs before the tool goes in, not after.

ISO 2768 general tolerancesWhat we hold when the drawing stays silent Tolerance & fits standardThe shop standard behind the number above DFM guidelinesWall thickness, fillets, thread depth — read before you draw Machinability of materialWhy some grades cut slower, and what that costs

Finishes

Finishing a PVC part: polishing, blasting and deburring

This is the polymer set of finishes: polishing, blasting, sanding and fine machining. The metal pages list the plating and heat-treatment routes instead.

PolishingSheen and clarity control Bead blastingUniform matt texture As-machined / deburringTool marks left, edges broken Smooth machiningA finishing cut, not a coating SandingHand step before polishing Fine machiningTighter Ra band All 20 finishesWith Ra bands and process notes

Applications

Where PVC parts go: pipework, electrical, signage and tubing

Industrial piping & fittingsConduits, valve bodies and fittings
ElectricalConduits and insulating components
Automotive & signageTrim and signage
MedicalTubing

All of it cut on the same floor —
see CNC machining and
how we hold tolerance.

Machined grey PVC components — a valve body, a bushing and a flanged part — Machined PVC components, as cut — shop gallery image.

PVC in context: the grade guide, machining and tolerances

Deeper reading from around this site — the comparisons, the standards and the
process notes behind this material.

PVC guideThe complete guide to PVC: properties, types and applicationsThe long-form page behind the grades on this pageRead →

ThermoplasticsCNC machining of thermoplastics: a comprehensive guideThe family this material belongs toRead →

Material choiceCommon materials for CNC machiningWhere the plastics sit next to the metalsRead →

MachinabilityMachinability of material and its relation with CNC machiningWhat the cutting data is really telling youRead →

TolerancesNavigating the precision of ISO 2768: a guide to standard tolerancingHow the general-tolerance standard readsRead →

Reading first, or ready to quote?The pages above set out the trade-offs. If the part is already drawn, send it and the quote comes back in one business day on a clean drawing.

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FAQ

PVC machining: four grades, tolerance and lead time

Straight answers to the questions that come up most often on a CNC quote —
with the figures published for this material, and a link for each point.

Which PVC grades can you machine?

The 4 published on this page: rigid uPVC, high-impact PVC, CPVC and flexible PVC. If the drawing calls for a compound outside that list, send it — the list is what we publish, not the limit of what the shop quotes.

What tolerance can you hold?

±0.125 mm, on the drawing, to ISO 2768 — the figure published on this page. Where a feature needs tighter than that, mark it on the drawing so it is priced and inspected as a controlled feature.

What is the smallest wall and the largest part?

Minimum wall is 0.80 mm. Maximum envelope is 200 × 80 × 100 cm. Both are shop-wide constants, identical on all 23 material pages.

How fast is a PVC part?

3 to 10 days, with complex parts at the far end. Post-processing, if you ask for it, is a separate step and adds to that window.

Which finish should I ask for?

The cards in the finishes section above are the polymer set — polishing, bead blasting and as-machined / deburring among them. The full list of 20 is at surface finishes.

What files should I send?

STEP, STP, IGES, IGS, SLDPRT, STL, DXF, DWG, PDF, DOCX, JPG, JPEG, PNG or ZIP. A 2D PDF plus the model is the combination that gets quoted fastest.

Is my drawing kept confidential?

Uploads stay with the people quoting and making the part. If you need a mutual NDA in place first, say so on the contact form and it is arranged before files change hands.

Next step

Send the drawing — we come back with the material call and the price

Upload the model and the 2D PDF. You get a manufacturability note, a note on the resin if the drawing leaves it open, and a price.

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All 23 materials

All uploads are secure and confidential.

Quoted in 1 business day on a clean drawing
The resin and fill stated in writing on the quote
First article inspected before the run