Manufacturing Services

CNC Machining

IPM's CNC machining capability is the core of our production floor. We operate 3-axis and multi-axis CNC milling centers and CNC turning centers capable of producing complex, tight-tolerance components in a wide range of engineering materials. Our programmers and operators work from customer-supplied CAD files and 2D drawings, building setups and toolpaths optimized for both accuracy and cycle efficiency.

We machine aluminum alloys (6061, 7075, 2024), carbon and alloy steels, stainless steels (303, 304, 316L, 17-4 PH), titanium (Ti-6Al-4V), brass, copper, and engineering plastics including Delrin, PEEK, and nylon. Tolerances as tight as ±0.0002" are achievable on critical features, with full dimensional inspection available on first articles and production lots.

Whether you need a single prototype machined in days or a recurring low-volume production order, our CNC department is structured to move efficiently from setup to finished parts with minimal re-work and consistent quality.

• 3-axis and multi-axis CNC milling
• CNC turning and live tooling
• Tolerances to ±0.0002" on critical features
• Aluminum, steel, stainless, titanium, brass, copper, engineering plastics
• First article inspection reports (FAIR) available
• Material certifications provided on request
• Prototype to low-volume production

Manual Machining

Manual machining remains a critical capability in a full-service shop, and IPM's experienced machinists operate conventional Bridgeport-style mills and engine lathes for work that is better suited to manual methods than CNC programming. One-off parts, simple turned or milled features, quick modifications to existing parts, and legacy components without CAD files are all efficiently handled on our manual equipment.

Manual machining is also the right choice for large, simple parts where CNC setup time would outweigh its benefits, or for repair work on existing hardware where the scope is straightforward. Our machinists apply the same precision standards on manual equipment as on our CNC machines, the tool changes, the commitment to tolerances does not.

For customers with older legacy hardware, worn components needing repair, or one-off jobs that don't justify full CNC programming, IPM's manual machining capability provides a practical, cost-effective solution without sacrificing quality.

• Conventional milling (Bridgeport-style)
• Engine lathe turning
• One-off and single-piece jobs
• Legacy part reproduction without CAD
• Part repairs and modifications
• Tapping, drilling, reaming, and boring
• Large simple parts and quick-turn jobs

Welding & Fabrication

IPM's in-house welding and fabrication capability sets us apart from shops that focus exclusively on machining. Our certified welders work in MIG and TIG processes across steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, handling structural fabrication, weldments, brackets, frames, and custom assemblies that require both dimensional accuracy and weld quality.

TIG welding is used for high-quality, aesthetically clean welds and for materials like stainless and aluminum where heat control matters. MIG welding serves structural fabrication, heavier steel components, and assemblies where weld speed and penetration are priorities. Both processes are available in-house, allowing us to select the appropriate method for each joint and application.

Combining our welding capability with precision machining means we can deliver fully fabricated and machined assemblies, weldments that go straight into a fixture or assembly, without requiring the customer to manage two separate suppliers and two separate inspection steps.

• MIG welding, steel and aluminum structural fabrication
• TIG welding, stainless, aluminum, and precision weldments
• Custom frames, brackets, and structural assemblies
• Sheet metal fabrication and forming
• Weld-and-machine assemblies (one supplier)
• Material: mild steel, 304/316 stainless, 6061 aluminum
• Post-weld machining for critical mating surfaces

Assembly Services

Assembly services at IPM allow customers to receive a finished sub-assembly or complete assembly rather than a bag of individual parts. We handle light mechanical assembly including hardware insertion, press-fits, thread installation (Helicoils, threaded inserts), and fastener torque. For customers with multi-component designs, we can assemble, inspect, and ship ready-to-install sub-assemblies.

By combining assembly with machining and fabrication under one roof, we reduce your supplier count, eliminate shipping and receiving steps between vendors, and give you a single quality checkpoint for the complete assembly. This is particularly valuable for prototype and low-volume programs where coordinating multiple suppliers adds cost and schedule risk.

• Light mechanical sub-assembly
• Hardware insertion and torque-to-spec
• Helicoil and threaded insert installation
• Press-fit and interference fit assembly
• Inspection of assembled units to drawing
• Kitting and packaging for shipment

Rapid Prototyping

Speed matters in product development. IPM's rapid prototyping service is built around getting machined parts into your hands as quickly as possible, typically within days of receiving approved drawings or CAD files. We prioritize prototype jobs through our shop and maintain dedicated capacity for fast-turn work so development schedules don't slip waiting for parts.

Machined prototypes from IPM are functional parts in the actual production material, not resin prints or low-strength substitutes. This means form, fit, and function testing is reliable, and prototype parts can serve double duty for customer demos, investor presentations, or regulatory submissions that require the real material and process.

We work from SolidWorks, STEP, IGES, DXF, and PDF drawing formats. If your CAD model isn't quite ready for machining, our engineers can flag issues before cutting chips rather than after.

• Fast-turn machined prototypes in days, not weeks
• Production materials, not resin or substitute materials
• SolidWorks, STEP, IGES, DXF, and PDF input formats
• Single pieces to small sets (1 to 25 pieces)
• DFM review included at no extra charge
• Supports design validation, fit checks, and functional testing

Rapid Tooling

Rapid tooling covers the production of molds, dies, jigs, fixtures, and tooling inserts needed to support downstream manufacturing, produced quickly to keep development and production timelines moving. IPM machines tooling in aluminum (for speed and cost on prototype molds) and steel (for longer-run injection mold inserts, forming dies, and durable production fixtures).

For teams bridging the gap between prototype and volume production, aluminum tooling from IPM can be producing short-run molded parts within a week, providing real production-process samples for validation before committing to hardened steel tooling. We also machine production-grade steel tooling for customers ready to commit to their final design.

• Prototype aluminum mold inserts
• Production steel injection mold tooling
• Forming dies and stamping tooling
• Jigs, fixtures, and assembly tooling
• Inspection fixtures and gauging
• Replacement inserts for existing tooling

Low Volume Manufacturing

Not every product needs high-volume production. IPM specializes in the low-volume zone: quantities from a handful of pieces up to several hundred, where the economics of dedicated production tooling don't work but quality and consistency still matter. This is the sweet spot for specialty products, industrial equipment components, aerospace and defense hardware, and medical devices in early commercial release.

Our low-volume production capability is built on the same CNC equipment and quality processes as our prototype work, scaled for repeatability. We invest in proper fixturing, establish documented setups, and maintain first-run inspection records so re-orders hit the same tolerances every time without re-validating from scratch.

• Production quantities from 5 to 500+ pieces
• Documented setups for consistent re-orders
• First article inspection on each new order
• Material certifications and traceability
• Mixed-material and multi-component orders
• Packaging and shipping to your specification

Engineering Services

IPM's engineering team bridges the gap between design and manufacturability. We offer practical, shop-floor-grounded engineering support throughout the product development process, from reviewing a new design before programming begins to helping a customer understand why a legacy part keeps failing. We can also generate new designs when a customer knows what they need but does not have the CAD resources to create it.

Our engineers work in SolidWorks and communicate in the language of machining: tolerances, GD&T, fixturing, toolpaths, and material selection. When we review a drawing, we ask the same questions our machinists will ask. It is better to surface those issues in a 30-minute review than in the middle of a machining job.

• Drawing and model review prior to quoting
• GD&T interpretation and tolerance stack-up analysis
• Material selection and substitution recommendations
• Fixturing and setup consultation
• SolidWorks CAD support
• Liaison between design and manufacturing teams

Design for Manufacturability

Design for Manufacturability (DFM) is the practice of reviewing a design before it goes to production to identify features that are difficult, expensive, or impossible to machine as drawn. We then propose modifications that preserve the design intent while reducing cost and lead time. At IPM, DFM review is a standing offer on every prototype and production quote.

Common DFM issues we identify include: internal radii that require expensive small-diameter tooling, unnecessarily tight tolerances applied to non-critical features, thread depths that exceed practical tool length, surface finish callouts that require secondary operations, and part orientations that require multiple setups where a minor design change would allow single-setup machining.

Catching these issues at the design stage saves real money and real time before fixturing and programming investment is made. Customers who engage IPM on DFM early consistently see lower part cost and faster turnaround on their production designs.

• Pre-production design review against machining constraints
• Tolerance rationalization for critical and non-critical features
• Internal radius and corner relief recommendations
• Setup reduction to minimize machine operations
• Surface finish and secondary operation review
• Written DFM report with annotated drawings

New Design Engineering

When customers know what a component needs to do but don't have internal CAD resources to design it, IPM's engineering team can take the design from concept to production-ready model and drawing. We've produced original designs for brackets and weldments, custom fixtures, mechanical assemblies, and replacement components for legacy equipment where original drawings no longer exist.

New design work at IPM is grounded in manufacturability from the start. Because we're designing parts we'll machine ourselves, we naturally avoid features that add cost without adding function, and we select materials and tolerances appropriate to the application and the production process. The result is a design that's ready to manufacture, not one that needs a second round of DFM revision before the first chip is cut.

• Concept-to-CAD design in SolidWorks
• Production-ready 2D drawings and GD&T
• Brackets, weldments, and mechanical assemblies
• Custom fixture and tooling design
• Replacement components for legacy equipment
• Design iteration support through prototype validation

Reverse Engineering

Reverse engineering is the process of measuring an existing physical part, creating a CAD model from those measurements, and generating manufacturing drawings that allow the part to be reproduced, often with improvements or in a different material. IPM performs reverse engineering for customers who need to reproduce obsolete parts, replace worn components on legacy equipment, or bring production of a previously outsourced part in-house.

Our process starts with dimensional inspection of the original part using calipers, micrometers, CMM where available, and optical measurement techniques. We build the CAD model in SolidWorks, develop manufacturing drawings with appropriate tolerances (inferred from function where originals don't exist), and validate the first reproduction against the original before releasing to production.

• Dimensional capture from physical parts
• SolidWorks CAD model generation
• Production drawings with GD&T
• Obsolete and legacy part reproduction
• Material upgrade or substitution
• First-article validation against original