Precision CNC machining in-house, on-site, and in-sequence with your fabrication. From flat-milled surfaces and precision drilled patterns to counterbored bolt circles and secondary machining on welded assemblies — all performed on our Haas VF-2SS vertical machining center without adding an outside vendor to your supply chain.
Lasertech's machining capability centers on the Haas VF-2SS — a high-speed vertical machining center with a 30-taper spindle, fast rapids, and a 20-pocket side-mount tool changer. The "SS" designation indicates the Super Speed configuration: higher spindle RPM and faster axis motion compared to the standard VF-2, making it particularly effective for aluminum and light steel milling operations.
The machine lives in the same building as the laser cutters, press brakes, welders, and powder coat line — which means a fabricated weldment can move from welding directly to the machining center for secondary operations without leaving the facility, adding a vendor, or touching an outside schedule.
The VF-2SS's work envelope — 30″ × 16″ × 20″ — handles the majority of secondary machining operations that arise in sheet metal and structural fabrication: flat milling, bolt hole drilling, slotting, counterboring, and precision feature work on welded weldments up to approximately 29″ × 15″ in footprint.
30″ X-Axis Travel — Long enough to machine the full width of most fabricated panel sections and frame members in a single setup, eliminating re-fixturing and the cumulative tolerance errors that come with multiple setups.
12,000 RPM High-Speed Spindle — The SS spindle runs significantly faster than the standard VF-2, enabling optimal cutting speeds in aluminum (where high RPM produces better surface finish and tool life) without sacrificing capability on steel.
20-Pocket Tool Changer — Multiple tools loaded and ready for complex programs — drill, ream, counterbore, mill, and chamfer in a single uninterrupted cycle. Reduces setup time on multi-feature parts and eliminates manual tool changes mid-program.
1,200 IPM Rapid Traverse — Fast rapids reduce non-cutting time between features, directly improving throughput on parts with many drilled holes or widely spaced machined features — common in frame fabrication and panel work.
Fanuc-Compatible Control — G-code programs from external CAM systems (Mastercam, Fusion 360, etc.) are directly compatible. Customer-supplied programs are accepted, reviewed, and run — or Lasertech can generate toolpaths from customer drawings.
Lasertech's machining operations cover the most common secondary and primary machining requirements encountered in fabricated metalwork — from precision pocket milling to multi-hole drilling patterns and surface conditioning.
Flat-milling of surfaces to correct planarity, remove mill scale and laser oxide, create datum reference surfaces, or machine weld proud from seams. Face milling is frequently the first operation on a welded assembly — establishing a flat reference plane that all subsequent machining features reference. Typical results: flatness within 0.003″ over a 12″ span, Ra 125 µin or better.
Flatness Control · Weld Removal · Datum SurfacesCNC-located drilling of bolt patterns, clearance holes, and precision-tolerance holes — positioned to drawing callout, not layout lines. The CNC locates each hole from a program origin referenced to a machined datum, eliminating the cumulative error of hand-layout and manual drilling. Bolt circle patterns, rectangular arrays, and custom feature patterns are all programmed directly from DXF or drawing input. Tolerances typically ±0.002″ on hole location.
Bolt Circles · Hole Arrays · ±0.002″ LocationCounterbores for socket head cap screws (SHCS), flat-head countersinks for flush fastening, and spot-facing of rough cast or welded surfaces to provide a flat bearing surface under a bolt head or nut. All three operations are performed in the same setup as the pilot hole, maintaining true concentricity between the clearance hole and the counterbore or countersink. Critical for assemblies where fasteners must sit flush or fastener seating surfaces must be flat.
SHCS Counterbores · Flush Fastening · Spot FacesMachined pockets and recesses in plate and solid stock — for component nest-in fits, clearance pockets, keyways, and stepped features not achievable by forming or cutting alone. Pockets can be roughed and finish-milled in a single program cycle: roughing passes remove material efficiently, the finish pass achieves the specified surface finish and dimensional tolerance. Square corners, radiused corners (limited by tool radius), and arbitrary profile pockets are all programmable.
Nest Fits · Keyways · Stepped FeaturesOpen slots, closed keyways, and T-slots milled to dimensional callout. Slots are common in adjustment features, clearance cuts for mating hardware, and mechanical keyways in shafts and hubs. The CNC locates slot endpoints and widths from program — consistent from hole to hole across production quantities. Minimum slot width limited by available tooling; typical range 1/8″ through 1″ in one pass.
Adjustment Slots · Keyways · Clearance CutsSingle-point boring and reaming of holes to precise diameters — where drill tolerances are insufficient for fits, bearings, bushings, pins, or shaft interfaces. Boring corrects hole location errors that drilling introduces (drills walk; boring stays centered on the programmed position) and achieves tighter diameter tolerances than standard drilling. Reaming follows boring or drilling to achieve H7 or tighter fits. Typical achievable diameter tolerance: ±0.0005″.
Bearing Fits · Press Fits · H7 ToleranceCNC machining tolerances depend on operation type, material, part setup rigidity, and whether features are roughed and finish-cut separately. The values below represent typical achievable tolerances on the Haas VF-2SS under standard operating conditions. Tighter tolerances are achievable for specific features — contact us if your drawing calls out critical fits.
Surface finish is specified in Ra (roughness average, in microinches). The value achievable depends on operation, tool, feed rate, and material. The chart below shows typical Ra values for each operation type — finer finishes require slower feeds and dedicated finish passes, which affect cycle time and cost.
If your drawing calls out a specific Ra value, GD&T tolerance, or hole fit class (e.g., H7, H8), include those callouts on the drawing when you submit your quote request. Our programmers will select the tooling, feed, and speed to hit the specification. For conversational tolerance questions, call 770-461-9941.
Some of the most valuable machining work happens after welding — not before. Weld distortion, residual stress relief movement, and the dimensional growth that occurs during welding can shift features out of tolerance on even well-designed weldments. Secondary machining after welding corrects these issues precisely rather than chasing them with shimming or rework.
At Lasertech, welded assemblies that require post-weld machining move directly from the weld bay to the Haas VF-2SS. No shipping, no third-party machine shop queue, no re-inspection at a new facility. The same team that built the weldment understands what it's supposed to be.
Full-weld or tack-weld per drawing. Distortion from weld heat is acceptable at this stage — the machining step corrects it. Machining stock is sometimes added to critical surfaces during fabrication, knowing they'll be faced to final dimension after welding.
Heavily welded or high-tolerance assemblies may require thermal stress relief before machining to prevent post-machine movement. Lasertech can coordinate thermal treatment and advise on whether your part requires it based on material, weld volume, and tolerance requirements.
The weldment is set up on the VF-2SS and face-milled to establish a clean, flat reference datum — removing weld proud, scale, and distortion variation. This machined surface becomes the program reference for all subsequent features.
Holes, pockets, slots, counterbores, and precision surfaces are machined from the established datum in a continuous program — maintaining true positional relationship between features regardless of weldment distortion prior to setup.
Machined features are checked against drawing callouts. The weldment then proceeds to finishing and powder coating — with machined surfaces masked or noted for coating treatment as required by the drawing.
Pre-machining features before welding is sometimes necessary, but secondary machining after welding is often the better approach for tolerance-critical features on weldments — and it's only viable when machining happens in the same facility as welding.
Flat surfaces, parallel faces, and precision hole locations that survive weld distortion — because they're cut to final dimension after welding, not before it moves everything.
Direct transfer from weld bay to machining center. No shipping, no re-quote, no second vendor schedule to coordinate around.
Design extra material on surfaces that will be machined — a ¼″ weld buildup that gets faced to exact dimension gives you clean surface finish and precise thickness.
All features machined from the same datum in one setup accumulate less positional error than features machined in separate setups at separate facilities.
If your weldment has tolerance-critical features, design-in machining stock on those surfaces. Our engineering team can review your drawing and recommend where to add stock and what sequence to specify. Contact us at 770-461-9941 or via our quote request form.
Lasertech machines the same materials it fabricates — mild steel, carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum alloys — in standard plate, bar, and structural stock, as well as welded assemblies from these same materials.
Most common machined material at Lasertech. Good machinability with HSS and carbide tooling. Face milling, drilling, and pocket work in A36 and A572 plate are standard operations — typically performed as secondary ops on laser-cut or welded parts.
HSS & Carbide · Standard FeedsWork-hardening tendency requires sharp tooling, consistent feeds, and coolant. Slower cutting speeds than mild steel. Carbide tooling required. Common in food service and pharmaceutical applications where machined features must be clean, smooth, and burr-free.
Carbide Only · Coolant · Sharp EdgesExcellent machinability — the VF-2SS's high spindle RPM is particularly effective here, enabling fast feed rates, good finish, and long tool life. 6061-T6 is the more common machined grade; 5052 is softer and used where formability is prioritized.
High RPM · Fast Feeds · Best FinishMachining is not limited to sheet metal — Lasertech also machines flat bar, angle, channel, and plate stock in all of the above materials. Structural weldments from these sections are the most common post-weld machining application.
Bar · Plate · Angle · WeldmentsMachining typically happens after welding and before finishing and powder coating — allowing weld distortion to be corrected at the machining step, and machined surfaces to be clean and dimensionally correct before coating is applied.
Near-net shape features. Machining stock added to precision surfaces where required.
Bent, welded, and stress-relieved as required before machining.
Face mill, drill, bore, counterbore, slot — correcting weld distortion and machining to final dimension.
Deburr, blast, powder coat. Machined surfaces masked if required by drawing.
Hardware installed, assembled, kitted, and shipped.
Secondary machining on fabricated parts spans virtually every sector where dimensional precision, bolted connections, or bearing interfaces are required in metalwork.
Post-weld face milling and bolt-pattern drilling on generator frames, skids, and mounting plates — where bolt-flange flatness and hole location tolerance are structural requirements.
Machine frames, guarding, and structural weldments that require precision surfaces, bearing fits, or precision-located mounting holes — common in custom automation and equipment builds.
Precision-drilled panel mounting patterns, counterbored DIN rail attachment points, and machined din-rail datum surfaces on backplate weldments.
Stainless steel frame and table weldments requiring flat machined surfaces, smooth bored openings, and precision-located holes for sanitation and equipment alignment.
Aluminum and steel chassis components, mounting brackets, and structural assemblies requiring tight hole tolerances and clean machined surfaces without outsourcing to a separate machine shop.
Equipment support frames and pipe stands with precision bolt patterns, leveling pad surfaces, and counterbored connection flanges — all secondary machined after welding.
Decorative and structural metal assemblies where visible machined surfaces are part of the aesthetic — face-milled smooth, then powder coated over a clean machined substrate.
Target frame components and structural steel assemblies requiring precision hole locations for range hardware, pivot points, and structural fastener patterns.
Common questions about machining services at Lasertech Metal Works.
Lasertech provides CNC milling (face milling, pocket milling, slot milling), precision drilling, counterboring, countersinking, boring, and reaming — all performed on a Haas VF-2SS high-speed vertical machining center. These operations are offered both as standalone machining jobs on raw material or customer-supplied parts, and as secondary operations on parts and assemblies fabricated in-house.
Lasertech's CNC machining is performed on a Haas VF-2SS vertical machining center. The VF-2SS has a work envelope of 30″ (X) × 16″ (Y) × 20″ (Z), a 30-taper high-speed spindle at up to 12,000 RPM, a 20-pocket automatic tool changer, and rapid traverse rates of 1,200 IPM in X/Y. This covers the majority of secondary machining requirements for fabricated sheet metal and structural parts — parts up to approximately 29″ × 15″ in footprint can typically be set up and machined in a single operation. For more information, visit the Haas VF-2SS equipment page.
Yes — and this is one of the highest-value applications of Lasertech's in-house machining capability. Welded assemblies move directly from the weld bay to the Haas VF-2SS without leaving the facility. Post-weld face milling establishes a flat datum surface, then precision holes, pockets, and features are machined from that datum. This corrects weld distortion and achieves final dimensions that couldn't be maintained through the heat and movement of welding. Stress relief prior to machining is available for high-tolerance applications.
Typical tolerances: hole location ±0.002″, feature dimensions ±0.003–0.005″, face-milled flatness 0.003″ over 12″. Tighter tolerances are achievable for specific features — reamed holes to ±0.001″, bored holes to ±0.0005″. If your drawing calls out GD&T tolerances, specific fit classes (H7, etc.), or critical surface finish requirements (Ra 32 or better), include those callouts on the drawing when you request a quote and our programmers will select the appropriate tooling and approach.
Yes. Lasertech accepts standalone machining work on customer-supplied parts and raw material stock. Submit a drawing with machined feature callouts, material specification, and quantity to receive a quote. If you're supplying weldments or previously fabricated parts, include dimensional information and fixturing notes if you have specific setup requirements.
Call 770-461-9941 or use our online contact form. Include your drawing with all machined feature callouts, tolerances, and surface finish requirements; material specification; quantity; and any notes on fixturing, datum references, or special requirements. Machining can be quoted as part of a complete fabrication workflow — laser cut, form, weld, machine, finish, powder coat, assemble — or as a standalone machining-only quote.