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Every stage of your product,

developed under one roof.

With our in-house designers, engineers, and machinists working together from day one, issues get fixed in CAD - not discovered in production, so you get your product shipped without compromising your vision, or timeline.

 

Machining

Precision Machining for Product Development Teams

With our machine shop focused on low-volume, high-precision CNC machining, your prototypes get the attention they deserve instead of competing with large production runs. You get reliable parts, quicker validation, and confidence in your next design decision.

When Accuracy, Speed and Collaboration Matter

Sherpa’s onsite machine shop delivers CNC machining, prototype support, first article inspection, and short-run parts for complex projects where accuracy, speed, and engineering collaboration matter.

"Some products perform just fine with standard tolerances. We’re here for those that don’t.”

Final_DSC5556 - Making chips, HEM, High Efficiency Machining, Chip Thinning, High speed machining-1
machine shop

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When Deadlines and Quantities are Short

Accelerate development cycles with a machine shop built for engineers, not production quotas.

We work with R&D teams, both internal and external, to deliver quantities that larger shops typically won’t quote. Our prototype focused scheduling means projects aren't competing with thousands of production parts for machine time.

Most Machine Shops Deliver Parts. Product Development Teams Need Answers.

A Dedicated Resource for Your Prototyping Needs

Our machinists solve manufacturing challenges that can slow development, from difficult geometries to machining 3D printed parts to meet tight tolerance requirements. They can be a resource for CAD feedback, DFM input, tolerance planning, prototyping, inspection, and short-run part production.

Direct collaboration with engineers and machinists

Fast turnaround for prototype and development builds

Design for Manufacturability (DFM) support

Integrated CNC machining and additive manufacturing

Focus on solving engineering problems, not just producing parts

onsite machine shop

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Key Capabilities and Equipment

Our machinists use 3-axis and 5-axis CNC equipment to machine complex shapes in fewer setups. We program and simulate tool paths in NX CAM, use CMM Manager for inspection workflows, and support reverse engineering when existing parts need to be measured, validated, or remanufactured.

CNC milling tolerances: Metals: +/-0.001"; Plastics: +/-0.008"  

Maximum 5-axis part size: 12 x 12 x 10"

Maximum 3-axis part size: 30 x 18 x 12"

Tighter tolerances may be available depending on part geometry.

ITAR-Certified Machining Support

Sherpa is ITAR certified. If your machining project requires controlled file handling, we can provide a secure method for sharing project files

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Example Parts

satelite structural part-1
motorcycle handlebar mount clamp-1-1
front housing bezel of a thermal camera 2-1-1
thermal camera enclosure CU-1-1
1 thermal camera enclosure-1-1
form fiber packaging tooling die component-1-1
satelite GPS unit enclosure-1-1
satelite structural part CU-1-1
gaveneli break lever index shifter 3-1

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Explore Our Case Studies

Pre-amp case anodized in blue

Test Equipment Pre-Amplifier Case

Our team designed these pre-amplifier cases to represent an iconic brand and adapt to multiple configurations years ago. We're still manufacturing them.

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FAQs

  • We prefer STEP/STP or Parasolid files and can accept most high-fidelity neutral formats, as well as NX, SolidWorks, or Creo files.

  • Sherpa’s machine shop works with many grades of aluminum, stainless steel, plastics, and even 3D printed parts. We do not machine wood or carbon fiber.

  • We are not an automotive shop, and we do not machine small hobby projects, such as mag wheels for your car. Our customers are mostly enterprise companies in the aerospace, industrial equipment, semiconductor, and defense spaces.

  • No. We regularly support customers who need a single prototype part, a handful of engineering test units, or a small batch of production components. Because our shop is focused on research and development support, we are comfortable taking on projects that larger production-focused machine shops may not quote.
  • Our standard CNC machining capabilities include tolerances of approximately ±0.001" for metals and ±0.006" for many plastics. Depending on the material, geometry, and part requirements, tighter tolerances may be achievable. If your project involves precision fits, inspection requirements, or critical functional dimensions, our team can review your design and help determine the best manufacturing approach.
  • Yes. One of the advantages of working with Sherpa is direct collaboration between engineers and machinists. Our team can review your CAD models and drawings, identify potential manufacturing challenges, suggest design improvements, and help balance tolerances, cost, and manufacturability. The goal is to find issues early, before they create delays during prototyping or production.

Tell us about your project, and we’ll
get you the parts you need