Billet Machining Services
Billet machining is the process of starting with a solid block of metal and precisely removing material to create complex, tight-tolerance parts that forming alone cannot achieve. At Jones Metal, our CNC billet machining capabilities complement our industry-leading forming expertise, enabling us to solve manufacturing problems that most shops can’t. Whether you need features like internal ribs, negative angles, or variable wall thicknesses, our billet machining services deliver the precision and repeatability your application demands.
Why Choose Jones Metal for CNC Billet Machining
- CNC 3 and 5-axis machining centers for complex geometries and tight tolerances
- Lathe with live tooling for precision machining of both sides without repositioning—critical for maintaining billet tolerances (often ±0.001″)
- Machining center capable of handling parts up to 11 feet long
- In-house aluminum heat treating for billet aluminum machining projects up to 8 feet long
- Unique ability to combine billet machining with forming for significant material cost savings on exotic alloys
- CMMC Level 2 certified for defense contractor work (something most small machining shops cannot offer)
- Over 100 years of metal forming experience backing every machining project
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“We can take a flat blank, machine in ribs, channels, or variable wall thicknesses, and then form it into a dome using our hydroform press. Starting from plate instead of billet can reduce your material cost to as little as one-seventh of what you’d pay starting from a solid block.”
–Dan Erb
5-Step Process for Getting Started With Our Billet Machining Services
Contact us your project requirements
Provide prints and CAD models for review
We evaluate whether a billet, forming, or hybrid approach is most cost-effective for your part
We review material specs, tolerances, and any secondary operations (heat treating, finishing)
We provide detailed quotes and timeline estimates
Our Industry Expertise
Our machining capabilities are best suited to industries where complexity, tight tolerances, and quality matter more than commodity pricing.
Nuclear
Highly regulated applications that demand certified processes and complete traceability.
High-performance components where material integrity and dimensional accuracy are critical.
Frequently Asked Questions About Billet Machining
You start with a solid block (billet) of metal and remove material through CNC machining to produce a finished part. Unlike forming, which shapes flat sheet metal, billet machining can produce features like internal ribs, complex pockets, and negative angles that forming simply cannot achieve.
Our machining center can handle parts up to 11 feet long, which exceeds our forming capability and allows us to take on large, complex parts that most shops cannot accommodate.
In the billet world, tolerances of ±0.001″ are common. Our lathe with live tooling allows us to machine both sides of a part without repositioning–a critical capability for maintaining that level of precision. Repositioning between operations can introduce movement of up to 0.005″, which is already outside tolerance for many billet applications.
Yes. We can heat treat aluminum parts up to 8 feet long in-house. For longer parts or other materials requiring vacuum furnace processing, we work with trusted outside partners.
Absolutely. We’re not a bar-feeder shop optimized for high-volume commodity parts. Our focus is on complex, lower-volume work where our combination of capabilities (machining, forming, heat treating) makes a real difference for the customer.
When your part uses expensive material–Inconel, titanium, specialized aluminum alloys–and the design allows for it, starting from plate and machining in detail before forming can reduce material costs by up to 85%. We’ll evaluate your part and tell you honestly whether the hybrid approach makes sense.
Ready to Discuss Your Billet Machining Project?
If you have a part that other shops have struggled with, or you’re looking for a manufacturing partner with the certifications, equipment, and problem-solving experience to handle complex billet work, we’d like to hear from you. Contact Jones Metal today to discuss your project requirements.