PEEK CNC Machining

VisionForge machines PEEK and PEEK composite parts for medical device, semiconductor, and photonics customers from our Mississauga, Ontario facility. PEEK (polyether ether ketone) is a high-performance engineering thermoplastic that holds mechanical properties at elevated temperatures, resists aggressive chemistry, and — in its glass-filled and carbon-filled variants — approaches metal stiffness at a fraction of the weight. Machining it well means respecting two things most shops underestimate: stress relief during roughing, and thermal management at the cutter. We run PEEK on a 2025 Matsuura MX-520 and a Fanuc Robodrill α-T14iAL, and we build the tool path and fixturing around the material's behaviour.

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Why PEEK rewards a precision shop

  • Stress relief matters. PEEK stock has residual stress from extrusion and compression molding. Rough, relax, and then finish — skipping that sequence on tight-tolerance parts is how you get features that walk after the operation completes.
  • Heat management. PEEK is a poor thermal conductor. Chip evacuation is what keeps the part dimensionally stable during the cut; if chips re-cut, the local temperature spike softens the surface. Flood coolant or strong air blast on finishing is standard practice in our shop.
  • Sharp, polished tooling. PEEK deflects away from a dull edge rather than cutting cleanly. We run dedicated PEEK tooling — polished flutes, high positive rake, not reused from aluminum or stainless cycles.
  • 20°C ±1° facility. Thermal stability of the environment matters less for PEEK than for titanium, but matters more for the fixture and the machine — a long finishing pass on a thin-wall PEEK housing reads the ambient drift.

PEEK grades we machine

  • Virgin PEEK (unfilled) — general-purpose, food-contact and medical-compatible grades available per supplier certifications. Sterilization-compatible.
  • Glass-filled PEEK (PEEK-GF30) — 30% glass fiber reinforcement, improved dimensional stability and stiffness at higher temperatures. Abrasive to cutters; tool life planning is part of the quote.
  • Carbon-filled PEEK (PEEK-CF30, CF-PEEK) — 30% carbon fiber reinforcement, approaches metal stiffness-to-weight. Common in semiconductor tooling and aerospace interior components. Very abrasive — diamond-coated or solid-carbide polished tooling.
  • Medical-grade PEEK (PEEK-OPTIMA, Victrex medical grades) — machined under the customer's ISO 13485 quality system; material certifications and lot traceability passed through.

Tolerances and surface finishes

  • In-house tolerance: ±0.0001" on features where the drawing and the material's dimensional stability will support it. On thin-wall or high-aspect-ratio PEEK features, we quote the realistic tolerance — not the aspirational one — and document the approach in the quote.
  • Final CMM verification: ±0.0002" through our ISO 9001 partner.
  • Surface finish: 16 µin Ra and better achievable on virgin PEEK with polished tooling; filled grades hold coarser finishes due to fiber pullout at the surface.
  • Edge condition: in-house vibratory finishing is available when appropriate, though many PEEK parts prefer manual deburring or machined chamfers over media finishing.

Common PEEK part types

  • Medical device components — surgical guides, implant positioning aids, instrument handles, sterilizable fixtures — under the customer's ISO 13485 QMS
  • Semiconductor components — wafer carriers, process chamber fixtures, vacuum-compatible CF-PEEK hardware
  • Photonics mounts and fixtures — where thermal stability at low mass matters and metal is not preferred
  • Industrial automation end-effectors — where the part must not mar the workpiece or where electrical isolation is required
  • Prototype and low-volume production — PEEK parts are expensive to re-run, so first-article accuracy matters more than cycle time

Documentation available

  • Material certifications — supplier lot cert, traceable on request
  • First Article Inspection (FAI) — available on request
  • PPAP-style documentation — prepared per the customer's format requirements
  • CMM dimensional reports — partner CMM inspection to ±0.0002"

Industries this material supports

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FAQ

What PEEK grades do you machine?

Virgin PEEK, 30% glass-filled PEEK (PEEK-GF30), 30% carbon-filled PEEK (CF-PEEK / PEEK-CF30), and medical-grade PEEK (PEEK-OPTIMA and Victrex medical grades). Other grades on request.

Can PEEK hold ±0.0001" tolerance?

On the right feature, yes. PEEK's dimensional stability is strong enough for tight tolerances, but on thin-wall or long-aspect-ratio features we quote the realistic tolerance based on the geometry. If a drawing calls for ±0.0001" on a feature PEEK will fight, we flag it during DFM.

Do you machine medical-grade PEEK for implants?

We machine medical-grade PEEK for surgical instruments, guides, and device components under the customer's ISO 13485 quality management system. We are not ISO 13485 certified ourselves and do not claim to be — we work as an approved supplier within the customer's QMS.

How does stress relief work on PEEK parts?

For tight-tolerance work we rough the part, allow it to relax, and then finish. For less demanding features we may do it in a single operation. The approach is chosen per part and documented in the quote.

Do you supply PEEK stock, or does the customer?

Either. Most medical and semiconductor customers supply with their own material and cert. When we source, we buy from qualified suppliers (Victrex, Ensinger, Solvay, etc.) and pass the cert through.

What's a realistic volume for PEEK work?

Prototype through low-volume production, typically 1 to 500 pieces. PEEK stock cost makes larger runs less common for this material, though the MX-520 supports lights-out production for qualified jobs.