Columbia Machine

Columbia Machine was founded in Oakland in 1955 as a machine job shop and is now a women-owned company in Turlock. It has held U.S. Government contracts for coin presses since 1962, builds coining and rimming machines, and also offers custom machining.

Capabilities

• Custom CNC milling, 4-axis
• CNC turning with live tooling
• Manual milling and horizontal boring
• Coin presses, rimming machines and coining tooling

Equipment

• 9 CNC vertical machining centers, largest travel 102 x 40 x 39 in. (50 taper, 4-axis)
• Manual mill 120 x 60 x 36 in.; horizontal boring mill
• CNC lathes up to 20 in. swing x 60 in. with live tooling

Industries served

Government and private mints.

Request a quote

To request a quote from this shop, use the Request a Quote form. Tell us the part, material, quantity and deadline, and we will pass your request to the shop.

Horizontal Boring and Coining Tooling in Turlock: Columbia Machine

Some machine shops make general parts. Others build a specialized product and also take on custom work. Buyers in Turlock who look for custom machining sometimes find that a shop with its own equipment line understands precision in a different way. Columbia Machine is listed here for precision machining, tool and die, large part machining, horizontal boring and coining equipment. This page explains those terms and how they apply to buying custom machined parts.

What coining is

Coining is a metal forming process that squeezes a blank between two dies so the pattern on the dies is pressed into the metal. Coins are the best known example, but the same idea can mark or shape other parts. Coining equipment and its dies must be very accurate because small defects get copied onto every piece.

Tool and die work

A die is a tool that shapes or cuts material. Tool and die making is a craft that involves hardened steel, close fits and careful finishing. If you need a die, a punch or a set of forming tools, you will usually supply a drawing and the material requirement, and the shop will plan machining, heat treating and finishing.

Horizontal boring

A horizontal boring mill has a spindle that runs sideways and can machine a large part from several faces. It is well suited to heavy castings, frames and housings with large bores that must line up. When a part has several holes that must be accurate in relation to each other, boring them in one setup helps.

Large part machining

Heavy parts need strong machines and careful handling. They also need planning for how they will be fixtured and lifted. Buyers should share dimensions, weight and material. If the part is a weldment, mention whether it has been stress relieved, since stress can move metal when material is removed.

CNC milling and turning

Many custom jobs are done on CNC mills and lathes. Four axis milling adds a rotary table so the part can be turned between cuts. Turning with live tooling adds milling operations to a lathe. These options can reduce the number of setups for a part.

Manual machining still matters

Manual mills and lathes remain useful for one-off parts, repairs and special fits. A skilled machinist can complete a simple part quickly without writing a program.

Items to include in a request

• Drawing or sample part
• Material and hardness
• Size and weight
• Tolerances on the key dimensions
• Quantity and date needed

Custom work and older equipment

Buyers sometimes need parts for older presses and machines whose makers no longer exist. These jobs call for a sample or a drawing, and often for measuring and judgment. A shop in Turlock with deep experience in a niche can be a good place to ask about such parts.

Setting expectations

For specialty parts, discuss lead time early. Tooling and forming parts may require more than one operation, with time between each for heat treating or finishing.

Have a custom part in mind? Describe it through the Request a Quote form and we will share your request with the shop.

Is this your shop? Claim or remove this listing.