PEEK Machining for Medical, Semiconductor and Downhole Parts
Send your drawing. We match it with shops that cut PEEK every week, not shops that will try it once. Reply within 24 business hours.
PEEK, unfilled
Tg 143 °C. Melting point 343 °C.
- POM (acetal)9070
- PA66 (nylon)10080
- PEI (Ultem)170105
- PPS20085
- PEEK250100
- PTFE26025
Why buyers send PEEK work here
It comes down to the match: shops that fit your part, from the first quote.
Matched by specialisation
Your RFQ goes to up to 3 shops that cut PEEK every week, picked for your grade, part size and tolerance. Not a general directory.
Professional suppliers
Shops in the network quote to your drawing, communicate clearly and keep you updated while your parts are made.
You deal with the shop
Quotes, terms and delivery are agreed between you and the shop. Free for buyers.
Does your part need PEEK, and which grade?
PEEK costs many times more per kilo than acetal or nylon, so it should earn its place. Tick what the part has to do. The check suggests the grade most shops would quote.
Typical machined PEEK parts
- Wafer handling combs and end effectors
- CMP retaining rings
- Test socket bodies and insulators
- Seal backup rings and valve seats
- Downhole electrical insulators
- Surgical instrument handles and guides
- Pump bushings and wear pads
- Manifold blocks for aggressive media
- Insulating washers, bushings and standoffs
- Gears and rollers for hot dry running
Unfilled PEEK, typical properties
- Glass transition temperature143 °C
- Melting point343 °C
- Continuous service temperatureabout 250 °C
- Tensile strength at 23 °C90 to 100 MPa
- Density1.30 g/cm³
- Water absorption, 24 habout 0.1%
- Thermal expansion below Tgabout 47 µm/m·K
- Limiting oxygen indexabout 35%
Published typical values for the raw material. The shop that quotes you confirms what it can hold on your geometry.
Unfilled, glass filled or carbon filled?
All three are sold as PEEK. They behave differently on the machine and in service, and the grade on your drawing decides which shops can quote it.
Unfilled PEEK
Natural beige or black, no reinforcement.
- Toughest of the three and the one that takes repeated steam cycles
- Right for instruments, fittings and parts in hot water or chemicals
- Moves the most with temperature, so hold it to the working temperature
PEEK GF30
30% short glass fibre in a PEEK matrix.
- Stiffer and far better against creep under a constant load at temperature
- Right for brackets, housings and bushings that stay loaded while hot
- Abrasive to cutting edges, and not a sliding material
PEEK CF30
30% carbon fibre, often with graphite or PTFE in bearing versions.
- Stiffest, most stable and the best at moving heat out of the part
- Right for wafer handling, fixtures and dry running bushings
- About half the thermal expansion of unfilled PEEK
Carbon filled PEEK is electrically conductive enough to bleed off static, which matters in wafer and display handling. Say so in the RFQ if the part has to dissipate charge.
PEEK grades compared: unfilled, GF30, CF30 and bearing grade
PEEK grades, density and what to expect
What changes when you put each grade on the drawing. These are typical ranges, not promises.
| Grade | Typical density (g/cm³) | What it brings, and how it cuts | Typical tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unfilled PEEK (natural or black) | 1.30 to 1.32 | Toughest of the family and the best choice for steam and repeated autoclave cycles. Machines cleanly with sharp polished tooling. Heat has nowhere to go, so chip evacuation and coolant matter more than cutting speed. | ±0.05 mm typical |
| PEEK GF30 (30% glass fibre) | 1.49 to 1.51 | Higher stiffness and much better creep resistance under load at temperature. Glass is abrasive, so tool life drops and edges need attention. Less tough than unfilled and not a sliding material. | ±0.05 mm typical |
| PEEK CF30 (30% carbon fibre) | 1.40 to 1.44 | Stiffest and most dimensionally stable grade, with roughly three to four times the thermal conductivity of unfilled PEEK and about half the expansion. The usual pick for semiconductor and fixture work. | ±0.025 mm on small annealed features |
| Bearing grade PEEK (carbon fibre, PTFE and graphite) | 1.44 to 1.46 | Lowest friction and best dry wear of the family. Used for bushings, wear pads and seal parts. Mechanically weaker than CF30, so it is a sliding material, not a structural one. | ±0.05 mm typical |
| Implant grade PEEK (ASTM F2026 stock) | 1.30 to 1.32 | Same material behaviour as unfilled PEEK, sold with lot traceability and documented biocompatibility testing. Handling, cleaning and packaging are what separate a shop that can run it from one that cannot. | ±0.05 mm typical |
Tolerances assume the part is inspected at room temperature. PEEK expands roughly four times more than steel per degree, so state the temperature a critical fit has to hold at. The fit calculator does that arithmetic, and the full property tables carry the rest of the numbers. Tooling, coolant and annealing by grade are on the machining processes page.
Where machined PEEK parts go
Each industry brings its own paperwork. Mention lot certificates, biocompatibility data, cleaning or cleanroom packing in your RFQ so we match shops that already work that way.
Medical devices
Instrument handles, guides, trays and clamps that survive autoclave cycles, plus parts machined from implant grade stock.
Semiconductor and display
Wafer handling combs, end effectors, CMP retaining rings, test sockets and insulators where outgassing and particles are checked.
Oil and gas
Seal backup rings, valve seats and electrical insulators for downhole tools that see pressure, hot fluids and gas.
Aerospace
Brackets, bushings, clamps and insulators that replace metal where weight and thermal isolation both matter.
Food, pharma and process
Pump and valve parts, scraper blades and fittings that take steam cleaning and clean in place chemicals.
Analytical and lab equipment
Fluid paths, ferrules and fittings for chromatography and metering where the plastic must stay inert.
How it works
One RFQ from you. A short list of shops that cut your grade. No bidding platform and no middleman on the order.
Send your RFQ
Upload a STEP file or PDF drawing and tell us the grade, quantity, tolerance and when you need it. Takes about three minutes.
We match up to 3 shops
We read the drawing and pick shops that cut that grade at that size, with the tooling, annealing and paperwork the part needs. You hear from us within 24 business hours.
Shops quote you directly
Each shop contacts you with a quote. You compare, ask questions and place the order with the one you choose.
What drives the price of a machined PEEK part
Material is a bigger share of the price than on most machined parts, and the block you start from matters more than the cycle time. If a quote looks high, one of these is usually the reason, and some of them you can change on the drawing.
- Stock form and gradePEEK is sold by the kilo at a price far above engineering metals, and filled grades cost more again. A part cut from plate when a rod would do turns expensive material into chips.
- How much is removedMachining a small part out of a thick block is normal for PEEK, so the quote carries the whole block. A near net size of stock, or a moulded blank at volume, changes the price more than cycle time does.
- Annealing stepsThin walls, deep pockets and tight bores usually need a stress relief cycle between roughing and finishing. That is oven hours and a second setup.
- Tooling wear on filled gradesGlass and carbon fibre wear cutting edges quickly. Shops price in fresh tooling, and some keep separate tools so filled dust never touches unfilled work.
- Tolerance and surface finishEvery step tighter than you need adds passes and inspection. Only tolerance the features that have to fit.
- Documents and packingLot certificates, biocompatibility documents, cleaning protocols, double bagging and cleanroom packing all add cost and a few days.
Have a drawing ready?
Send the short version now. We will ask for anything missing, such as the grade, the service temperature or whether the part needs documented biocompatibility. For full details up front, use the full RFQ form.
Your files go only to the shops we match. Ask for an NDA and nothing is shared until it is signed.
Cut PEEK? Get RFQs that fit your shop.
Shops see a preview of each request before paying for it and talk to the buyer directly. We take no commission on the order.
Questions buyers ask
Something else? Email .
Is this service free for buyers?
Yes. You pay nothing to send an RFQ or to receive quotes. Shops pay us for matched requests. Price, lead time and terms are agreed between you and the shop.
Who sees my drawing?
Shops first see a short preview: part type, PEEK grade, size, quantity, tolerance and deadline. It does not include your name, company or files. Your contact details and files go only to the shops we match, up to 3. If you ask for an NDA, we hold the files until it is signed.
Do you machine PEEK parts yourselves?
No. We are a matching service, not a machine shop. The shops that quote you run the machines, buy the stock and ship the parts. You place the order with them.
Which PEEK grade should I put on the drawing?
Unfilled PEEK for toughness, steam and repeated autoclave cycles. Glass filled for stiffness and creep resistance under load at temperature. Carbon filled for the best dimensional stability and heat transfer. Bearing grade for dry sliding. If you are not sure, send the operating temperature, load and media and let the shops suggest a grade.
Does PEEK stock need annealing before machining?
Extruded and moulded PEEK holds internal stress, and heavy material removal releases it. Shops normally use stress relieved stock, then anneal again between roughing and finishing on thin walls, deep pockets and tight bores. Say on the RFQ if your part is thin or has a bore you cannot lose, so the quote includes the oven time instead of discovering it later.
Can I get material traceability and biocompatibility documents?
Ask for it in the RFQ. Shops can pass through the resin maker lot certificate, and for medical work stock is available with documented testing to ISO 10993 or USP Class VI, or to ASTM F2026 for implant grade material. The documents come from the material maker, not from us.
What tolerances are realistic on PEEK?
General features land around ±0.05 mm. Small annealed features on carbon filled stock can hold ±0.025 mm or a little better. PEEK expands roughly four times more than steel per degree, so a part inspected at 20 °C and used at 150 °C moves. State the temperature that the tolerance has to hold at.
Where are the shops located?
That depends on the part and on the region you pick on the RFQ form. You can ask for shops in North America, Europe, Japan, Korea or the rest of Asia, or leave it open and let us match on fit alone.
Guides for PEEK buyers
- Machining
PEEK Machining Explained: What Shops Can and Cannot Do
How PEEK behaves on a machine, which grades cut easily, what tolerances hold at temperature and what to put on the drawing before you ask for a quote.
- Grades
PEEK Grades Compared: Unfilled, GF30, CF30 and Bearing
Unfilled, glass filled, carbon filled, bearing grade and implant grade PEEK compared on stiffness, temperature, wear, expansion and what each one costs to machine.
- Cost
PEEK Machining Cost: What You Are Paying For
Why PEEK quotes look high: stock price, how much you cut away, annealing steps, tooling wear on filled grades, tolerance and paperwork. Plus what to change first.