Manufacturing capabilities
Six integrated processes. Precision tooling from our Asian partners, final production and QC in Portland. Every polymer part machined, molded, inspected, and shipped by people who know your name.
The process
From file intake to final inspection — here's what happens when you send us a digital model or a print.
We accept STEP, IGES, STL, OBJ, and native CAD files. Every model is classified as mechanical (tolerance-critical, prismatic geometry) or organic (complex surfaces, sculpted forms) — because the machining and molding strategy differs fundamentally between the two. We review your application requirements — temperature, chemical exposure, mechanical load, regulatory standards — and recommend the optimal polymer grade.
Software suites used: SolidWorks, Fusion 360, ZBrush, Blender. We handle file decimation carefully — preserving feature resolution where it matters, reducing poly count where it doesn't.
DFM feedback includedMulti-axis milling and turning on machines configured specifically for polymers. Different tooling, different speeds, different fixturing than metal shops — because plastics behave differently under a cutter. Mechanical parts get tight-tolerance prismatic machining; organic forms get 3+2 contouring strategies.
Tolerance ±0.005 mmLow-to-medium volume production runs with rapid tooling. We use common tool base systems — standardized steel bases housing interchangeable aluminum or steel tool inserts — so companies producing families of similar-sized products can make mold production costing simple and efficient. Cantilever, slide core, hand-inserted core, and A/B molds can all be created. Engineering-grade resins only: Polystyrene, ABS, PEEK, Polypropylene, Nylon, and Polyurethane.
Common tool base approach: your first mold pays for the base; subsequent variants only require new inserts — dramatically reducing per-part mold amortization across product families.
Shot 50–800 gProfile extrusion, compression molding, and thermoforming for custom cross-sections and one-off shapes. We handle geometries that don't fit standard stock shapes.
Widths to 300 mmUltrasonic welding, adhesive bonding, and insert installation. We deliver finished sub-assemblies — not just parts you have to figure out how to join yourself.
Bond strength testedCMM, optical measurement, and full material certification. Every dimension verified against your print. Every shipment includes complete traceability documentation. Extreme tolerances maintained for medical, automotive, and consumer applications.
AS 9100 compliantAltera operates a dual-country model designed for cost efficiency and supply-chain resilience. Molds are produced by our tooling partners in China — where decades of precision mold-making infrastructure deliver exceptional quality at competitive rates — then air-shipped as components to our Portland facility for domestic production.
This means you get globally competitive tooling costs with US-based production, QC, and fulfillment. No overseas quality risk. No single-country dependency. And a clear answer for corporations facing tariffs, political instability, or rising international shipping costs.
Tariff-resilient supply chain. Domestic production with international tooling economics. Molds built in China, parts made in the USA — the best of both.
Equipment
The right machines, configured the right way. Because machining PEEK is not the same as machining aluminum.
Multi-axis machining centers with polymer-specific spindle speeds, coolant systems, and workholding. Live tooling for complex geometries in a single setup.
Live-tool lathes for turned parts with milled features. Bar-fed capability for production runs. Sub-spindle for completed parts in one handling.
Electric and hybrid presses configured for engineering-grade resins. Common tool base compatible. Rapid mold-change systems for short-run efficiency.
Profile extrusion for custom cross-sections. Single-screw with vacuum calibration for tight dimensional control.
Coordinate measuring machines with touch-probe and scanning capability. Full geometric dimensioning and tolerancing to ASME Y14.5.
Non-contact vision system for delicate or small-feature parts. Ideal for micro-machined components and thin-wall sections.
Quality assurance
We don't inspect quality in at the end — we verify it at every handoff.
Every lot of raw material is verified against its mill cert before it enters inventory. Chemistry, mechanicals, lot number — all logged and traceable.
Critical dimensions are checked at the machine — not after the batch is done. If something drifts, we catch it at part one, not part one hundred.
Every shipment includes a dimensional report and material cert matched to your PO. Full traceability from raw material to finished part.
Ready to start?
We'll review your requirements and respond with a manufacturing plan — including material recommendations, lead times, and honest DFM feedback.