Subcontract CNC Machining in Leighton Buzzard
Clarent Precision is a family-run machine shop on the Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire border. We mill and turn parts to your drawing, from one-off prototypes to repeat batches of 10,000+, in aluminium, stainless and super alloys. Parts go out by courier to customers across the UK.
- 3 and 4 axis milling and live-tooling turning
- Inconel, titanium, Hastelloy and Super Duplex
- Anodising and heat treatment arranged for you
- Quotes normally within 24 to 48 hours
- One-offs to batches of 10,000+
- Family-run since 2011
- ±0.01mm verified on a CMM
- ISO 9001:2015, certified by NQA
Our CNC machining services
Every part is machined in-house at our Leighton Buzzard workshop, from single prototypes to full production runs. Finishing treatments and assembly are managed for you, so one order covers the finished part.
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CNC Milling
3 and 4 axis machining centres for 2D profiles through to complex 3D parts, up to 762 × 406 × 508mm.
More on CNC milling -
CNC Turning
Live-tooling lathes cut cross holes and flats in the same setup. Up to Ø279 × 413mm, batches of 10,000+.
More on CNC turning -
Prototype Machining
One-offs and small batches in the production material, with a report on anything to change before production.
More on prototypes -
Assembly Services
Machined parts plus bought-in bearings, seals and motors, built and checked as one finished assembly.
More on assembly -
Post-Production Treatments
Anodising, heat treatment, plating, grinding and spark and wire erosion, managed through approved partners.
More on treatments -
Stockholding
Order a batch and call off parts as you need them, with emergency stock held here for you.
More on stockholding
Titanium, Inconel and Hastelloy, as well as aluminium
Titanium, Inconel 625 and 718, Hastelloy C276, Super Duplex 2507 and Nitronic 50 are milled and turned on the same machines as aluminium and brass, with the same inspection. These are materials most subcontract machinists won't touch.
Can't see your material? Send the drawing and ask. We likely machine it.
All materials we machine
A CNC engineering company you can trust
Brothers Paul and John Chopping founded Clarent Precision in 2011. We offer a complete machining service, from basic components through to complex 3D parts, and our approved sub-contractor network lets us manage jobs that need case hardening, anodising or assembly.
Unlike online machining platforms, you deal directly with the people running your job.
More about Clarent Precision-
ISO 9001:2015Certified by NQA -
NQA AccreditedQuality assured - Family-RunSince 2011
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Made in the UKLeighton Buzzard
From one-off to repeat production
A part can start as a single prototype and come back as a batch of thousands. The program and setup are proven once, so the price per part falls as quantities rise, and every repeat order is made and inspected the same way.
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1One-off
A single part to prove a design, or a replacement for a machine that has broken down. No minimum order.
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2 to 25Small batch
Parts for testing and pre-production, made on the program proven on the prototype, so every batch matches the first.
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10,000+Production
Repeat runs of turned parts into the thousands, with stockholding and call-off so parts are on the shelf when you need them.
Your drawing goes to Paul or John
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Drawing review
Email a drawing or model. Paul or John read it and flag anything that adds cost or risk: a tolerance tighter than it needs to be, a corner that wants a radius, a better grade.
Paul and John Chopping
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Price and lead time
We check your model against the drawing and simulate the machining cycle in CAD/CAM. That is how the price and lead time are worked out, normally within 24 to 48 hours.
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Machining and finishing
Milled, turned or both, then anodised, heat treated or plated through approved partners if the drawing calls for it.
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Inspection and delivery
Checked in our temperature-controlled inspection room, with a Certificate of Conformity, first article report or CMM report where you need one. Then out by courier.
Inspection
Every part is checked in our temperature-controlled inspection room on a CMM, with micrometers, bore gauges and height gauges for the rest. We hold ±0.01mm, from first-off checks to a 100% final inspection report.
Not every dimension needs that. Our ISO 2768 guide explains what an untoleranced dimension on your drawing actually means.
Material traceability
Every job is traceable from goods-in to the finished part, under an ISO 9001:2015 quality system certified by NQA. Certificates of Conformity, first article inspection reports and full CMM reports go out with the parts when you need them.
Our EN 10204 guide explains the difference between 2.2, 3.1 and 3.2 certificates, so you can specify the right one on your order.
Industries we machine for
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Aerospace & Defence Titanium and Inconel parts with full traceability. -
Automotive Prototypes through to production runs of 10,000. -
Medical ISO 9001 quality controls and full documentation. -
Motorsport Lightweight aluminium parts, one-offs and small batches. -
Pharmaceutical Machinery parts in 316 stainless, Hastelloy and PEEK.
Subcontract machining for Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and the UK
Leighton Buzzard sits on the Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire border, between Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and Luton. Local customers are welcome to bring a drawing to the workshop. Everyone else emails it and gets parts back by courier, wherever they are in the UK.
- Address
- Clarent Precision
6 Firbank Court, Firbank Way
Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
LU7 4YJ - Phone
- 01525 372 271
- Hours
- Mon to Fri, 7am to 5pm
In the five years that we have used Clarent Precision we have always been extremely happy with the quality, delivery and customer service they have provided. We view Clarent Precision as a valued part of our supply chain.
Just wanted to say thank you for parts you have supplied, great job and well done, very pleased with the quality and service you provide.
Frequently asked questions
For anything not covered here, call Paul or John on 01525 372 271.
What is subcontract CNC machining?
You send a drawing and we make the part on our machines, in the material and quantity you need, to your specification. It suits companies without the machines, the capacity or the experience with a material such as Inconel, and it runs from one-off prototypes to repeat batches of 10,000+.
Which super alloys can you machine?
Titanium (Grade 2 and Grade 5), Inconel 625 and 718, Hastelloy C276, Super Duplex 2507 and Nitronic 50. They are milled and turned on the same machines as aluminium, with the same inspection. These are materials most subcontract machinists won't touch.
Can you take on repeat production orders?
Yes. Repeat batches run on the program and setup proven on the first order, so every batch matches the first. Turned parts run to 10,000+ and milled parts to 1,000+. For regular orders we can hold stock and deliver on call-off.
Do you provide full material traceability?
Yes. Every job is traceable from goods-in to the finished part, under an ISO 9001:2015 quality system certified by NQA. Certificates of Conformity, first article inspection reports and full CMM reports are available. Our EN 10204 guide explains the difference between 2.2, 3.1 and 3.2 certificates.
Can you arrange anodising and heat treatment?
Yes. Anodising, heat treatment and case hardening, plating, painting, grinding, gundrilling and honing, and spark and wire erosion are arranged through our approved, quality-monitored sub-contractors. Parts are inspected before and after treatment and come back finished, from one supplier.
How quickly can you quote and deliver?
Quotes normally come back within 24 to 48 hours, priced from a CAD/CAM simulation. Prototypes and small batches can often be turned around in 1 to 2 weeks. Lead times depend on batch size, material availability and current capacity, and for repeat parts our stockholding service keeps emergency stock on the shelf.
Do you work for customers outside Bedfordshire?
Yes, for customers across the UK. Drawings arrive by email and finished parts go out by courier, so distance rarely matters. Customers in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and Luton are welcome to visit the workshop in Leighton Buzzard.
Send your drawing for a quote
One part or 10,000, aluminium or Inconel. Include the quantity and material, and quotes normally come back within 24 to 48 hours.