Ask an Engineer: 262-377-2434
When you're designing and building a custom machine, the components you specify determine whether your machine earns a repeat customer or a warranty call. OEM machine builders can't afford components that sort of fit. Every spindle, slide, and precision assembly has to perform exactly as specified, integrate cleanly into the machine design, and hold up over the life of the system.
Gilman Precision is the motion component partner that machine builders call when the application is too specific for a catalog part and the stakes are too high for a supplier who doesn't understand systems. With decades of engineering expertise, fully domestic manufacturing in Grafton, Wisconsin, and a team that works engineer to engineer, Gilman helps machine builders deliver machines their customers brag about.
When you're designing and building a custom machine, the components you specify determine whether your machine earns a repeat customer or a warranty call. OEM machine builders can't afford components that sort of fit. Every spindle, slide, and precision assembly has to perform exactly as specified, integrate cleanly into the machine design, and hold up over the life of the system.
Gilman Precision is the motion component partner that machine builders call when the application is too specific for a catalog part and the stakes are too high for a supplier who doesn't understand systems. With decades of engineering expertise, fully domestic manufacturing in Grafton, Wisconsin, and a team that works engineer to engineer, Gilman helps machine builders deliver machines their customers brag about.
Good engineering supporting the customers needs with customizations to fit their application. Robust well engineered spindles.When you specify Gilman, you're specifying a successful project." - Matt Fritschel, Director of Sales, Gilman PrecisionRespondent, Gilman Customer Satisfaction Survey
This page is for the engineers and technical leads responsible for designing custom machines, automated equipment, and precision production systems that their company sells to end-user customers. You're not buying a component for your own plant floor. You're specifying components that will define the performance reputation of your machine.
Gilman works with:
designing and manufacturing CNC machining centers, grinding machines, and specialty cutting equipment
integrating motion systems into automated production platforms
engineering one-of-a-kind systems around unique application requirements
combining spindle, slide, and structural components into finished machines
who need a proven motion system supplier with co-engineering capability, not just a parts vendor
If your customers are counting on your machine to perform, and your machine is counting on Gilman's spindles and slides to perform, we take that chain of accountability seriously.
The engineers who call Gilman aren't usually looking for a part number. They're looking for a solution to a problem their current suppliers couldn't solve. The most common challenges we hear:
Your machine design has a defined envelope. The spindle or slide has to fit within it without compromise. Catalog components get close but rarely get it right. Gilman designs motion components to your dimensional requirements, not the other way around.
A spec sheet that says 'high speed' or 'heavy duty' doesn't tell Gilman enough. We want to know your actual RPM range, torque loads, cutting forces, and how many hours per shift the machine runs. That's what determines the right bearing configuration, housing design, drive type, and thermal management approach. Application-specific design from the start means no surprises when the machine goes into production.
Design engineers need accurate 3D models before they can finalize machine layouts. Waiting weeks for CAD data from a supplier is a project timeline killer. Gilman provides CAD models and technical drawings early, so you can design around actual dimensions and integration geometry rather than placeholder boxes.
When a machine is in development, tolerances tighten and timelines compress. Machine builders need a motion supplier who picks up the phone, understands the system context, and can make engineering decisions fast. Gilman engineers are accessible throughout the project, not just at quoting.
Machine builders who source spindles from one vendor and slides from another and precision machined assemblies from a third are managing three supply chain relationships, three lead times, and three sets of accountability. Gilman designs and manufactures spindles, linear slides, and precision machined assemblies under one roof, which means you can simplify your motion system sourcing and get integrated solutions that are designed to work together.
Gilman's product offering covers the core motion system components that OEM machine builders need most.
Gilman designs motorized and belt-driven spindles for integration into custom machines, machining centers, and automated systems. Unlike catalog spindles that require workarounds, Gilman spindles are engineered to match your machine's actual speed, torque, and integration requirements.
Every Gilman spindle for a machine builder application starts with a conversation about the machine, not a product selector. We want to understand the cutting application, the materials, the duty cycle, and the integration constraints before recommending a configuration.
Accuracy in a precision machine depends on more than the spindle. The slide system that positions the workpiece or moves the cutting head is equally critical. Gilman designs and manufactures precision linear slides for machine builder applications.
Some machine builders need more than components. They need machined assemblies and precision structures manufactured to exact specifications. Gilman's contract machining capability supports machine builders who need precision parts, housings, and assemblies produced to tight tolerances with full traceability.
The machine builder relationship at Gilman is different from a standard vendor relationship. It's a collaborative engineering engagement that begins at design and continues through production and field service.
The engineers you talked to during the design phase are the same engineers available if something needs to be worked out in the field. That continuity matters when a machine is running production for your customer.
Gilman is still here. Still building. Still engineering spindles and slides for the machine builders that drive U.S. manufacturing forward.
Gilman motion components are designed into a wide range of custom machine platforms across industries:
If your machine requires a motion component that performs precisely and holds up over a production lifetime, the conversation with Gilman is worth having early in your design process.
Does Gilman design spindles for custom machine platforms, or only standard configurations?
Custom engineering is Gilman's core capability, not an exception. The majority of spindle and slide systems Gilman produces for machine builders are application-specific designs based on the machine's actual performance requirements, envelope constraints, and integration geometry. Standard configurations exist as a starting point, but Gilman's engineering team is resourced and oriented toward modification and custom design.
How early in the machine design process should we engage Gilman?
As early as possible. Machine builders who bring Gilman into the design process at the concept stage benefit most. Gilman can review the application, provide CAD models for integration, flag any potential issues with the proposed configuration, and iterate as the machine design develops. Getting a spindle or slide design wrong late in the design cycle is expensive. Getting it right early costs a conversation.
Can Gilman provide CAD models and drawings at the start of a project?
Yes. Providing 3D models and technical drawings early in the design cycle is standard practice at Gilman. Design engineers frequently cite this as a differentiator when comparing Gilman to other motion component suppliers. If your machine design requires specific file formats or model configurations, Gilman's engineering team can accommodate those requirements.
Does Gilman supply both spindles and linear slides for machine builder applications?
Yes. Gilman designs and manufactures both spindle systems and linear slide systems, as well as precision machined assemblies. Machine builders who need coordinated motion system components can work with Gilman as a single source for multiple machine axes, which simplifies sourcing, ensures design compatibility, and reduces integration risk.
What is Gilman's typical lead time for a custom spindle or slide for a machine builder project?
Lead times depend on design complexity and current production scheduling. Because Gilman performs all engineering and manufacturing in-house in Wisconsin, lead time control is better than suppliers who depend on overseas components or third-party manufacturers. Gilman recommends engaging early in the design cycle so production can be scheduled to align with your machine build timeline. Rush production is available for time-critical situations.
How does Gilman support machine builders after the initial sale?
Gilman supports the full lifecycle of motion components. For machine builders whose end customers rely on Gilman-equipped machines in production environments, Gilman provides repair and rebuild services, replacement components, and technical support. This lifecycle support is part of what makes Gilman a long-term partner for machine builders rather than a one-time supplier.
Can Gilman supply precision machined parts and assemblies in addition to spindles and slides?
Yes. Gilman's contract machining capability allows machine builders to source precision machined housings, brackets, adapters, and assemblies from the same facility that builds the spindles and slides. This single-source capability simplifies procurement and ensures dimensional compatibility across components that need to work together.
Does Gilman work with machine builders serving regulated industries like medical or aerospace?
Yes. Gilman has experience supplying motion components for machines used in medical device manufacturing and aerospace and defense applications. For machine builders serving these markets, Gilman understands the documentation, traceability, and quality requirements that regulated end markets impose on their equipment suppliers.
Explore other Gilman capabilities relevant to OEM machine builders:
OEM machine builders choose their component suppliers before the machine is built, not after. The earlier Gilman is involved in your design process, the more engineering value you get out of the partnership.
Request a Quote: Share your application requirements and dimensional constraints. Gilman engineers will review your project and follow up with a technical response, not a catalog page.
Download CAD Models: Access 3D models early so your design team can move forward. Available at gilmanprecision.com/download-gilman-assets.
Talk to an Engineer: Call 262-377-2434 and ask for applications engineering. The person who picks up understands machine builder applications and can discuss your project in technical terms from the first conversation.
+ Request a Quote + Download CAD Models + Call 262-377-2434
Built in Wisconsin. Engineered for machine builders who need it right the first time. Gilman Precision, since 1952.
OEM machine builders choose their component suppliers before the machine is built, not after. The earlier Gilman is involved in your design process, the more engineering value you get out of the partnership.
Request a Quote: Share your application requirements and dimensional constraints. Gilman engineers will review your project and follow up with a technical response, not a catalog page.
Download CAD Models: Access 3D models early so your design team can move forward. Available at gilmanprecision.com/download-gilman-assets.
Talk to an Engineer: Call 262-377-2434 and ask for applications engineering. The person who picks up understands machine builder applications and can discuss your project in technical terms from the first conversation.
+ Request a Quote + Download CAD Models + Call 262-377-2434
Built in Wisconsin. Engineered for machine builders who need it right the first time. Gilman Precision, since 1952.
