From Napkin Sketches to High-Tech Solutions: The AZQM Story

In the heart of the West Valley, where dirt bikes, race cars, and desert ingenuity fuel a strong local maker culture, Arizona Quality Machining (AZQM) is earning a reputation as an exciting new job shop. Co founded by two young engineers—Samm Metcalfe and Cody Vache— AZQM blends technical precision with hands-on experience, tackling one-off projects, reverse engineering challenges, and tight-tolerance machining with confidence and creativity.

Since launching the company in July 2022, Samm and Cody have been on a rapid trajectory, bringing engineering-led problem solving to the shop floor. In less than a year, they bootstrapped their first CNC purchase—a Haas mill—and have since grown to operate 4 Haas machines. Until then, the co-owners operated exclusively with manual equipment.

With a practical mindset, a clean and welcoming shop culture, and exceptional technical skills, AZQM is now supporting industries including off-road, automotive, food & beverage, shipping, high-tech and semiconductor, including contract work for TSMC.

Sand Rails to Spindles: The Founders’ Journey

Both Arizona natives with deep roots in hands-on fabrication, Cody and Samm came to machining through different paths—but met at a local Aerospace machining business, where they both worked as engineers.

 Cody Vache

Cody grew up building sand rails and prerunners. “I was always tinkering,” he recalls. “My dad raced, and my grandfather had a background in the trades.” After initially considering architecture, Cody pursued a mechanical engineering degree at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic Campus, graduating from the Manufacturing Engineering Technology (MMET) program.

Samm Metcalfe

Samm followed a similar trajectory. “I was building dirt bikes and working on sand cars,” he says. After high school, he attended Northern Arizona University, earning a mechanical engineering degree in just three years while competing in Lumberjack sports and contributing to the school’s Baja SAE team. “I had some manual machining experience, and I got involved in many hands-on projects.”

When the two connected at the aerospace shop, they quickly bonded over a shared vision: build a company where engineering and machining worked hand in hand, and where culture and passion mattered as much as capability.

In June 2022, both Samm and Cody joined forces to acquire a small shop that had been around for a decade. “They were still running only manual machines—doing rollers for food and shipping conveyors and small quantity run machined parts,” Samm explains. “We saw the potential.”

A Shop That Says “Yes”

From the beginning, Cody and Samm were determined to make AZQM different. Instead of chasing aerospace contracts, they focused on reverse engineering, prototyping, and one-off problem solving—the types of jobs that many shops avoid. “We like the challenge,” says Cody. “Someone walks in with a napkin sketch or a broken part, and we figure it out.”

Their work ranges from custom rollers for industrial food suppliers, robot rail systems for TSMC, hydraulic cylinder repairs, and even machining spindles for a 1949 Ford F5 truck restoration. “We once had to reverse engineer a larger spindle to match 1949 brake plates. The clearances were nuts, but we made it work,” says Samm.

Their technical background shows in every project. Whether modeling in Fusion 360, designing custom fixtures, or creating from worn-out legacy parts, their goal is the same: “We don’t like saying no. We always try to find a way to yes.”

Hear From Customers

“They’ve saved the day more times than I can count—rollers, spacers, brackets, tables—you name it, they can build it. They even prototyped a custom guard, designing something from scratch. Samm and Cody are our go-to machine shop. When we call with an urgent need, they drop everything. No job is too big or too intimidating.”— Justin, Territory Manager

“I can’t say enough good things about AZQM. Their pricing, quality, communication, and open door policy have all been outstanding. They are a small young shop, yet they do an amazing job—especially considering the complexity of the parts they manufacture for aerospace. Day in and day out, they’re a phenomenal shop to work with. They’re also great at collaborating and helping me brainstorm ways to improve my parts.” — Darrel, Plant Manager

Haas Equipment + Ellison Support = Smart Growth

One of the most important decisions Cody and Samm made early on was to go with Haas equipment, supported locally by Ellison Machinery. One of their Haas machines—a VF 4SS vertical mill with a TR200Y trunnion—gave them immediate 5-axis capability.

Why Haas? “I knew Haas was easy to use with a friendly User Interface,” Cody says. “Ellison Machinery is right here in the Valley, so we knew we’d have support. The training, service, and peace of mind just made sense.”

That first VF-4SS paid off quickly. “We programmed the trunnion ourselves and started running complex parts right away,” says Cody. “We love how Fusion 360 integrates with Haas—post-processing is easy.”

Their Haas lineup includes the ST-15 lathe with a bar puller, which allows them to run lights-out batches of up to 50 parts. Recently, they added two more Haas machines, including the Haas DS-30Y. Ben Schacht, Business Manager for Ellison Machinery, says, “The DS-30Y Y-axis turning center combines dual-spindle turning with Y axis, C axis, and live tooling to create a powerful “done-in-one” machining solution.”

“We feel great about the equipment,” says Cody. “We’ve had almost no issues, and anytime we need help, Ellison takes care of us, and their techs are excellent.”

Samm and Cody have built over 1,000 CNC programs between them. “We’re self-taught,” says Cody. “We’re always learning. I just saw for the first time Haas’s new Mill Spindle C-Axis Drive attachment—it gave me goosebumps.”

Culture, Craft, and a Clean Shop

At AZQM, the shop environment reflects the personality of its owners: clean, upbeat, and collaborative. Music plays in the background, projects move quickly, and customers are treated like partners. Cody says, “I look forward to every day. We get to do cool work, solve hard problems, and make people happy.”

That’s no accident. Cody handles most of the front-office work—quotes, communication, coordination—while Samm focuses on quality control, machining, welding, and manual operations. “Dual-spindle lathes are tricky,” Samm says, “but we love a challenge.”

Ben says, ‘These guys put their heart and soul into this. Their shop is spotless, and they not only have the expertise that many shops don’t have, they always show such passion.”

Looking Ahead

 Right now, AZQM is running their operation in two bays, and is often so busy that the two young owners and their small team get caught up with weekend and evening hours of operation.

That said, growth is inevitable. With demand increasing and a reputation for smart engineering growing in Phoenix’s job-shop community, Cody and Samm see a bright future. “In the next two years, we want to hire additional employees, maybe expand into a larger building, and keep investing in new technology,” says Cody.

They aren’t chasing aerospace certifications at the moment—“too many hoops,” they say—but they’re no strangers to tight tolerances. At previous employers, they worked on parts for Air Force One, NASA, the Apache helicopter, the M232 chain gun, and Raytheon missile systems. Cody says, “We know high-level work.”

Why Ellison Machinery Matters

The Ellison Machinery team has been instrumental in AZQM’s growth— offering not just machines, but training, technical support, and real relationships. From early discussions with the Ellison Machinery team, including Ben, to reliable post-sale service and warranty support, Ellison has helped make Cody and Samm’s vision a reality.“The fact that we can call Ellison and get a tech quickly—it matters,” says Samm. “We don’t have time for downtime. We’re a small shop. Every day counts.”

Final Word: Passion + Precision = AZQM

AZQM is a shop built by people who love what they do. From restoring classic trucks to designing custom solutions for advanced semiconductor lines, Samm and Cody prove that precision machining isn’t just about tolerances—it’s about attitude.

With Haas machines on the floor, Ellison Machinery in their corner, and a growing reputation for getting the tough jobs done, AZQM is more than just a young shop—it’s a model for the next generation of American manufacturing.

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Ellison Machinery offers a full suite of CNC Vertical and Horizontal Machining Centers, Turning Centers, 5-axis systems, Rotary Products, and automation solutions. Visit EllisonAZ.com or call (480) 968-5877 to learn more.

To learn more about how AZQM can support your complex, one-off projects, contact them at: (480) 320-0938 or visit Azqualitymachining.com