NAICS 332721

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal standard for classifying business establishments to support collection, analysis, and publication of statistics on the U.S. economy. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget and adopted in 1997 to replace SIC, NAICS was created jointly by the U.S. Economic Classification Policy Committee, Statistics Canada, and Mexico’s INEGI to enable cross-country comparability. ¹
Under the current 2022 vintage, 332721 covers establishments primarily known as precision turned manufacturers that machine precision products of all materials on a job or order basis. Typical operations are high-volume runs using automatic screw machines, rotary transfer machines, CNC lathes, and turning centers. Census cross-references exclude factories making metal bolts, nuts, screws, rivets, washers, and similar industrial fasteners on headers, threaders, or nut-forming machines (classified in 332722). ²

What this NAICS covers

• High-volume precision turning of components from metals, plastics, and other materials on a job/order basis. ²
• Production using automatic screw machines for repetitive, close-tolerance parts. ²
• Rotary transfer machining of multi-station turned parts. ²
• CNC lathe and turning-center operations for precision products. ²
• Contract manufacturing of turned components to customer specifications. ²
• Lot or batch runs where machining is centered on turning processes. ²
• Excludes metal fasteners made via heading/threading; those are in 332722. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	332710	Machine Shops
NAICS	332722	Bolt, Nut, Screw, Rivet, and Washer Manufacturing
PSC	5305	Screws
PSC	5310	Nuts and Washers

Descriptors for PSC families are per the official Product and Service Code Manual. ⁴

Boundary notes and cross-references

• Precision turning at scale (automatic screw machines, rotary transfer, CNC turning) is in 332721; general job-shop machining across multiple processes at lower volumes is in 332710. ²
• Industrial metal fasteners produced on headers/threaders are in 332722. ²

Small business size standard (SBA)

• SBA small business size standard for 332721: 500 employees. Effective March 17, 2023. ⁵

Frequently asked questions

• What activities define NAICS 332721?
  Establishments primarily engage in precision turning of products—often high-volume—using automatic screw machines, rotary transfer machines, CNC lathes, and turning centers. Work is performed on a job or order basis and may involve any material, including metals and plastics. ²

• How does 332721 differ from 332710 and 332722?
  332721 centers on precision turning, often in higher-volume, close-tolerance runs. 332710 covers broader machine-shop services at generally lower volumes. 332722 is for industrial fasteners made by heading/threading processes, not precision turning. ²

• Is 332721 limited to metals?
  No. The definition specifies “of all materials,” so covered work can include metals, plastics, and other materials, as long as the establishment’s primary activity is precision turning on a job or order basis. ²

• What PSC families often appear with precision-turned parts?
  Hardware and fastener PSCs commonly seen in procurements include 5305 (Screws) and 5310 (Nuts and Washers), among others such as 5320 and 5325. These commodity codes do not map one-to-one to NAICS activities. ⁴

• What is the current NAICS vintage and implementation status?
  Census is implementing the 2022 NAICS across its economic programs, with adoption staged over reference years and full implementation targeted by the end of 2027 (some programs transition later). ³

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 332721 overview
• U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS introduction and history. ¹
• U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 332721 definition page. ²
• Census reference: 2022 NAICS implementation timeline and overview. ³
• SBA Table of Small Business Size Standards (effective March 17, 2023). ⁵

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) main page. https://www.census.gov/naics/
2. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 2022 Code 332721: Precision Turned Product Manufacturing. https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=332721&year=2022&details=332721
3. U.S. Census Bureau — The Census Bureau’s Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (overview and timeline). https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html
4. General Services Administration — Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual. https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
5. U.S. Small Business Administration — Table of Small Business Size Standards (effective March 17, 2023). https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/Table%20of%20Size%20Standards_Effective%20March%2017%2C%202023%20%282%29.pdf