Machines are the buzz word of the 19th century. The advancement of technology has given us many opportunities. One such great advancement is the CNC machine. Man can achieve anything with the use of his mind. Computers are a great at doing repetitive works. From an air plane to a drilling machine, everything can be controlled by computers. The machines never tire. Although to function properly they might need oiling here and there.
CNC machining service is provided by many companies. From molding of metals to plastic CNC does it all.
We live in the world of machines. Everything you touch from your gadgets to your washing machine is a machine. CNC machining makes it possible to achieve the enormous requirement for machines in our daily lives.
What is CNC?
CNC is mnemonic for computer numeric control. To build a car or an airplane or containers or the outer covering of a laptop, we need the metal in specific shapes. Guided by humans these extraordinary machines are controlled by computers. Humans can make an error but not computers. Computers take the instructions that we give them and act accordingly. If an instruction is given that tilt 30 degrees, rest assured the machine will do just that. The program that we write is called software. Perfection at it’s best.
CNC machining is a process used in the manufacturing industry that employs speediness and flexibility which is not available with other traditional methods of machining.
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Materials used popularly in CNC machining
- CNC machining metals
Aluminium, brass and steel metals is what the machine will work on mainly. There are many other types of metals. First the final product’s prototype is fed in the CNC machine. Then when instructed, the machine will make changes to the metal a required. It will first scan the entire structure and do its work.
- CNC machining plastics
Polycarbonate, ABS-thermoplastic, Teflon, Delrin, and nylon are the common plastics used. Depending on the customer’s requirement various other plastics are used to make the product.
- CNC machining surface finishing
Many a times the metals have rough surfaces. To even that out we can us the CNC machine.
Different types of CNC machining services
- CNC milling process
It is fast and reliable. Basically, the CNC machine has 3 or 5 axes milling and is in stationary position, and it works on the material placed according to the computer prototype.
- CNC turning process
The CNC machine is placed above the product and the product is turned to get the desired results.
- CNC for finish of the material
There are wide variety of finishing touch ups. Popular ones are smoothing, bead blasting, power coating and anodizing.
How to reduce CNC machining costs:
- Cut some slack to your corners
Usually the corners of any design would be sharp, make it smooth to get the most of the design. Instead of a sharp edge, make it curvy.
- Wait for the text to be engraved on
Any product has numbers, letters that need to engraved. We should wait till the product is finished and then engrave them. Doing it before hand, it may get chopped off while polishing or cutting.
- Thin walls
When designed thin structures we need to extra careful. Bulky the product up so the machine has more room to work on. By doing this you avoid the product breakage.
- Simplicity is always the best
Keep the design simple. If you encounter with a complex design, break it down to smaller parts and design them. That way the CNC machine will work more efficiently.
- Other materials
Always look for options. Check is it necessary for the part to be made in metal. By choosing alternate material costs can be cut down drastically.
Applications for CNC
- Tooling
The tooling is very rapid in creating molds or fixtures. CNC can work on any material as long it is moldable.
- Prototyping
To produce a prototype the CNC machine is very fast. Thus, we can create the prototypes and see if our product is as desired multiple number of times. Once the prototype is in hand and then the productions also is quicker.
- Benefits
High end modelling and modelling with precision, ability to work with any type of material, faster production rates, repetition unlimited are few of the benefits of CNC machining.
CNC Machining has its applications in many industries such as education, energy, aerospace and defence, automotive, medical, industrial machinery, robotics, and Research and Development. It has the ability to work on massive scale productions and the quality is guaranteed.
3D printing or CNC
CNC machining service work on a huge variety of materials. We can utilize CNC machining to manufacture prototypes with the same material that will be used for the final product. Therefore, testing can be started immediately.
Desktop 3D printers can utilize only few materials, generally thermoplastics. Once one material used another cannot be used.
The manufacturing industry today totally relies on the computer based numerical control machines, which are also known worldwide as the CNC. These machines execute majority of the operations that were performed once upon a time by the engineers. Engineers operated equipment like routers, vertical millers, shaping machines, and center lathes. However, today all these operations and many more are taken care independently by these CNC machines.
CNC machines have also replaced the operator required equipment in many conditions. This is probably one of the main advantages of CNC machining services. Did you know this is also one of the reasons why a majority of the manufacturers are choosing this for operations like fabrication and applications manufacturing? CNC machines come with efficient production, precise production, and expedient capacity which are best suitable for manufacturing items in large quantities. These operations otherwise require canter lathe, grinder, router, vertical miller, and even shaping machine. CNC is a better option for large scale productions.
One must remember that, conventional process comes with lesser costs and it is always better for small quantity projects. However, when it comes to large quantity projects, CNC is the best.
Reference
*Image from on http://www.hewcho.com