What Makes CNC Machining A Unique Option

Let’s look at what CNC parts are, how you can choose the best parts, and what benefits you can have from those parts.

What Are CNC Parts?

CNC parts are those components that have been crafted using the CNC machining process. You must be wondering what this technique is. It involves the use of cutting machines and tools such as grinders, lathes and mills.

The ultimate goal is to produce a desired part of some machinery. The working principle of all these machines may be different, but they serve the same purpose. 

CNC machining is of two types depending on how they work. One is manual machining, in which you’ve to use manual tools to bring a part into its desired shape and size. 

On the other hand, the other one is digital machining. It uses pre-programmed instructions that you feed to the machines. And they operate according to those instructions.

As a result, you get precise, uniform and efficient machined parts.

There are no such limitations regarding the use of materials in this technique. They include plastics and metals. However, you must consider a few factors before choosing the material. 

They include cost, conductivity, resistance and weight. Here are some of the materials you can use for CNC parts:

Plastics

Plastics are important as a raw material for CNC parts manufacturing. Their corrosion-resistance and low weight is the key.

And since various industries like automotive and electronics need flexibility in their parts, plastic is their must-have ingredient. The commonly used plastics include PVC, ABS and Nylon.

Metals

Metals are the most used materials for manufacturing CNC parts. This is due to the diversity of their applications in industries.

They’re good conductors of electricity, possess mechanical strength and are not malleable. The most commonly used metals for this purpose include titanium, zinc, magnesium, mild steel and aluminum.

Besides both these materials, manufacturers also use brass to produce CNC parts. This depends on what you need it for, and what features you want.

How To Choose The Best CNC Parts?

It is really important to choose the best CNC parts in order for them to last long. And with so many options available these days, you have the freedom to choose whatever you want based on the requirements.

But before deciding, you must consider a few factors given below:

Heat Resistance

Heat resistance is directly related to the material’s ability to bear high temperatures without getting deformed. 

The material goes through multiple heating processes during its manufacturing period. For example, when it is cut and milled, 

it goes through a heating cycle, which can cause thermal expansion or cracking if the material is not heat-resistant. 

Also, they have to withstand high temperatures when used in power plants or other manufacturing industries. Besides this, the heat resistance of parts reduces production costs and the chances of wear and tear on the parts.

So, this factor is a must to consider.

Electrical Conductivity

Electrical conductivity tells about whether a material can conduct electricity or not. CNC parts that have good conductivity can dissipate heat with ease. 

This also helps the CNC part during machining and saves it from being deformed. Copper and aluminum are used in this context because of their ability to dissipate heat. 

You must also take into consideration the magnetic properties of CNC parts. The reason is that when you’re working with materials like cobalt, nickel and iron, which are ferromagnetic,

you may feel difficulty during their cutting process due to their high magnetic field. So, it is preferable to use non-magnetic materials.

Surface Finish

Surface finish is the final and most important step of manufacturing a machined product. It affects both the performance as well as the appearance of the CNC parts.

For example, if the surface of a part is rough, it’ll experience more friction and wear. On the other hand, the parts with a smooth surface finish will work smoothly, have less friction and improve performance.

There are various ways of surface finishing, including bead blasting, anodization, powder coating and through CNC machining.

There are many other factors you have to consider in order to choose the best CNC parts. Those include tolerance requirements, budget, applications and aesthetics. 

So, ensure you select the best quality material so you may be satisfied.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of CNC Parts

CNC parts have quite a few applications in different industries. But with pros come a few cons as well. Here are some of the advantages and limitations of CNC parts.

Advantages

The following are the advantages:

A Strength

The strength of parts being made is what ensures their longevity. And CNC parts are quite strong as well as resilient. So, you can blindly trust in this feature of them. 

This is because of no internal stresses in them. However, the case is different for the parts manufactured through other processes. Also, since these parts come from solid blocks, they are quite sound.

Alterations

Adjusting the design of a product before its manufacturing is important. You are allowed make as many changes as required. 

But that depends on the CAD design you made at the start. All you need is to make the drawings again with modified specifications. So, alterations in this process are easy to make.

But this is not the case with any other process.

Quality

The quality of the products being made matters the most. And the features like tight tolerances, precision, smooth surface finishes and quality standards are the reasons why they last long enough.

This is also the reason why they’re being used in a variety of industries.

The no MOQ (minimum order quantity) is another feature of CNC parts, meaning that you can even manufacture a small batch of them with relatively lower costs.

This is not possible with any other manufacturing process. 

All in all, CNC parts have various advantages over the parts manufactured through any other process.

Limitations

There are few limitations of CNC parts. They’re given below:

Tool Presetting

Tool presetting is important to ensure the position of the cutting tip in CNC machining. So, it becomes important to mount each tool in its specific position.

A slight mistake at this moment can ruin the entire cutting process. The tip position is measured first and then put into the program to start off the cutting process.

So, tool presetting is one of the disadvantages of CNC machined parts.

Visibility And Access

In order to keep the operators safe from moving machine components during CNC parts manufacturing, the tools are enclosed thoroughly. This creates a hindrance to visibility and access to the part.

Even in the case of an emergency, there is nothing you can do about it. This is another demerit of CNC machining.

Even though there are certain merits and demerits of CNC machined parts, they’re still better in terms of quality, standards and longevity than the parts manufactured through other processes.

Conclusion

CNC parts are quite complicated to make. But once manufactured, they serve for longer periods. With their strength, durability and tolerances, 

they have proved to be the game-changers for industries. 

Fortuna is your one-stop shop for CNC machining services, 2D & 3D printing and much more. Contact us today to enjoy all the benefits of CNC machined parts.