When working with both hobby and industrial machining, meticulous planning is essential for each operation. You want your tools and CNC parts to be in tip top shape, but even the best kept parts sometimes require replacement, and those add up fast. Here are our top tips for saving money and keeping your CNC machine parts affordable.
Choose raw materials with sufficient thought
Pricey does not mean better always. Raw materials have a large role in cost inflation production. You could save plenty with your selection of material by being smart. This can be done without compromising on the material quality and it is a known fact that making use of substandard and cheap material can only result in additional expenses.
The plan is to select materials which are:
- Conveniently available
- Capable of meeting requirements of the design with accuracy desired.
- You can also make use of used CNC parts and refurbished CNC parts and good value buying from reputable CNC part sellers on ebay.
- Polymers, aluminium, cold rolled steel and other cheaper materials could serve as right foundation for operational prototyping. If needed, make use of pricey raw materials like exotic alloys or stainless steel when desiring to mill medical devices.
Decrease the number of setups – as well as the time it takes to set them up.
You’ve identified the raw materials plus chosen your method. You already know how the final output will appear. The intermediary steps are now operations plus setups.
Each machining operation entails one or more operations. A succession of setups is required for every operation. Obviously, there’s actually machine installation. There was also part fixturing, CAM programming, setup of material, and other things to consider.
By limiting the number of setups, one could avoid all the hassle – and costs. The majority of sections can be completed in 6 setups or fewer. The time it takes to set up will be cut in half or more if there are lesser setups. You shall be capable to machine CNC milled products faster and more efficiently this way.
Tolerances must be specified only for the most important features
Precision CNC machining necessitates precise specifications. Successful entrepreneurs have a clear idea of what you need and how you want to get it. However, part design, particularly finer tolerances, does have a significant impact on manufacturing costs.
Maintain a consistent dimension for machining holes in the same way. Smaller holes need more machining time and are more likely to cause tool breakdowns.
Sustain a 3 mm inside corner radius as a rule of thumb
Milling small, precise radii the inside corners is costly, time-consuming, and frequently necessitates unique setups – especially when using extremely small cutters. Since CNC machines often perform vertical milling operations mostly on workpiece, that’s the case.
Operating with Feasible Materials Reduces Machining Time
Machining time is just as crucial as selection of materials or determining the inner radius whenever it comes to price reductions. Raw material as well as part design are usually the determinants of machining time. Choose machinable materials such as aluminium, brass, as well as low-carbon alloys to reduce machining time.
Other Techniques for Cutting CNC Milling Costs
- Costs of nonrecurring engineering are reduced.
- Avoid any features that require non-standard fixturing.
- Purchasing in bulk
Bottom Line:
While it may not be a life-or-death scenario like war, determining what gets into your CNC milling job might help you conserve time and money. New entrepreneurs, on the other hand, frequently make the error of skipping this critical initial step. CNC milling is a costly procedure. Any repair that needs to be done and redone can wreak havoc on the finances.
