Benefits of CNC Machining

Computer numerical control (CNC) machining has quickly become one of the industry standards, and it is now omnipresent in machine shops around the world. Using preprogrammed computer software allows CNC machine operators to create a limitless array of programs and usages—it makes the seemingly impossible possible!

These programs can run on any number of machines as well, ranging from lathes to mills to grinders, and it allows for complex cuts and operations to be accomplished with some simple computer literacy.

The benefits of CNC machining are many, but they’re worth digging into in detail. Read on for some more insights.

Fast prototyping

Every machine shop owner or operator has had days where they’ve been worried at the expense of creating prototypes. Setting up machines to create a small run of products can be a time-consuming and expensive operation, but this is where some of the benefits of CNC machining come into play. The process becomes incredibly fast (and, thus, incredibly less expensive) when all you need is to turn a CAD (computer-aided design) model into a CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) program. This makes prototypes less of a time-consuming hassle and more of a quick money-making turnaround—an attractive asset to any shop owner.

Efficient production

Most machining processes are fairly regimented and, thus, not overly susceptible to error, but this becomes doubly true with CNC machining. Machines that are simply following instructions are far less likely to make costly and wasteful mistakes than those that require other human inputs. On top of this, one of the advantages of using a CNC machine is that, since they’re so agile and updateable, the risk of overproduction (and expensive, languishing inventory) is virtually non-existent. You can now rest assured that you’re producing exactly to demand—it’s easy to fire up the machines again with your existing plans if you ever need more.

Improvements in safety

Every business owner will tell you that their people are their most valuable resource. You rely on your entire team—from machinists to operators to support staff—to keep your shop working at full capacity. On that same token, your greatest responsibility is keeping all of them safe and sound in what can be a risky line of work.

One of the benefits of CNC machining is that it removes some of the riskier sides of human involvement in manufacturing. You can run one of these machines without a human operator, so the risk of accidents is exponentially lower than it has traditionally been in the past. Human involvement can largely be from a remote capacity, ensuring that everything is running smoothly after programming is completed.

The advantages of using a CNC machine are many, but the biggest things to keep in mind are efficiency and safety. These tools use less energy, require less risky human intervention and produce less waste than any other manufacturing technique that you’re likely to find. Our machining team at N.W. Metal Fabricators, Inc. knows their way around these advanced devices, so give us a call today with any questions that you might have about the future of your business.

Categorised in: Machining

This post was written by Writer