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It’s hard to name a more exceptional technology than CNC machining when it comes to custom and low volume manufacturing. CNC machining provides a well-rounded mix of benefits, including excellent throughput potential, precision, repeatability, an extensive selection of materials, and relatively easy use. And as almost any machine tool is numerically controlled, computer numerical control machines typically refer to multi-axis CNC milling and CNC turning. In the following articles, we will speak about how CNC machines are used for customized machining and low volume manufacturing.
Low Volume CNC Parts Machining
Low volume production means that you are interested in placing small order quantities, or even a few pieces for sampling to finish your design concept and test your drawings. Consumers anticipate more customized and diversified products than ever before. Given the forgoing shortening of the product life cycle and the shortening of the new product release cycle, flexible innovation and time-to-market became critical to every company.
Motivated by these economic factors, product design develops rapidly, and product creators have turned their attention from large-scale production to low-volume production manufacturing. Low-volume manufacturing is the latest bridge between prototype machining and mass-manufacturing. It usually implies the production range between 50 to 100k parts. Small batch manufacturing reduces risks, can make the product design more flexible, gives a shortened product launch time, and creates numerous opportunities to save production costs. This kind of manufacturing solution helps major companies from various industries throughout the product life cycle, from product design to manufacturing to supply chains and final consumers.
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Whatever your initial needs for specific products are, professional and reliable third party companies that offer CNC services can manufacture low-volume parts under excellent service and competitive prices. Come up with an idea or concept for your product, choose the suitable material, name the wanted tolerance and special requirements, work on the finishing parts, and assembling features with highly-skilled engineers and designers. Now you are all set to order a low volume of CNC machinery produced parts or components.
CNC Machining for Custom Parts and Equipment
The advanced manufacturing industries begin to lean heavily onto the new production capabilities that certainly allow the production of specially machined custom parts that suit the precise need of individual clients. This kind of production style and service provides potential clients a means of making the best use of their tools, products, or any other machined pieces that they may need and specializing them according to their distinct production chains.
Customized CNC machined parts can be way more expensive to create and design, but they can also provide a better return on the investment. These custom parts can fulfill their roles more precisely, fit better into custom machines, and can improve on materials or design depending on what the client expects. With technology improving and the vast competition among CNC machining service companies, the price factor is becoming less of an issue as time goes by.
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Means of Parts and Equipment Customization
In most cases, the specification and the drawing of the custom part or equipment are provided by the end-user. Yet, as end-users have several choices at their disposal when they wish to obtain a customized part or equipment, the level of input from both the client and the company can vary.
- Self-development. In these cases of parts customization, the client usually already knows the part they demand, so they’re ready with a 3D model or a drawing of it. Self-development clients come to the CNC machining company and order the already designed part to be manufactured.
- Cooperative development. This type of part customization process is perfect for people who have some idea of what they want with the custom design or machined parts, but they are not completely clear about the finished product outlook. CNC machining providers have an in-house design department, and the producer of the piece and the client can collaborate and develop the design together.
- Flexible customization. This method involves forming a base part as a starting point of the project, which can be easily altered according to the client’s needs. The clear benefit of this method is that the producer can produce extensive amounts of output with some level of customization, but without losing much time on readjustments in the manufacturing procedure.
- Cosmetic customization. The manufacturer creates a standard product and numerous variations of the product for the client to choose from. In most situations, this can be a simple cosmetic or aesthetic change, like playing with the colors.
Requirements and Limitations
As custom machining parts require excellent preparations in adapting the manufacturing style, companies that provide CNC services must be ready with a range of materials and machining options to match their customers’ needs. This includes versatile machines, tools, and ancillary equipment to match the product that needs to be created. When each part is custom and tailor-made, producers may require an entirely different type of operation compared to the next job the company may undertake.
Likewise, each client will probably desire a different part, and each part can vary from one job to another, so the CNC machining service should consistently create and tinker with new machine models. Depending on how involved the customer is, CNC services will have to work in different capacities.
Final Words
The manufacturing market trends toward diversification and customization, leaving the old paradigm of one-size-fits-all mass production in history. At the same time, CNC machinery is demonstrating to be a versatile solution to producing low volume and custom parts rapidly and flexibly. A reliable CNC company with advanced capabilities and an experienced team can quickly meet your expectations about low volume and custom parts production so you can exclusively focus on bringing and selling the product on the market.
