Prototyping and machining parts with a CNC machine have their benefits but they can be expensive
Prototyping on a CNC machine and having parts CNC machined both have their benefits, but the latter can be expensive. We at junying are aware of the necessity for companies and the mechanical engineers working for them to adhere to a set spending limit. We are happy to share with you some of the ways that designers and mechanical engineers can reduce the cost of manufacturing their CNC Prototype Machining and products by changing the way in which they design those prototypes and products. Because of this education, our customers are able to save a significant amount of money.
The art of saving money through education has reached a new level of sophistication at junying. Here is our online software tool for providing feedback on designs for manufacturing, also known as DfM. Your components will be analyzed by the Design for Manufacturing software in order to identify any significant problems that could increase the production cost of those components.
Access to the Design for Manufacturing Feedback Tool in an Easy-to-Understand Format
Visit the website page dedicated to our online CNC service sand upload your design.
Following the successful upload of your file, a link that says “review manufacturability feedback” will appear.
The DfM Tool’s Three Points of Focus When Analyzing Design Features
The Design for Manufacturing tool conducts an analysis of three distinct design features, each of which has the potential to make CNC machining of your component more challenging and, as a result, more expensive.
1. Material That Is Difficult To Remove
If you’re using a standard 3-axis CNC machine, it’s possible that certain areas of your design will be difficult for the cutting tool to access. If your component needs to be milled on a 5-axis machine, then your costs will skyrocket to a much higher level. Before you send your parts off to be manufactured, the DfM tool will provide you with the opportunity to make modifications to your design.
Undercuts are typical trouble spots on a part that must be transported to the mill. In order to create undercuts, specialized cutting tools are required; however, these tools are not always up to the task. If you need to have a cutting tool made specifically for your project, the cost of it will increase significantly as a result.
2. Internal Corners That Are Very Pointy
Cutting tools have a natural tendency to create rounded inside corners even as they create sharp outside corners. In order to keep the cost of manufacturing as low as is humanly possible, all internal corners will be machined with a radius of 2 millimeters, unless you specify otherwise. The DfM software will emphasize each and every one of these nooks and crannies.
If the DfM tool discovers any internal corners that cannot be machined with standard end-mill tools, then an alternative, more expensive method will need to be utilized. You can stipulate on your drawing that your component must be manufactured using one of these processes, such as electrical discharge machining, once you have been informed that this possibility exists for your part.
3. Paper-Thin Walls
Because of the cutting force that is being applied during the machining process, it is likely that any thin walls that are being machined will break. In order to prevent them from breaking, time-consuming cutting routines or a different manufacturing process will be required. This will result in an increase in the price of your parts.
Our instant Design for Manufacturing feedback tool provides mechanical engineers with the option to redesign their part before it is put into production, giving them more control over the final product.
