CNC machines are becoming very popular because of their cost effectiveness, their ability to generate new prototypes and their high ability to customize quickly. In order to understand the utility of a CNC machine, you should first know what is CNC machine. A CNC machine can automate tools by using a code that is fed onto a computer.
Since the tools operate on the basis of a computer code, the final product created is highly precise. A computer-guided machine is faster and more efficient than a workman who uses a drill or a mold to create a product. Hence CNC machines are gaining widespread acceptance in the manufacturing industry.
4 Processes Where CNC Machines Have Great Utility
Waterjet Cutters
Waterjet cutters use high-speed jets of water to cut across stiff materials like plastics, rubber, glass, ceramics and even hard stones. Waterjet cutters have several advantages over heat-based cutters. Waterjet cutters unlike heat-based cutters do not alter the chemical composition of the material they cut through. In many cases, the water is mixed with some abrasive material to increase its ability to cut across materials.
CNC-based waterjet cutting is very efficient because it can produce precise cuts and be used for a wide variety of materials. It is unmatched in speed and efficiency and allows for quick prototyping.
Prototyping involves transforming a design from paper to a tangible form. Designers check the tangible model for its efficiency and usability. Changes in the design are then implemented to further improve the product’s usability.
Since CNC machines are quick and precise, the prototyping procedure is completed fast and more efficient designs can be created and tested in very little time.
Molding And Welding
Molding involves the overlaying of one type of material over the other. In PTFE molding, Teflon is over-molded on other materials like metals to improve the overall characteristics of the product, like its ability to tolerate chemicals, high temperatures etc.
On the other hand, welding involves joining together two parts to create a new functional part. Welding and molding have widespread applications in the automobile, medical device manufacturing, petroleum, and natural gas industries.
CNC machines have great utility for both molding and welding purposes. CNC machines are particularly useful for injection molding purposes. Injection molding involves injecting a specific amount of molding material in a precast dye to create a final three-dimensional shape. In these products, the specifications have to be strictly adhered to, and if the specifications are not followed, it might even break the injection mold. Hence, these molding processes use computer-generated code to guide the entire molding process.
Likewise, if the welding process is not tightly controlled, it impacts the porosity and the shape of the final product. If a welded product is not of the correct shape and porosity, then its utility decreases manifolds. For instance, an improperly welded piece that is used in the construction of a building may not be able to hold the weight of the construction for a long time.
Hence, ensuring efficiency in the welding and molding process is of utmost importance for the final product’s utility, safety and cost-effectiveness.
CNC-Based Drilling Machines
Drilling is usually done to create holes in a structure so that these holes can be used to screw two parts together. CNC-based drills can be used across industries like automobile manufacturing, ship manufacturing, and medical device manufacturing. In fact, for manufacturing low-cost boats for recreational purposes, high-quality CNC manufacturing can be used to create the hull, the mast, the seats and even the lithium batteries for boats.
Computerized, automated drills can create similar perforations that are well aligned along a vertical or a horizontal axis. Hence, it creates a perfect shape when two or more pieces of a boat or any vehicle are joined together using a CNC-based drill.
Metal Stamping
Metal stamping is the process of embossing, creating two-dimensional designs on a metal sheet . A heavy weight is used in traditional metal casting to cast the impression of a dye on a metal surface. The traditional process works well for many metals; however, there are a few limitations.
The traditional metal stamping process cannot be used for metal sheets that are more than six millimeters thick, and they cannot be used for materials that are not highly ductile. However, CNC-based metal stamping can overcome these limitations of traditional metal stamping. Computer-based automated metal stamping machines can create complex designs on almost any metal surface.
Source:Pixabay
Conclusion
CNC or computer numeric control machines can be used to run a number of machines that are used for grinding, stamping, molding, drilling etc. These automated machines are efficient and quite cost-effective in the long run. They create many error-free parts in a short span of time, and hence they improve the overall profitability of a manufacturing unit.
