Reducing Machining Costs Using On-Demand CNC Machining

Computers have slowly changed the face of the engineering world. There are no longer huge sheets of schematics strewn across tables as engineers mull over the best design. Everything can be achieved on the computer. This fact also extends to prototyping and machining these ideas. Explore engineers' options for low-cost production through on-demand CNC machining. The design world has infinite possibilities now.

1. Material Savings

At its most basic level, CNC machining is all about subractive processing. Take a bulk piece of material and cut it down to size. By using on-demand machining, engineers tap into an industry with material savings as a priority. With the designs as a guide, the machining process uses just enough material to carve out the item. Any waste is minimal. The computers navigating through the designs are responsible for the perfectly chosen material and volume amount.

2. Engineers' Productivity

A cost that's often overlooked is an engineer's rework time. A manual CNC prototyping order may have just been completed, but it's full of errors. The engineers must work backwards from the prototype to find the errors. On-demand prototyping has a checklist of issues that it runs through automatically. Any problems are either smoothed out by the computer or brought to the engineer's attention before production. Engineers' productivity is only slightly impacted in this case, which leads to extra time for other designs.

3. Precision With Every Cut

Human error negatively impacts a company's costs because precision is elusive. This fact doesn't apply to on-demand CNC machining, however. Combining precision machinery and computer programs together creates a recipe for the perfect cut with each CNC order. Engineers receive their prototypes back with absolutely no dimensional problems. In fact, hundreds of parts might be produced with one order and no errors exist.

4. Always Open

Costs always rise when a design must sit on an engineer's desk because a local shop isn't open for the order. Jump start CNC prototyping with on-demand programs because they're always open for business. It might be midnight when a design is ready, and the engineer can start the upload process then. Cutting costs in this manner gives any company an edge over their competition. A single design can hit the retail market much faster than before.

5. No Material Shortages

As an engineer goes online for their CNC machining needs, the system allocates the job to the location where there's enough material to finish the job. Waiting for material is no longer an issue.

In fact, engineers might choose a specialized material that's only available in a certain region. The system simply recognizes this fact and moves the job to the proper area. The resulting prototypes seem like they come from the local shop when they might have actually originated from across the globe.

Visit 3D Hubs for an on-demand quote today. Our site offers simple uploading and design verification through Design for Manufacturing or DfM analysis. Take the next step in the CNC machining world with precision prototyping and production that works for almost every budget.