Advantages to CNCing uneconomically
New to the world of CNC I see everything as (potentially) being CNC-able, why not !
However, subtractive manufacturing is costly, as with the example below, if it ever were to be made:
https://imgur.com/a/mcb45PV
That aside, what genuine advantage would there be to CNC manufacturing this that anybody could think of ?
Re: Advantages to CNCing uneconomically
Some projects are better suited to CNC production than others. But as you point out, it can be expensive to make things that way. For the items you point at, which seem to be made from cut-out metal sheet, it wouldn't necessarily be cost-effective to make them on a CNC mill. But a CNC laser could do it if you only needed to make a few of them. For mass-production, though, you'd probably use a CNC mill to make dies that stamped out the sheet, after which other processes would be used to roll them into cylinders and attach the fittings.
Re: Advantages to CNCing uneconomically
Hi,
Quote:
However, subtractive manufacturing is costly, as with the example below, if it ever were to be made:
I'm not sure I agree with that. Have you noticed that the plastic mass from 3D printers is often just plain rubbish? Despite being 'acryllic' or whatever, if you compare its
mechanical properties to a piece of solid acryllic.....there is just no comparison. The 3D printed stuff is porous and has substandard strength.
You can print metals .......at huge cost.
About the only time that I would say that additive manufacture is advantageous is something like a re-entrant section, or some other physical shape that milling cannot
do, or at least without the complication of making in two parts.
Craig
Re: Advantages to CNCing uneconomically
The only role for CNC to play here is to create the template for the stamping process then.
I was just wondering if further embellishments or patterns could be made that stamping would find challenging.
Re: Advantages to CNCing uneconomically
Here is another lamp shade, only smaller and clearly with a joining that would surely be a job better done by CNC:
https://imgur.com/a/mA4qV8t
Re: Advantages to CNCing uneconomically
Hi,
I use a process called 'isolation routing' to make PCBs. Normally a circuit board is made by sending the computer design files to a board house, and they use
a photo-etching process to make the PCB. Its a good and economical method. It does take some time though. At the current time Chinese companies dominate
because of price. So I can get a board made cheap, and then they post it to New Zealand....three weeks if everything goes well!
Isolation routing means that I can design my board, apply CAM software to generate Gcode and have my CNC mill make the board. Its slower and less cost effective
as a production process, but no shipping delays. As I type this I am making a small PCB for a customer. I designed the PCB this morning, then made the PCB by isolation routing
and my machine has just stopped, so about an hour or so, and now I can populate and program the board. It'll be done by this afternoon and my customer will pay
cash for it today. No waiting around.
This is where a CNC process can be extremely useful......'Time to market'.
Craig