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3 Reasons Why CNC Precision Machining Is a Cost-Effective Manufacturing Solution

For manufacturers, the viability of a product’s profit point most often boils down to cost, complexity, and turnaround time. Whether it’s aerospace parts, engine parts, propellers and impellers, and even if the product’s being manufactured in-house, or its outsourced, the end goal is the same: bring those three factors down to optimal levels.

At the same time, the entire production process needs to have a system that’s repeatable -and not just concerning the end product itself. The ‘how’ is just as important as the ‘what’, in this case, which is why CNC precision machining/engineering makes sense for manufacturers.

CNC precision machining, or milling, is essentially the automation of making parts or products that must be milled from various types of metal alloys (and sometimes plastics). Here’s a short video, showing how a CNC machine does its magic:

#3 – Project Complexity Is No Issue for CNC Precision Engineering

Perhaps the most attractive aspect about CNC machining, which has provided manufacturers with a means to access cheap production options, is that it can handle extremely complex projects -and do so with absolute high-tech, systematic consistency.  According to one of the top CNC authorities, Thomasnet.com, this is largely why CNC engineering and machining has become a staple for manufacturers, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.

“Because of the precision possible with CNC Machining, this process can produce complex shapes that would be almost impossible to achieve with manual machining. CNC Machining is used in the production of many complex three-dimensional shapes. It is because of these qualities that CNC Machining is used in jobs that need a high level of precision or very repetitive tasks.”

In addition, this high-complexity/repeatability capability makes CNC machining an ideal choice for those companies requiring absolutely no defects or product variation, such as aerospace manufacturers and renewable energy companies that require commercial-grade propellers and impellers that must have spot-on dimensional parameters.

#2 – Reduced Potential For Defects and Errors

Another major reason why CNC precision machining/engineering has become the gold standard in the industry is due to its astronomically low manufacture defect probabilities and product-to-product variations.  Essentially, this capability is derived from the primary reason why this metal machining process was initially developed, as CNC stands for computerized numerical control.

In fact, this is also why CNC machining production has historically provided manufacturers with lower costs, than what the ‘analog’ method-based manual machine shops once offered. First, because user operation depends far less on traditional metalworking methods and more on technical knowledge of computerized drafting programs, this has resulted in decreased need for highly skilled labor.

Second, CNC machining can also put the process into virtual automation, whether the project requires a batch of 10 propellers, or an automaker placed an order for 10,000 engine parts.  The CNC machine will run 24/7, and will maintain the same exact production rate and quality.  In addition, because CNC technologies have greatly improved within the last decade, it is no longer a cost-prohibitive option for smaller manufacturers and startup business to explore.

#1 – Because Time Is Money …and So Is Predictability

Last, because CNC engineering basically requires the manufacturer’s CAD design to be fed into the machine’s onboard computer, then it’s the computer’s program system interface that essentially does the high-precision (and often rather challenging) milling and carving into the metal blank. The computer will even account for metallurgical variations from alloy to alloy.

This method not only makes for a level of quality that manufacturers can count on, but it also means that the timing from order to delivery will be more of a constant and less of a variable.

CNC machining essentially removes the possibility of human error when it comes to product dimensional precision and the turnaround time of the milling process itself -which means that manufacturers can optimize their workflows, because they can now gain better timing projections on when each batch of parts or products will be shipped to their factory for assembly.

Precision Is Common. Precision with Predictability Is Invaluable.

The reason why Montclair Bronze Inc. has, both a foundry, and an in-house CNC precision machining/engineering facility, is because this offers an additional advantage of being able to implement an uncommonly wide array of options for selecting the optimal manufacture method for our clients’ products.  This, in turn, brings down costs even further.

And where our foundry offers bronze sculptors, craftsmen, and designers a means to create a single (or a few) totally unique metal pieces, in which there are minimal identical aspects from project to project -our CNC machining facility offers manufacturers with the means to mass produce a design, in which every dimensional/metallurgical aspect would be totally identical from 300-piece batch to 300-piece batch.

A sculpture is most valuable when there is only one piece in existence, but manufacturers gain the most profit when they can reliably reproduce one piece every 8.52 minutes. That’s what makes CNC precision machining/engineering a no-nonsense, cost-effective option for Fortune 500 companies and small businesses alike.