The Importance of Prototyping
CNC machining is an excellent option for the prototyping of a component before it is put into full production. One reason would be the similarity to the final part and the flexibility of CNC machining. Machining is the process of the material removal using a machine tool usually a CNC lathe for turning or a CNC mill for other machining processes. CNC machining also has a flexibility to the types of the materials that can be chosen for the process. These advantages can be utilized for the prototyping of components for several precision industries such as the Robotics, Medical and Aerospace industries.
Another reason to choose CNC machining is for the repeatability of the machining process. This translates to the higher quality of a prototype part which leads to a greater understanding of the system being created for the engineers. This greater understanding can lead to a reduction in cost for the overall project, because fewer problems will arise with the product goes to full production. Once a program is created for a component is made for a machine tool, the further set up time of the production and thus the lead time for the component is greatly reduced as one of the most time consuming part of production is the creation of the program for the machine tools. This is a consideration for more complex components that the lead time is The flexibility of materials that can be machined is yet another advantage of prototyping through CNC machining. The material can be changed from plastic to a lightweight aircraft alloy for the component with minimal changes to the program and tooling of the machine. This can be used by the engineer in order to test the material needs and fitment of the system.
Prototyping also gives the engineering team the room to work with manufacturing suppliers like Marples Gears to perfect the manufacture of components and take advantage of their 50+ years experience in machining and manufacture; applying that to the engineer’s vision for their system. When prototyping remember the flexibility and reduction in production lead time that CNC machining provides.
