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The method of CNC machining is commonly used for manufacturing custom-made components with high strength and close tolerances. Prototyping and manufacturing pieces are manufactured easily and cost-effectively. Engineered CNC machined parts can help speed up the manufacturing process of your precision machined parts while saving on costs. Especially large machined parts are always difficult to produce; taking cost-effective decisions at the design stage will help to ensure efficient manufacture. Often a minor improvement in design will significantly reduce the expense of a project. To fully optimize your design for CNC machining parts, you should consider some tips and tricks when it comes to the design of your machine components. Let’s start with some basic considerations when it comes to the design of machined parts before we go through some details.
An effective machined parts design process starts with clear, clear, and accurate drawings that clearly describe the components. Avoid using colors such as yellow, blue, or light gray, as they are often difficult to read and scan poorly. Easy-to-read drawings eliminate guesswork during manufacturing. Since this is usually the only thing that the shop has to deal with, it’s important to make sure that your information is clear and clear so that manufacturers can understand all the details of the parts they create. Clearly communicate how you intend to use the final machined part. If experienced metal workers understand the intended use of the parts, they will be better able to undertake your large-scale precision machined components manufacturing project. All technical drawings and documents should include these details and provide manufacturers with important information and help them choose the best equipment for the cost-effective manufacturing of machine components. Legibility is important, but drawings and prints must also provide consistent and clear information. In-depth data is more important than the precise scale and can ensure the best accuracy. Each drawing should convey the dimensions and tolerances of the product, and carry clear labels to identify all required materials and finishes. When designing large steel components for manufacturing projects, consider the process that the manufacturer will utilize.
:: Read more: CNC Machining of Parts and Design Considerations
CNC machining tools (such as endmills or milling cutters) will leave rounded corners within the fillet. The use of a smaller diameter machining tool can reduce the corner radius, but it requires the use of a smaller tool to machine the material, and more tool passes-usually at a lower speed to reduce the risk of deflection or tool breakage -This requires longer processing time. Therefore, the added inner corner radius should be at least 1/3 of the cavity depth, and the same should be used in all inner edges. This helps eliminate tool changes, thereby increasing complexity and significantly increasing runtime.
End mills have a limited cutting length, and they usually work best when the cutting depth is up to three times the diameter of the cavity. In order to minimize costs, we recommend limiting the depth of the cavity to four times the tool diameter to ensure good results. Any machined parts larger than this range will increase the cost because special tools or a multi-axis CNC system are required. If a greater cavity depth is required, consider designing machine components with variable cavity depth. The use of standard drills can quickly and accurately CNC machining holes. The hole size can be machined into non-standard sizes without the need for end mills or reamers. This will help reduce machine time and reduce costs. Likewise, limit the depth of all holes to four times the diameter.
CNC machine components parts with thin walls are easy to shake, which reduces the processing speed. Regarding threaded holes, the bolts cannot be fixed tighter by increasing the thread length in the hole. In fact, only the first two to three laps can complete all the work. A deeper depth will only increase the risk of tap breakage and increase the time for tap operation. Therefore, it is best not to screw the fixing piece more than three times the hole diameter of the precision machined component. In general, the thread length should be 1.5 to 3 times the hole diameter.
Usually, several surfaces of a part are critical to its function. The more features with tighter tolerances, the higher the manufacturing cost of the part. Because this increases the processing time and cost of machined parts. Therefore, only tight tolerances are assigned on some key features and surfaces, while other secondary features should be controlled by a standard tolerance of ±0.125 mm, which is sufficient for those features.
:: Read more: How to machine precision parts?
Small features such as micro-holes (below 2.5mm in diameter) will increase processing difficulty and processing time, so they should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. It is cheaper to machine multiple simple parts than one complex part. Especially for precision machined components with deep pockets, it will take hours of processing time to remove material and increase material costs. Most shops charge extra for more complex machine components. This is because if an error occurs, it is more expensive to redo a complex part than to redo a simple part. Therefore, split the complex parts into simple parts and assemble them together if possible.
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