CNC machining is a great choice for manufacturing parts from almost any plastic or metal. With a wide range of materials, it can be challenging to pick the right one for your CNC prototype. Even the most seasoned product design teams and engineers may have trouble selecting the best materials. Here, we’ll share the most commonly used materials for building CNC prototypes and help you make an informed choice.
Selecting materials
Follow these steps when selecting materials for your CNC prototypes:
1. Define your requirements – State the thermal, mechanical, and other requirements, as well as surface finish and cost. Think about the environment where the part will be used and its interaction with the other parts.
2. Know the prospects – List a few prospective materials that meet most or all your design requirements.
3. Choose the most suitable material – You may have to make a compromise between two or more design requirements, such as cost and mechanical performance.
Here are more considerations:
How do you plan to use the part?
Material selection can depend on the end-use of the CNC prototype and its application. For instance, carbon steel and stainless steel may be great for CNC machining, but only the latter is more corrosion-resistant. So, the wrong choice could compromise the longevity of the part. You must consider industry-specific regulations such as those from the FAA and FDA.
Weight
Does it have to be lightweight? That’s usually a requirement for aerospace and automotive applications. Some manufacturers may consider plastics like ABS to further lower the weight of the CNC prototype, but that would mean compromising the strength.
Heat resistance and strength
Consider the strength properties of the part (e.g., wear-resistance and tensile strength) and the temperature requirements. You should also know whether the part will be exposed to changing temperatures, as most materials contract or expand with temperature fluctuations.
Know the most common materials
Most plastics and metals that are hard enough to withstand machining, can be used in CNC prototyping. These include aluminum, carbon steel, stainless steel, nylon, and titanium.
Consider getting in touch with a reputable CNC machining specialist for more advice on selecting the right material for your CNC prototype. They can review your project for free and offer recommendations to empower you to make smart decisions to save time and money.
Since 1958 china has there first computerized numerical control machine made from Tsinghua university, it starts a new era in the Chinese heavy machine industry.
However, due to the limited technology at that time and the beginning of economic and industrial recovery from world war two and civil war, Chinese CNC manufacture are still under the research and development stage and mainly focus on services for the military or aerospace industry only.
And the transition from manufacturer outsources base to prototyping capability starts when China becomes the world’s largest automotive industry country.How rapid prototyping starts from the automotive industry?In 1990, China has become the largest automotive manufacturer(fig1.1).
The demands of CNC prototyping for mechanical parts of automotive and headlight that involve in plastic injection molding from local china due to the cost-saving and time reducing are rapidly increasing every year, it triggers the supply of CNC industrial and reaching 62 billion US dollar capital in 2014.
The quality of products from the CNC machine also improved drastically as the speed and tolerance also enhanced, which is the two most essential standards in the CNC machine prototype industrial.
all the above tolerance achieve by implementing the Technology of ball screw pair, hydrostatic guide, linear rolling guide, and magnetic suspension guide.
Buying fresh CNC Machine parts can set you back quite a bit, that’s why most of the people who are considering a CNC machine are now looking for the used parts.
If you are also planning to launch a new product or solution in the market, it is important to have a proper plan.
It is the best way to come up with creativity and helps developers to get new innovative ideas.
Different Types of Prototypes 1) Functional/ Proof of Concept It is the foremost step of the prototype development process.
This process clears at the very initial stage that your idea will work out and it focuses on the different aspects such as look, feel, and material.Undoubtedly, in this step, developers have to put in more effort and focus as it is the foremost step and even the reflection of the final product.
The presentation based prototype provides the precise look of the product, it focuses on the look and feel of the product.
This process helps to take the decision in the initial stage of the development process and also bring confidence about the product among investors, manufacturers, potential customers.
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