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While you might not think about it that often, we use things which have been engineered all the time. The computer you’re reading this on, the desk you’re sitting at, and the radio you’re listening to will have all involved precision machining in order to construct. Without very carefully produced components, a piece of equipment might be rendered useless, or might even be unsafe. Computer numerical control (or CNC) is the way that the necessary tolerance is acquired, and often this will be even more precise than is necessary. Without precision machining many of the things we use on a daily basis and take for granted simply wouldn’t be possible (or would be a lot more expensive to make. This sort of production has existed in some form or other since the 1940s, when numerical control was first introduced. The tools which were used have since been modernised and motorised, and as a process, very little has changed since the 1950s. The only difference between then and now is levels of accuracy, which have increased year on year. The controls have been improved, but the process remains true to the original. Precision machining is so accurate that the parts are guaranteed to fit. Depending on the part, the tolerance might be more or less, but the smaller the object, the more noticeable any faults or flaws will be. Large objects tend to be made of thousands of smaller parts, and every single one will need to be completely accurate, or problems could arise. Hand engineering is really interesting, but it is incredibly time consuming, and not particularly accurate. With larger margins for errors, and the need to employ highly skilled engineers, it soon becomes completely ridiculous in terms of time and costs. Precision machining is much quicker as a process than constructing these parts from hand, and the accuracy is higher as well. With less man hours, it’s much cheaper, and so CNC milling has taken over in the world of production. Human error is more or less completely wiped out, with each part being as good as identical from the last. Errors will only occur if there is a fault with the machine itself, or the raw materials which are being worked are flawed in some way. Errors and malfunction are almost completely removed through high accuracy, and with much lower costs, and engineers being able to put their skills to better use, there’s not really a downside. Joseph works for Howarth Engineering, which specialises in precision machining. When he is not at work, he enjoys writing articles and blogs on different tips to do with CNC engineering.
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