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There are lots of different purposes for techniques such as CNC machining. This stands for Computer Numerical Control, and has been developed from more basic NC (Numerical Control) systems which were used in the past. This is an automatic process used to produce a huge range of different products and components, and without it a lot of the technology and items we take for granted would be wildly expensive, or maybe even impossible to produce. CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacture) makes all sorts of projects cheaper and easier, and thereby means it’s much easier for consumers to afford a vast range of technologies. There are all sorts of materials which can be used with CNC machining, although usually metal is the principle. Aluminium is often used in these processes because it is cheap, malleable, strong, and readily available. The tougher the fabric, the more likely the part is to last, and also the more likely you can get a more precise design without fragments breaking off or fracturing. CNC machining is used for almost any kind of product design you could imagine. The tools needed are very diverse, so these machines often include an incredible range of facilities to cope with every imaginable project. We use CNC machining because it is much more time efficient, more cost efficient, and substantially more accurate than it was to use engineers and construct components by hand. The less human involvement, the less room there is for error and therefore the less wastage and problems occur. These machines require very little human interaction, and can be left running all the time, so production never has to stop to consider the usual 40 hour working week. There are lots of different types of these machines available. Milling is used to numeric instructions and cut all sorts of different parts out of sheets of metal or plastic. Lathes are used to cut turning metals, and construct items such as chair legs, walking sticks, columns and more. With the much cheaper and more effective options, there’s very little reason why you wouldn’t turn to this advanced form of design and manufacture. Of course, it’s still important that items are stress tested and analysed for faults, as well as quality controlled to make sure the tolerance is as good as it should be (or, at the very least, as good as it needs to be). These machines allow people to carry out more specific and specialised tasks, rather than monitoring the mundane. Joseph works for Howarth Engineering, which specialises in precision machining. When she is not at work, she enjoys writing articles and blogs on different tips to do with CNC machining.
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