With the immense growth of Industry 4.0 applications across industries, prototyping has become a common practice. It saves manufacturers time and money before mass-producing a new or improved product. 3D printing and CNC machining are popular rapid prototyping methods that are in trend.
Picking one technology for your business might feel overwhelming as both offer a unique set of advantages and applications. So, to clear the air, let’s deep dive into both technologies and explore which one is right for your business.
What Is 3D Printing?
Additive manufacturing makes objects layer by layer in three dimensions. 3D printers use digital files to create the actual part or assembly made from polymers, metals and other raw materials based on the printer’s mechanics and the required properties of the result.
It is an additive process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital file. That means only the necessary material is used, which reduces overall waste compared with traditional prototyping technologies like CNC machining. There are several 3D printing technologies available, but the most common is selective laser sintering, solid ink printers, binder jetting, and fused deposition modelling. 3D printing offers higher flexibility in design and less need for tooling. 3D printing is ideal for creating low-volume, complex parts quickly with the help of CAD files.
What Is CNC Machining?
Computer numerical control (CNC) machines are used to produce metal or plastic parts from a 3d design file. The subtractive manufacturing technology uses high speeds and precise movements to cut, drill, and shape raw material into the desired result. CNC mills usually come with an x & y-axis that can move across any direction or axis when cutting down material. Generally, the more axes your machine has, the higher will be the throughput rate.
CNC machines are often used to manufacture complex parts with minor design changes. In addition, CNC machining allows components to be made quickly in large volumes than 3D printing.
CNC mills use tooling, which limits any further modification of a part after being produced using this type of machine. The main advantage in terms of the cost is in the range of materials available for CNC machining. For example, you can produce steel in addition to plastic/aluminium/brass, depending on your requirements. Finally, parts can be made without much post-processing using CNC technology.
3D Printing Vs CNC — Which Is Right for Your Business?
3D printing and CNC machining speed up the prototyping process, but they both have their benefits. Generally, CNC machining is ideal for large production runs where there aren’t many design changes required. On the other hand, 3D printing technology works best when creating a small number of parts with many design modifications. It is ideal for creating new components or fixing errors in old designs.
The choice between 3d printing vs CNC milling depends on your project requirements. If your work involves high-volume production of small to medium products, CNC machining is the right choice for you. Your business will save time and money because CNC machines are easy to reprogram. Also, it can produce parts without much post-processing.
Using 3d printing technology will be ideal when low volume production or short lead times are required. You can benefit from its cost-efficient, faster prototyping process, which requires modifications in design. At the same time, it allows flexibility in design that is not possible with CNC technology.
Can 3D Printing Replace CNC Machining in The Long Run?
While 3D printing is ideal for lower quantity production runs, CNC machines are still the go-to choice when you need high volumes of parts in a short time frame. There isn’t much debate over the fact that CNC will remain king for large-volume manufacturing. On the other hand, we increasingly see additive technologies used in smaller-scale production and end-use.
3d printers will continue to reduce the time and cost associated with creating prototypes and products. Higher flexibility allows them to be easily reprogrammed. At this point, though, 3d printers have been around long enough that they have been used extensively by many different businesses from different worldwide industries, in many different ways.
CNC machines, on the other hand, have remained more or less the same over the years. When it comes to 3D printing replacing CNC, the answer is both manufacturing technologies will complement each other. Manufacturers can achieve higher agility in their production by leveraging both methods for appropriate applications.
When To Use 3D Print Service & When to Use CNC Machining?
3D printers are suitable for customized parts and a small range of different components. On the other hand, CNC machines allow you to produce a large volume of similar objects with limited design iterations.
If you need a high-quality product in mass production with minor design modifications between one part and another, CNC machining service is ideal. For example, it will work for your business if you plan to machine raw metal alloys or castings from nonferrous materials such as aluminium or steel.
If you anticipate modifications of the design or customized products, then 3D printing will be more suitable. It works best in low-volume production that calls for a quick turnaround.
3D printing technology is ideal when there are many different versions of the same part that have to be produced repeatedly with minimal errors. In this case, error-free components are easy to create quickly by using 3D printers.
Wrapping Up!
In conclusion, CNC machines are ideal for high-volume production of standard parts with few design changes. On the other hand, 3D printers produce a small number of products with many design variations. 3d printing has progressed a lot in recent years and is now being used by large manufacturing firms.
With growing popularity, several companies now offer affordable 3d printing solutions in Australia and other places. On the other hand, CNC machining is often used in metalworking because it can be programmed easily.
