Unlike 3D printing, in which you add material to form a part, with CNC machining, it’s all about subtraction. You start with a solid block or cylinder of metal or plastic and cut away from it to achieve the desired geometries. It’s kind of a high-speed version of sculpture, but with drill-like cutters called end mills, instead of bits and chisels. For milling, the cutters—called end mills—spin at incredible speeds measured in the tens of thousands of revolutions per minute. Speed can be adjusted to avoid cutting errors or potential damage to more sensitive material. Sometimes slow and steady wins the race. CNC machining’s goal is precision, and feature tolerances can be as small as ±0.001 in. (±0.025mm).
Our entire process, from quoting to physical cutting in a mill—more commonly known as a machining center—or on a lathe is part of a digital thread, which ensures data integrity and helps maintain consistency. Essentially, we take your uploaded 3D CAD models and perform a design for manufacturability (DFM) analysis. Once any DFM issues are fixed in the CAD model and the quote is approved, the digital file is translated into G-code, a language that tells the machine how to cut away material to define the desired shape of the model as an actual 3D object. The mill or lathe then does the work as instructed until the part is complete, or so it can move to any desired finishing options—more about those later.
The thing to notice here is how this has all happened digitally. This simplifies communication and speeds production. So, the initial iteration can be done on the digital twin that our systems create, rather than with the traditional method that involves machining a part, followed by laborious back-and-forth discussions about how to adjust it, and more iterations until complete. With digital manufacturing, the goal is speed, efficiency, and accuracy once the physical part is produced.
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