Five aspects of rapid prototyping than CNC machining

When modeling complex prototypes through design software, there is little impact on time and cost. The ability of RP processing to produce complex parts quickly and cost-effectively is one of the biggest advantages. On the other hand, in CNC machining, you need to deal with every feature in a complex part, which will eventually increase time and cost. As the complexity increases, the number of settings and tool changes also increases. Many features such as high aspect ratio features, holes, deep grooves and square corners can even challenge expensive CNC machine tools.

Functional details
In many cases, rapid prototyping can produce functions that CNC machining cannot provide. You can produce sharp inner corners and features, such as deep narrow passages, high and thin walls, high aspect ratio ribs and columns. At the same time, CNC machining is not very good, because its excellent processing area lies in smooth mixture, sharp edges and clean chamfers.

Skilled labor
The RP processing profile is certainly not the minimum wage, but compared with CNC technology, the demand for highly skilled labor is significantly reduced. In addition, it has been improved in such a way as to separate art from the process. On the contrary, CNC technology requires labor skills, creativity and problem-solving skills. Computer numerically controlled machining is the work of an experienced craftsman and requires skills from designing tool paths and machining strategies to operating and monitoring the cutting process.

Staffing
In addition to auxiliary operations such as replacements, fewer people are needed for rapid prototyping. In addition, it is possible to prepare documents for parts production and manufacturing within a few minutes. Although the application of CAM software has been improved in terms of CNC, manual intervention is still required. The setup and operation of the machine requires an experienced mechanic, which further increases the cost.

Delivery time
As you now understand, CNC hardware rapid prototyping requires less labor, requires only a few steps, and has little sensitivity to design complexity, you can infer that it not only reduces the delivery time of the physical build, but also shortens the entire The delivery time of the process. Therefore, the entire RP process is effective for most parts of time and personnel. However, in CNC machining, many things need to be processed, such as labor, tool path, processing time, fixtures and materials.

Therefore, you can clearly notice why most manufacturers prefer rapid prototyping rather than CNC machining in terms of rapid delivery, complex design and lower cost.