You’ve decided on custom CNC machining for your metal parts, but you might be wondering if there are additional ways to reduce the costs of your machining services. At Stuecklen Manufacturing Company, we’ve put together a list of 6 tips and tricks to help you make the right design decisions from the start and make the most of your production budget.
- Design CNC Parts With Costs In Mind
- Explore Different Materials & Thicknesses
- Stick To Standard Sizes
- Limit Tolerances & Manual Inspections
- Decrease Multiple Machine Setups
- Increase Order Quantities
1. Design CNC Parts With Costs In Mind
Getting the most value for your money with CNC machining parts starts with design. You may be familiar with DFT or design for test, where you factor final quality assurance into your prototypes and product designs.
Considering how this metal spinning process works and tailoring your specs to typical computer numerical control capabilities will save you time and help you stay within spending limits.
- Round Internal Corners Of Parts
- Avoid Deeper Than Necessary Pockets, Threads & Holes
- Small Features, Like Lettering, Can Cost More
2. Explore Different Materials & Thicknesses
Another tip for reducing CNC machining cost is to be more flexible with your materials and parts thicknesses. How machinable is the material you are planning to use for your components?
Compare metals like stainless steel and aluminum. Or consider the strength of aluminum 7075 against the fabrication-friendliness of aluminum 6061. You may be able to get the same grade of components in a cheaper-to-shape material.
3. Stick To Standard Sizes
Whether hole depths or thread lengths, it’s usually best to stick to industry standards when designing parts for CNC machining services. Think about standard hardware and drill sizes. Will going beyond these standards make your metal parts any stronger or more useful?
4. Limit Tolerances & Manual Inspections
The stricter your design tolerances, the more intricate the tool and time needed to produce your custom parts. You also introduce more manual inspections into the process. Make sure anything tighter than standard CNC machining tolerances are essential for your part.
5. Decrease Multiple Machine Setups
How many machine setups are necessary to CNC mill your part? As you can imagine, the more machines that have to be set up, the more manual work and time you add. If the machinist has to rotate your component to complete the job, you most likely will need multiple machine setups.
There are two ways to reduce these extra costs. You can redesign your custom parts, so they only require one setup. Or, you can break your components into multiple pieces that can be machined in one setup and then attach them.
6. Increase Order Quantities
If your CNC machined parts have been optimized as much as possible, from design to materials, and you’re still running into high costs, consider increasing your order or repeating your order. With this metal spinning process, you can see significant savings the more you purchase.
Take time to work out the costs in higher quantities. The results may surprise you.
Order Cost-Effective Custom Metal Parts
Figuring out how to reduce the cost of your CNC machined parts can get complicated. We hope these tips help you. For more ideas or to place an order, contact us at Stuecklen Manufacturing Company today.
