Tips For Choosing The Most Suitable Machining Components Manufacturers

 In any type of mechanism, even the smallest part of it can influence the daily operation of a machine. When referring to the mechanization of all these elements, the technology and the quality of the machining centre are two of the key factors. And it is for this reason that we must invest in the latter, that is, CNC lathes because this will be the best bet to obtain the components of the highest precision and reliability for very specific purposes. Do you want to learn more about precision machining? Do you need a machining job and are in doubt when selecting a machining components manufacturer? Then you should not miss this article.

The evolution of technology, as well as the high competitiveness of industrial markets, are leading manufacturing companies to work in a large, more flexible manufacturing environment. This evolution demands greater speed in the development of projects and the highest precision in each part. All of the above with a clear objective: to avoid delays and cost overruns.

If you are a project manager or involved in purchasing processes, you may be aware of the importance of selecting a good machining components manufacturers. A very good choice can help achieve the success of your prototype and the deployment or production of your project. In this article, we are going to review some of the methodological concepts that can help in day-to-day work.

Things to take into account when choosing the most appropriate precision machining components manufacturers

Technology used for machining

There is a fairly large number of solutions that can be more or less expensive, as well as of more or less quality. Before starting, you must be clear about the specific needs of your business or project : geometry and dimensions of the parts, the number of parts needed, the tools used (drills, cutting tools, milling cutters), the optimal number of axes for machining, capacity rotation etc.

According to the technology used, we can classify it into 3 large groups:

Machining with chip extraction: Here the material of the part is shaved or cut with a precision tool, generating chips. Until recently, the main problem with this system was obtaining small-sized pieces per cut. However, today, injection-based systems allow CNC parts (barely 10gr.) to be produced with much-improved precision and homogeneity in relation to other conventional technologies.

Non-chip machining: This involves various metal forming processes: sintering, roll milling, stamping, casting,… This is not a viable option if we are looking for the best precision-manufacturing-speed ratio.

Machining by abrasion or by electrical discharge:  In this case, the removal of excess material is done by means of an abrasive wheel , which rotates at high cutting speeds, removing small particles. They are very precious, but require long production times.

In addition to these technologies, we could mention 3D printing, one of the latest advances. This solution can design a part in a few hours. Despite this, the layered finish of 3D-designed parts, as well as limitations in materials and compatibilities, make them suitable for many purposes.

Do you offer micro injection melding or injection overholding services?

Working with molds allows us to manufacture more quickly and at lower costs than in machining processes. In addition, this technology allows greater versatility in parts and geometries. Both are recommended for situations where we need to produce large quantities or to support prototyping that requires more samples.

Micro injection melding is the process of injecting polymers or thermoplastics into closed molds. In the case of overholding, we can develop the same piece with various types of materials; In other words, we can create combinations of plastic and metal in one piece. This is achieved by injecting a hard or soft polymer onto a base material (substrate) that can be plastic or metal. In this case, we can refer to materials such as steel and plastic, plastic rubber or brass and plastic overholding.

It is always an advantage if the machining components manufacturers offers injection molding technology, always thinking of versatility and agility when faced with a need.

Versatility

The company that we are going to choose must have machinery that is capable of offering several products. The latest CNC lathes allow the production of various parts of different sizes and materials. In this way, we can meet the needs of a single project with a single supplier.

This is where you should pay special attention to the technical specifications of injection molding machines : the diameter of the screw, the minimum height of the mold or the diameter of the turntable. This and other related aspects will provide us with information about the versatility of the available machinery.

Precision

You must ensure that the selected machining services company has the latest technology in terms of CAD-CAM software systems. This is what you will be able to present with the simulation of your design in order to quickly have your components machined.

As an example, when we talk about machining processes with chip removal, the application of numerical control covers all machining processes: drilling, turning, etc. Computerized control of the movements of the processing machine ensures that the part is identical to its computer simulation.

Productivity

If the entire machining process takes place in a single machining center, we will be able to reduce manufacturing times and therefore we will be able to deliver the parts in a few days. This is achieved by cutting short downtime or waiting time between machines.

To achieve better productivity, a series of aspects must be taken into consideration, such as the size of the gantry, the type of machining table system (rotary, shared, fixed, mobile), the zero return system, the number of heads, systems for a quick configuration in the machine and other aspects.

Quality

We should look for systems that guarantee the highest quality in each part, in such a way that said quality can be duplicated, in this way we can eliminate adjustment or re-processing time.

Experience

This is a very important factor, especially when considering that each application and each part could be unique. Select a company with a good team of highly qualified professionals with a long history, in such a way, we will obtain better advice from the moment we present the idea or project to the development of the product.

Specific treatments

Let's go with the last of our recommendations, the last link in the chain. This aspect can establish a differentiation of some machining companies to others. The application of the treatments on the parts has an improvement in their resilience and therefore in the response to external agents such as humidity or heat loss and increase. Here we can mention:

Hardening treatments: Here we could mention the thermal treatments that help the different parts to have a good response in deployments that require a greater resilience criterion.

Surface treatments: chrome, galvation,… A very effective treatment to reduce friction and wear of CNC parts in those applications where a large amount of rolling or sliding contact must be supported.