CNC has gained a lot of recognition. There is constant research and adjustments done on it to improve it.
This makes it more improved and more complex at the same time.
The cost of setting up and maintaining CNC machines can be relatively high under certain circumstances.
Businesses are therefore looking for ways to go around and minimize the cost to the nearest minimum so that they can cut down their budget and gain maximum profit.
Luckily, if you follow all the necessary steps and consider everything, it is possible to reduce your expenses as much as possible.
Let's see the methods to save costs and bring down budgets below.
9 Factors Affecting The Calculation Of CNC Machining Cost
Certain factors determine the cost of CNC machining, and it will be essential to understand them so that reducing machining costs will be much easier.
Below is a breakdown of those factors.
CNC Machine costs
The machines used for CNC all have their associated cost, which depends on factors like weight, speed, machine configuration, and power.
Therefore when a machine is changed, the cost also changes (either high or low, depending on the device).
The two primary machines used are 3-axis and multi-axis machines. For an hourly rate calculation, the 3-axis CNC machine will cost $40 per hour. The multi-axis CNC machine will cost about $75 to $125 per hour.
Generally, CNC milling is more expensive than other machining operations. A machine with a lesser axis costs less than one with a higher axis.
Machining time
When a part is produced in a shorter period, it costs less. The longer CNC machines take to complete a parts production, the higher the cost.
Usually, more complex parts take up more time to produce.
Labor
CNC machining is an automated operation. It has the edge over other processes in times of labor costs. The only labor required is the personnel carrying out the 3D CAD designs and monitoring the machine operations.
The only cost is the expense of the labor. The advantage of this is that per part price is not associated.
The determinant of the level of this cost is the hours labor spends working and cases where manual labor is needed to post-process, assemble or finish.
Also, transporting the parts from production to other sites can attract additional expenses.
Shape complexity and dimensions
A part that is complex takes up more time, complex tools, and more technical operations.
Parts like deep cavities, sharp internal corners, etc that are complex will shoot machining costs higher than parts that possess small features.
Similarly, when a part is needed in large dimensions, the large raw materials and time required to make it will increase cost, unlike a small part with little dimensional requirements and time.
Material costs
The material the product is made from determines how much a part is.
For instance, a part made from plastic might not require the types of CNC tools a metal will need, and the whole production takes less time and is of less cost.
Among the materials, some prove more cost-effective for CNC machining usage. This is due to the property of the material, its machinability, and even its availability.
Surface finishing
After production, the marks and lines on the product might be needed to be worked upon. Some cases might not require the post-process, but others might require the part cleaned and even boosted in a glossy, shiny, or colorful finish.
The surface finishing services include polishing, coating, painting, galvanizing, etc., which all add extra cost to the final price of parts relatively.
Tooling cost
Standard tooling and custom tooling all have associated costs.
Some operations might require custom tooling to be achieved, and this will increase the product's price because custom tooling costs much.
Tolerances
When creating a part with tight tolerance, a lot of time is involved. Complex tools are required to carry out this efficiently.
Carrying out tight tolerance can create burns on the surface which requires extra time to correct.
Quantity
The number of parts needed will determine the cost. A small-scale production volume will cost less than a large-scale volume.
Although large-scale volume production is associated with higher costs, the cost per part is reduced.
3 Tips To Save CNC Machining Cost
Every production requirement is summed up to determine the cost of CNC machining.
Some of these requirements are fixed, but specific tips can be done to reduce the cost to the lower possible rate.
Check out advanced methods you can use to reduce your CNC machine cost below.
Quantity.
Creating parts in large quantities is a great chance to save costs.
Since you design this part only once, that design will be repeated to produce as many pieces as required.
The machine setup is also repeated for all operations, which saves high costs.
Be wise in Material Selection.
Material selection can be tricky sometimes. But with the wide range of available materials, it is possible to find a machinable material with the exact properties you are looking for.
But first, it is essential to relate the function of your part to the material you choose. Plastics tend to be less expensive than metals.
Compromising the quality of your part by trying to use a cheaper material will cost you more in the long run.
Design Optimization
It can be helpful to analyze your design correctly and bring out the features that do not have an impact on the functionality of the product.
Those features must not be made with custom tools or can be entirely avoided if possible.
Some of the features you can consider are:
Consider Hole sizes and profiles
If you want to carry out a hole, contour, thread, and slot creation, they should be done with conventional tools.
Custom holes will need complex machines to be done, and that will increase costs. This can also seem a waste of expenses since the parts have little to no function being custom-made.
Avoid thin walls and deep cavities for your part design
It can get very challenging to create holes and thin walls in CNC. These features usually cause inaccuracies in the dimension and vibration of parts.
They will be best avoided to prevent incurring unnecessary damage and cost.
Avoid requiring very tight tolerances as much as possible
Unless the tight tolerance is vital for the part's functioning, it is best to avoid too many of it in a product. For a part to be made with accurate tight tolerance, complex tools and a lot of time are involved.
A takeaway from this point is to develop one reference point for your part, which can be an option to plenty of tight dimensions.
If complexity is inevitable, convert one piece of that complicated part into modular components instead.
This is essential tip manufacturers use to increase the manufacturability of a product and save them costs as well.
A very complex part will be split into different smaller sections where they will be produced before assembling.
The machine time and operation, and setup time are reduced.
FAQs
Q: Is CNC machining expensive?
A: A large production volume will be less costly than small volume production.
The cost to set up the machine and design for one part might seem expensive, but there's instead a gain when it is related to a large production because the cost will not change.
Q: How do you effectively reduce CNC machining costs?
A: It may seem that minimizing CNC machining costs will reduce the quality or function of a part. But that is not the case.
When complex designs are broken into simpler forms, cavities are made with standard tools, and only machinable materials are selected, wall thickness is increased, the depth of cavities is reduced, and only necessary surface finishing is applied, you can minimize the cost of your CNC machining.
Conclusion
If you need reliable information on how to reduce the cost of your CNC machining for special cases peculiar to your business, our team at Ares Rapid will meet your needs effectively.
We possess expert technicians that have been carrying out CNC machining for decades and know the tweaks involved.
Contact us now for CNC machining services and advice.
