CNC machined prototypes are the most famous form of prototyping which gives accurate and precise model of the actual product. CNC prototyping allows high production speed and accurate representation of the final product. There is actually a wide range of materials available for CNC machining. The choice of the material used for making prototypes depends upon the properties required in the prototype. The tolerance of the CNC machined prototypes can be varied depending upon the choice of the material.
WHY IS CNC MACHINING COSTLY?
The very first reason to explain the high prices for CNC machining is – tooling is really expensive. This makes volume processes unsuitable for prototyping. The materials used in additive manufacturing often don’t provide the required tolerances. Changing the materials frequently is a time taking process. So, most manufacturers use a single material with the machine. Sometimes secondary processing is required in order to achieve tolerances and get a smooth finish. This secondary processing makes the prototype lot more expensive. CNC machining services setup is a really complex process. A lot of thought and work goes in the setting up of CNC machines. The setup requires various special mills, drills and taps to be properly installed. This obviously increases the cost on manufacturers. Most of the CNC machines use heavy motors of industrial grade. In order to reduce cost all these sophisticated machines need to be used constantly. The process of making prototypes does not allow the proper use of the machinery as the product is made individually. So you see, this is the major factor which accounts for the high cost of CNC machined prototypes.
WHY IS MASS PRODUCTION CHEAPER?
The mass production of goods is much cheaper due to several reasons. The very obvious reason for this is that much more products can be produced at the same time rather than making an individual prototype at a time. In the process of mass production, highly skilled professionals are really not required to carry out various operations and unskilled labor can do most of the jobs which obviously lead to decrease in labor costs and hence decrease in overall cost. Mass production makes it possible to present sufficiently more products to the buyers in less time. Mass production is faster, cheaper and more convenient than making a single prototype.
COST COMPARISON OF CNC PROTOTYPING AND MASS PRODUCTION
When products are made in mass production process only very few of them undergo the rigorous checking process in which the dimensions of the goods are checked. When a prototype is made, that single prototype is rigorously checked for all the dimensions. This obviously adds to the cost. Mass production makes a lot of products at the same time, whereas rapid prototyping makes only a single prototype at a time. This too increases the cost in rapid prototyping. The sourcing of materials in small quantities is a rather expensive process. Sourcing of materials on a large scale in the case of mass production reduces the cost. Hence mass production is lot more cheaper than the CNC machining of prototypes.
RESOURCE BOX
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The original source of this article is from http://www.cncmachinings.com.