CNC machining - Reducing Costs (14 tips)

Protolabs August 4, 2020
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Protolabs

@protolabsmfg

About

Hello! We create educational videos about manufacturing for designers, engineers, buyers, and others who work in the manufacturing space. Learn how to improve part design, cut costs, find the right materials, tour our facilities, and more. Who are we? Protolabs is the fastest and most comprehensive manufacturing service from prototyping to production. Our digital factories produce low-volume parts in days while Protolabs Network unlocks advanced capabilities and volume pricing through its highly vetted manufacturing partners. From CNC machining and 3D printing to injection molding and sheet metal fabrication, we’re your one digital manufacturing resource from start to finish.

Video Description

In this video, you’ll learn how to reduce CNC machining costs when designing for CNC machining. FREE guide on CNC machining (pdf) http://3dhu.bs/G-besD Download our free CNC machining cost reduction checklist: http://3dhu.bs/Ufeicq 00:00 Introduction. We'll briefly mention what this video covers. 0:52 Aspects affecting the cost of CNC machined parts. Before we dive into the tips it's important to note the aspects that affect the cost of your design. 1:44 Tip 1: Add a radius in internal vertical edges. You'll learn how to add a radius to internal vertical edges and why that's important. 2:13 Tip 2: Limit the depth of cavities. We'll teach you how to limit the depths of cavities to save costs. 2:58 Tip 3: Increase the thickness of thin walls. You'll learn to increase wall thickness and why that's important. 3:30 Tip 4: Limit the length of threads. We'll discuss why the length of threads is important to consider in your design and what an optimal design is in relation to saving costs. 3:53 Tip 5: Design holes with a standard size. Here you'll learn why standard drill bits are preferred. 4:36 Tip 6: Specify tolerances only when necessary. We'll tell you why specifying tolerances can be costly. 5:06 Tip 6: Keep the number of machine setups to a minimum. Learn that designing parts in as few setups as possible is preferred. 5:40 Tip 8: Avoid small features with a high aspect ratio. Here, we'll discuss why these features can be difficult to machine. 6:05 Tip 9: Remove all text and lettering. Adding text and lettering to a part adds costs and time to the machining process. 6:31 Tip 10: Consider the machinability of the material. Here we'll discuss why some materials are better to machine than others. 7:52 Tip 11: Consider the cost of the bulk material. Considering bulk costs can be a handy way to save costs. 9:02 Tip 12: Avoid multiple surface finishes. Adding multiple surface finishes ads to the costs of the machining process. 9:18 Tip 13: Blank size. Here, we'll discuss how the blank size may have an impact on costs. 9:50 Tip 14: Economies of scale. In this final section, we'll go over how taking advantage of economies of scale and greatly reduce CNC machining costs. Check out more videos from our series “What is CNC machining?” CNC machining - What is it and How Does it Work? http://3dhu.bs/p6DXzA CNC machines - The Types of CNC machines Explained (3 and 5 axis) http://3dhu.bs/45YSFO CNC machining - Designing Quality Parts (tips and tricks) http://3dhu.bs/9ydBQI CNC machining - Reducing Costs (14 tips) http://3dhu.bs/MIgwMY FREE guide on CNC machining (pdf) http://3dhu.bs/G-besD Download our free CNC machining cost reduction checklist: http://3dhu.bs/Ufeicq Protolabs is the fastest and most comprehensive digital manufacturing service in the world, combining in-house quick-turn factories and premium manufacturing partners at Protolabs Network. Users can easily upload their design, instantly receive a quote, and start production at the click of a button. Order custom parts online today: https://identity.protolabs.com/ https://twitter.com/Protolabs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Protolabs/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/protolabsmfg/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/proto-labs/

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