5 Gigantic Influences Of CNC Machining On The Manufacturing Industry

The manufacturing landscape has changed a lot since the first industrial revolution. In contrast to the manpower-oriented development in the 1900s, Industry 4.0 focuses on delivering impactful products at record speeds, to meet the demands of the modern consumer that need personalization, quality and speed.

The quest is to reduce operational costs, increase efficiency and accuracy, all while keeping human error at a minimum.

It’s no wonder that many businesses in the manufacturing sector have switched to digital processes. They are faster, easy to install, produce high-quality products, and require less manpower and machining experience.

CNC machining is one such celebrated digital manufacturing process. The computer-controlled process is able to deliver the hundreds and thousands of similar CNC machined parts with an unparalleled surface finish.

learn how CNC machining is revolutionizing the manufacturing industry, let’s briefly understand a bit of its history.

Background On CNC Machines

Most of the world’s recent technological revolutions can be credited to CNC machining.

Actually.

Low-cost electronics, high-intensity parts for airplanes and medical instruments — they were all made possible due to the introduction of CNC machining.

Its history can be traced back to the 19th century. However, the first proper CNC machine was introduced only in the 1950s.

Unlike additive 3D printing, CNC machining is a type of subtractive process where tools cut into metals and plastics to create high-quality and functional end-use products and prototypes.

The best part of today’s revolutionized manufacturing is that mass-production is not limited to big plants and names. Now, even small manufacturers can produce precision machined parts and manage it perfectly.

Some Mind Numbing Facts About CNC Machining

The demand for precise and accurate CNC machining has increased over the years and is not going to stop anytime soon.

Here’re a few numbers that will show you why!

1. The global CNC machines market size is anticipated to reach USD 100.9 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc.

2. It is rising at an expected CAGR of 6.8% over the forecast period.

3. The industrial segment is poised to dominate the market until 2025 and reach a valuation of USD 25.17 billion.

4. The Medical Devices & Instruments industry is forecasted to witness the 5.1% growth, followed by Aerospace Parts & Engines (3%) and Automotive Manufacturing (2%).

5. According to the data, the lathe machines segment held the leading share of over 27% in 2016. The growth of the segment can be attributed to the availability of 5-axis operation machinery that increases flexibility, reduces operation time, and avoids a collision.

6. Commercial demand for advanced, compact-sized CNC machines with automatic tool changers and multi-axis machining technology is on a rise. Several large manufacturing units and plants are increasingly adopting CNC lathes to perform operations such as cutting, drilling, knurling, deformation, facing, and turning operations.

Amazing!

5 Ways CNC Machining Dominates The Manufacturing Industry

For any manufacturing unit, choosing CNC Machining over conventional machining has become an obvious point owing to its numerous advantages.

This include:

1. Agile CNC — 100% Design Deliverability, Complex or not:

This flexible process allows manufacturers to achieve simple or complex shapes with tight tolerances. With CAD in operation, CNC machines are able to deliver immaculate design repeatability. This factor is a crucial plus point given the sensitiveness of many industry sectors like healthcare, aerospace, and defense.

2. High-performance Without Dependency:

Unlike traditional machining where performance depends heavily on the person directly involved, CNC machines can run day and night on the set speeds without losing out on quality.

Speed, accuracy, and efficiency are what make CNC machining the hero it is.

3. Versatile With Materials

In addition to manufacturing, CNC machining is also an integral part of the metal fabrication industry. Metals such as steels, aluminum, and alloys are crafted to form precision metal machining parts which are then assembled to build functional products. Today’s CNC manufacturing process boasts the latest tools and technologies including 5-axis machining, CNC multi-spindles, touchscreen controls, and more.

4. Speed — Higher Production Rate

CNC machines have the capability to produce parts 100x faster than traditional machining. Definitely, an attribute that is most crucial in this high-competition world. Machines take up the work that is usually catered by individuals, hence rapidly increasing productivity and drastically lowering the chance of human error.

5. Smarter Manufacturing — CNC & Automation

Advanced programming and the whole concept of automation is huge amongst today’s CNC machine shops. It’s justified for automation simplifies the production, taking huge labor efforts off our machinists. Plus, things get done faster with almost 100% accuracy.

What Will The CNC Machining Industry Be Like In The Next 50 Years?

As the CNC machining and manufacturing sector continues to expand, CNC automation and robotics are making their place in the regular production process.

In fact, some Industry 4.0 experts believe, we’ll soon witness smart factories engineered to handle new-age machine learning, IoT and AI.