CNC Milling
CNC milling is is a process that can create complex 3D shapes in metal
and other materials such as hard plastics. A CNC milling machine is
controlled by a computer program generated by a CAM
application from a 3D model of your part. Since CNC milling does not
require hard tooling such as molds or dies, it is useful for small runs
of parts and for prototyping. It is also used for post-machining cast or
extruded parts to add features that cannot be molded in or that require
higher tolerances.
Before creating molds for your die cast or plastic injection molded
parts, ChinaForgeTM can often first make prototypes by CNC
milling to allow you to verify your design.
Design Guidelines
When designing your CNC milled parts abide by the following guidelines:
- Avoid long, narrow protrusions or thin sections as they will break
under the force of the cutting tool.
- Use a radius instead of a sharp angle on inside corners.
- Try to make your design to minimize the number of faces that
need to be machined, as this will reduce cost and machining time.
- Avoid deep, narrow cuts as it may not be possible for the
cutting tool to reach the bottom.
- Avoid holes with very high aspect ratio. Holes that are longer
than 3 times their diameter can be difficult to drill.
- Try to use as few different hole sizes as possible to reduce
the number of tool changes required when drilling.
- If possible use metric sizes for your holes and other features,
as American sized tools are not as common in China.
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