5 Reasons To Choose CNC Machining

October 8, 2018

Recently I had a friend (who is developing a product) ask me why I prefer CNC machining to 3D printing? My answer to her was varied and extensive as we went through the various steps she is about to take on her product development journey. Is there one reason why I prefer CNC machining for prototypes and low-volume production? No, but robustness would be up there as a major reason. To be clear, 3D printing is fantastic and has a massive place in the product development process, I have used it extensively as well as other rapid manufacturing processes, I just prefer CNC machining for these 5 main reasons (based on my experience).

Strength of  Prototypes – I have had too many prototypes break at a critical moment in the product development process. No one will treat your prototype as gentle as you. If you make your prototype via CNC machining there is a much better chance that it will stand up to the abuse it will receive from buyers, friends, co-workers, etc. You may say, “but this is a quick version for in-house review only so a quick 3D printed prototype will do”. To which I say, in many cases you are right, until that opportunity to show a crucial investor or buyer comes around and you find yourself without a top notch robust and excellently surface finished prototype. Lost opportunity costs are incalculable.

End-Use Manufacturing – When you get your design right you can go right into production because there is no tooling time (or costs) involved. This won’t serve you well if you win a massive Walmart order, but it can serve you well to roll our your first 100 or 1000+ parts/products for sale to end customers. Further, when your design is a highly specialized product with a higher price point then CNC machined parts may serve you for the entirety of your products life without investing heavily in tooling. Conserving capital dollars that would other wise have to be spent on tooling can be a massive advantage (when your design allows).

Surface Finishing – There are so many options for surface finishing and ways to apply colour with CNC machined parts. When you are developing a product this can really help you extend your product from a single sku to potentially multiple skus by offering varied looks and feels for your customers to choose from. If you have a first class CNC part with a production like surface finish then no one will know if you are showing them a production part or a prototype which can make people believe you are further along in your process and more heavily invested than may actually be the case. When you impress you gain confidence in yourself and your target audience.

Price – If you are making something in plastic then injection molded parts will beat your CNC machined price every time. But that requires a big upfront investment in tooling. Generally speaking, if you are selling direct to your customer without a retailer in the middle then CNC machining can be a sustainable pricing model as there is a lot more per unit profit available to you. When you go to mass market penetration through retailer or wholesale channels, then you do need to look at the best possible price in the market but in the early days CNC machining pricing can likely work. My point is to at least explore the option to see if you can get away with not having to initially invest heavily in injection mold tooling. The no-tooling nature of CNC machined parts allows you to change your design right up to the last possible moment before you hit the market, without a financial penalty.

Material Selection – Just about any material can be CNC machined, plastics, metals, woods. This gives you a fantastic range of options when it comes to presenting your product to buyers, investors, and end-use customers. Even if I think my end-use design will be plastic (to hit price point needs) I always like to create a version in metal (if the design allows) to show something alternative, something fun, something different. Plastic can be great for a mass market price point and metal or titanium or other can be great for a premium price point.