What is CNC machining?
CNC machining is a manufacturing process that involves using high speed, computer-controlled, precision machines to remove plastic or metal from a blank, a block of metal or plastic, to create a part. The process is subtractive, meaning the machine removes material from the blank to reveal the final part. Since the machine is computer controlled, the process is highly repeatable, resulting in the same identical part each and every time.
A CNC machine is given a specific set of code. The code tells the machine where and how to cut material from the blank. The CNC machine code contains a list of instructions on how to create the part. The instructions are part of a Computer Aided Design (CAD) file that contains the code needed to create the part. The code will first tell the machine where to place the tooltip, then how fast the tooltip should spin, and finally to what coordinates the tooltip should move. CNC machines use coordinates on a set axis. We use multi-axis CNC machines, allowing parts to be cut on the X-, Y-, and Z-axes. CNC machines cut parts with extreme precision. Since the machine is computer controlled, each successive part will be exactly the same as the first, making replication fast and easy.