Selection Of CNC Machine Tools

Nowadays, the world demands accurate CNC machine tools. Every machine shop differs in its skill levels and abilities to take on complex parts. Therefore, having a proper selection of CNC tools is necessary to manufacture precision machined parts.

An investment in CNC tools works well in the long run for the machine shop owners. Some complex parts with extremely tight tolerances require money into the CNC machinery. High-end machines equip themselves to take on any tolerance level for complicated equipment.

The challenge, however, comes in selecting the right CNC tool for your company. There are factors to choose from, and narrowing down the necessary ones takes time. But in this post, we will share the tips to select CNC tools.

#1. Machine tool setup and experience of the operator

First, you need to consider the type of machine you have in your machine shop and how much experience your machinists have working with CNC tools?

If your shop has existing machines, it is time to evaluate them if they are ideal for your manufacturing purposes, check any improvement required, assess the machine life, and more.

The expertise of the machine operators will play an important role if they have worked with various CNC tools. It is not an issue to shift to a new CNC tool.

#2. Part difficulty

It is one of the vital factors to consider before choosing your CNC tool. One of the challenges of the machinists is to achieve the required precision of the machined parts. Several industries such as aerospace, defence, medical, or automotive require precision CNC parts.

To manufacture specific machined parts for industry requires different equipment. You do not want to be stuck with a part difficult to machine and waste time and resources.

#3. Tool materials

The cutting tool gets selected according to the material of the workpiece. CNC machine tools fit well with plenty of materials.

The type of material machined impacts the machine's design and durability. Physical properties and optimum conditions play a role in influencing machine tool factors. So, choosing a tool depends on the material used for CNC machining.

#4. High reliability

Ensure that tool doesn't get hampered by any accident. As well as there will be no potential errors in the CNC machining, which will impede the machining's smooth development. The tool and the accessories that go with it must have high adaptability and dependability.

#5.Tool coating

Your CNC machining tool's tool coating is very important. Coatings such as titanium nitride extend the tool's life but raise its cost. Furthermore, some coatings make your tool, less sticky, resulting in less lubrication usage while working (further reducing the costs).

#6. The accuracy of the tool

CNC machining requires utmost accuracy to manufacture machined parts. To meet the high precision of the CNC machining the tool needs to produce machined parts flawlessly. It is why the machinists keep accuracy as one of the main factors in their checklist. Without accuracy, it gets hard for the machine shop owners to get the desired part in a limited time.

#7. Cost per part

The price of CNC cutting tools is a vital factor to keep in mind. The machinists need to consider both variable and fixed costs of the part before starting manufacturing of the relevant industry. Choosing a cheaper machine tool is what machinists go with, creating a problem for the ideal manufacturing of the machined parts.

#8. Compatibility with machine software

It is necessary to have defined tool paths for work-pieces, and CNC machining machines. The scenario is to understand the machine code and have an advanced CAM software package. The tool path has to take tool characteristics into account. Each tool has a different programming technology that shortens the manufacturing process, reduces the cutting force, and improves the chip. So, the tool has to be fully compatible with the machine software for the seamless production of parts.

#9. Power requirements of the tool

The basic principle in CNC manufacturing is to make the best of the resources available. For example, if you have a milling machine with a power requirement of 20hp, select a CNC machine tool that works by the power requirement and enables you to achieve the manufacturing task. You can pay attention to the user manual for the power details of the machine. A pro tip is to choose the tool that achieves better cutting applications according to the power range of the machine power.

#10. Available space at your factory

Consider how much space you have on your shop floor to accommodate the new machine tool. It can vary from industry to industry, and it can include the following factors:

• Chip disposal.
• Maximize utilization of available floor space.
• Safety conditions for workers.
• Minimize the movement of workers from machine to machine.
• Space for future expansion.