When asking the question what is CNC used for, there are different answers depending on which industry you wish to learn about. CNC has changed the face of workshops and factories around the globe, and can be found in a wide range of industries, giving way to the speedy production of high quality precision engineered parts. Below is a brief look into a few of the different industries where you will find CNC.
What is CNC Used for in the Metal Removal Industry
CNC in the metal removal industry has replaced machining on conventional machines, improving the quality and the speed of the metal removal proves. Processes used within CNC in the metal removal industry by precision engineering experts like Cam Machine include milling, drilling, tapping, boring, counterboring, and reaming. CNC centres will also handle all types of turning operations, including boring, grooving, threading, and knurling. Grinding operations, both outside, and internal, are also part of the metal removal industry, CNC grinders taking care of even the most complex of contour grinding which was before impossible with handheld machines.
Metal Fabrication
CNC is also used in the metal fabrication industry. Metal fabrication is performed on relatively thin plates, and a simple example of this would be a metal filing cabinet. Such a cabinet would be made of steel sheets that are sheared to size, bent where necessary, and punched with holes in order to produce the end product. To produce such a piece, many processes will be used. These include shearing, punching, laser cutting, welding, plasma cutting, and forming. The sheets of metal that are used will be controlled by CNC back gages, lasers and plasma cutters being used to bring the plates to their final shape.
What is CNC used for in the Electrical Discharge Machining Industry
The electrical discharge machining industry is a process by which metal is removed using electrical sparks. EDM uses two processes known as vertical and wire. Vertical EDM uses electrodes, and wire EDM is commonly used to punch and die combination. EDM is indeed one of the lesser known of CNC operations, and it is often merged with or confused with the very similar process of CNC tooling.
CNC in the Woodwork Industry
CNC has a very strong presence in the woodworking industry, just as it does in the metal removal industry. Operations that are commonly used in the woodwork industry by CNC machines are drilling and routing. The most advanced CNC woodworking shops will be able to perform several operations simultaneously, several tools being used to perform different operations at the same time.
These are just a few industries that use CNC. Computer numerically controlled machines are everywhere you look, on all factory floors, and in all industries. They have replaced the need for the human hand, producing parts at a far greater speed and with far greater accuracy than was possible before. Any part you see that is bored, rounded, or shaped in a specific way will have taken its form from CNC machining, common screws, tin cans, and plastic bottles being just three of the most common objects that you will see on a daily basis that are a result of CNC.
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