CNC machine shops – An Overview

 A machine shop is a place that undertakes elementary manufacturing for different industries or households. A shop will typically contain a lot of machinery and is supported by machinists and other technicians. A machine shop can be a stand-alone business or could be a part of a big factory.

Machine shops located within a large factory service therequirements of the organization while some operate as contract manufacturers that provide online machining services to different clients from various industries.

Equipment in a machine shop

Shops comprise of multiple pieces of equipment and the types and range are based on the size and purpose of the shop. A few machines found in most shops are as below.

·       Milling machines – These machines contain rotary cutters to extract material from the workpiece. Depending on the type and size, they can perform different kinds of cuts.

·       Machining center – This is basically a CNC milling machine that is guided by computer instructions. They contain multifunctional pieces of equipment and can perform complex tasks with high efficiency.

·       Coordinate measuring machine – These devices are used to measure the specification of parts and help to ensure quality and accuracy.

·       Grinding machine – These machines have an abrasive wheel to grind the object. This is generally a finishing process that offers superior surface quality.

·       EDM equipment - Electrical Discharge Machining uses sparks to penetrate an object instead of cutting tools.

·       Surface finishing tools – These tools are used to buff, polish, or sandblast parts that need a high-quality surface

·       Drill press – They are mounted and the movement is controlled by a lever and can be utilized for drilling holes and other tasks. finish.  

Machine shops perform multiple manufacturing operations and they can be done manually by a machinist or they can be equipped with CNC technology.

The introduction of Computer Numerical Control technology transformed the machine shop landscape forever. Prior to this technology, the machining equipment was operated manually or mechanically and accuracy was a function of the skill of the machine operator. CNC machines have all movements that are completely controlled by computer instructions.

machine shop hunt and hunt


How they work

The 3D digital designs are converted into a G-Code. This guides the CNC machine on what is needed to create the desired 3D shape. All movements of the cutting tool are controlled to very high precision and thus the machine can deliver parts that have a very tight tolerance.

They can also perform highly complex cutting operations and a few CNC machines can utilize the cutting tool to cut a section of material from any angle without disruption. Such machines are useful for machine shops producing large quantities of parts for serious projects.

The technicians and operators working in CNC machine shops are equipped to develop digital designs and can adapt designs for CNC machining. Experience in manual machining can help CNC machinists to understand the CNC machining process.

An all-in-one operation is the key benefit of CNC machines. They can fit multiple tools simultaneously. Some machines come with automatic tool changers as well. When the desired tools are loaded into the tool holder, no human intervention is needed and the CNC machine will deliver the finished model as needed.

Hunt and Hunt, based in Houston, is one of the most trusted names for contract CNC manufacturing. In addition to an impressive fleet of robotic cells, it has 30 other CNC, laser, and multitask machines, working together to deliver turnkey manufacturing worldwide.

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