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Aug 11,2023

What Role Do plastic cnc parts Play in Assembly Lines

CNC machining has rapidly transformed the industrial manufacture of complex products. A lot of industries depend on CNC machining for the production of parts that are used in complex products like cars or aircraft. Large products like cars consist of thousands of small parts, most of which are made from CNC machining.

CNC machining is a manufacturing process that involves moving a solid block of raw material against a moving cutting tool to give it shape. The cutting tool removes the excess material around the block, so it is a subtractive manufacturing process rather than an additive one. Most parts have complex shapes, so CNC machining consists of more than just cutting tools.

A range of moving tools, such as drills and turning tools, transform the material. CNC tools are controlled by a Computer Aided Design (CAD) file to move in ways that shape the product perfectly. CNC machining can be applied to a range of materials, from metal to plastic. In this blog, we will take a detailed look at the Role of plastic CNC machining in assembly manufacturing.

Characteristics of Plastic That Make Machining Easy

In today's modern world, plastic has replaced metal in various products. Since plastics have become so widely used, the CNC machining process, which was previously used to work with metals, has been adapted to work with various types of plastic materials also.

Plastic CNC machining uses precisely the same tools as metal machining. However, plastic material is easier to cut and drill than metal. Let us take a look at various plastic features that make it such a useful and effortless material to work with.

Versatility

Since plastic has a diverse type, it means that manufacturers can create products of variable toughness ranging from soft to hard.

Easily Shaped

Plastic can be cut and milled more quickly compared to metal. It is softer and can be turned effortlessly.

Lightweight

Plastic is a light material that is easy to handle. The CNC machining process involves holding the material in a fixed place when working on it.

Plastic, naturally lighter than metal, is particularly easy to hold firmly, which makes it easy to execute refined cutting and grinding.

Plastic Types Used Commonly In CNC Machining

When it comes to milling plastic products, manufacturers have plenty of options to work with. The most commonly used plastic in CNC machining is thermoplastics which is a kind of hard plastic. Plastic CNC machining can be classified into three categories based on the type of plastic hardness.

This includes

Soft plastics

Hard plastics

Reinforced plastics

Nylon

This tough and durable plastic type has high thermal and corrosion resistance. It is a hard plastic that behaves like a metal during machining.

During cutting and grinding, it retains its surface tension and does not crack. While machining, these plastic tungsten-carbide machining tools should be utilized for the finest finish.

Delrin

A thermoplastic that is tough and rigid. It can also withstand heat of up to 121 Degrees Celsius without melting. This plastic can tolerate the tensile stress of the cutting tools, which makes it suitable for a machining process.

Acrylic

One of the advantages of using plastics in products is that it's lightweight. Acrylic is one such material that is rigid, tough as well as light. These qualities make it an excellent material for machining.

But it must be kept in mind that the cutting tool used in machining should complement the material you are working with. In the case of acrylic, the tool should be of carbide with a really sharp edge.

Teflon

You might know Teflon from the common frying pan that is used in every household. Also known as PTFE, this plastic type is highly resistant to heat, moisture, and chemicals. Like all plastics, it is also a non-conductor of electricity.

In the CNC industry also, Teflon is a popular material to utilize. However, it is not as easy to shape or cut as other plastic varieties. So, to machine this plastic executing a trial run to produce a prototype product is necessary so that the appropriate tools can be selected for mass production.

Plastic CNC Machining In Assembly Line Manufacture

Plastic CNC machining setups tend to have a high initial investment cost. This means that manufacturing plastic cnc parts can only be profitable when the production volume is high or medium. This high volume production perfectly suits complex industries that use assembly line manufacture as they also have a high unit production which demands a lot of small parts on a regular basis.

To supply these industries adequately with the correct and precisely machined small parts, CNC processes need to have a speedy turnaround time that involves the manufacture of a small part in the least number of steps. Let us explore the assembly line industries that commonly utilize CNC machined parts as part of their production operations.

Semiconductor Industry

Small semiconductive components are used in almost all electronic products. They partially conduct electricity, and without them, none of the smartphones would be functional.

Plastic CNC machining plays

a significant role in the manufacture of these components. Circuits in the semiconductor industry require plastic cnc parts to be flawlessly and precisely manufactured so that they match the circuit specifications and requirements.

This is not humanly possible, and plastic CNC machining is critical in the mass production of these intricate components and electrical insulators.

Automotive and Defence Industry

The automotive and defense industries are that also engage in assembly line production style. These industries require small parts to be made according to a specific quality standard and specification. In the assembly line, the production volume is high and multiple vehicles are simultaneously manufactured.

Therefore, a high quantity of readily available small plastic components is needed to keep the production line going. Similar is the case with aircraft manufacture. In defense industries, many aircraft parts are required to tolerate certain temperatures and should have the required durability.

The precision of CNC manufacturing ensures that the quality standards within a large volume of small parts stay the same.

In the dynamic landscape of modern manufacturing, the Role of plastic CNC parts has emerged as a transformative force in assembly processes. The precision, flexibility, and cost-efficiency offered by plastic CNC parts have revolutionized the way industries approach assembly line production.

These parts, with their lightweight designs, corrosion resistance, and ability to dampen noise and vibrations, have not only elevated the efficiency and quality of products but also opened doors to innovative designs and sustainable practices.

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What is The Typical Tolerance for Injection Molded Parts?

An immense number of plastic products are produced every day in the world. From a bottle cap to an entire plastic tank, thousands of products are manufactured with the help of plastic injection methods in the plastic industry. It seems so simple because of the metallic molds that are used in this process. All you need to do is add polymers in the injection and fill the mold with high temperatures to get the shape you want. But the casting needs a precise mold for that. Without that mold, you can’t produce thousands of plastic products a day. This is what we are going to learn in this blog. How these metallic molds get accurate designs and shapes is what you need to know here.  With the help of CNC machines, you can make any metallic mold to operate the plastic injection process. How do these CNC machines produce such sharp and detailed molds for any kind of unique plastic product? That is only possible if you have highly efficient CNC machines. Even if you don’t have that, you can get metallic molds from a CNC plastic parts factory. You will be able to get durable metallic molds to process plastic injection production easily. Let’s see what makes these CNC machines perform this task with much efficiency. Tolerance Level for Plastic Injection Molded Parts Tolerance level is the main factor here, which makes the mold sharp. The tighter the tolerance level, the sharper the edges are. Normally, an average tolerance ranges between +/- 0.002 inches and +/- 0.005 inches for plastic molds. Each production type has a different level of tolerance. If you go for tighter tolerance for injection molding, it will be +/- 0.002 inches. Moreover, if you further go for the tightest tolerance, it reaches +/- 0.001 inches. This is the minimum tolerance level to design a complicated mold for the plastic injection process. As a result, you will have to choose the tolerance extreme to meet unique designs and shapes of molds. Due to detailing this is a very important part of this method. However, there is a cost issue. Tighter tolerance causes a higher cost of production and also more time consumption. Resultantly, you will get the complex design of the mold, but its cost will be higher than a simple one. That is a crucial thing you need to keep in mind while using a CNC machine in mold manufacturing.  Ways to Achieve that Tolerance Level There are some simple ways to achieve a tolerance level for plastic injection molds. Since these molds need to be very smooth and precise in terms of design, they need a strict tolerance level. You can achieve that level by using these simple tricks with your CNC machines.  High Spindle Speed The spindle motor is a very important component in speed management. You can get a very high accuracy through it. Normally, the spindle motor’s speed ranges between 24000 RPM and 30,000 RPM. In addition, the spindle motor’s speed has different ranges according to the type of material and handling. For plastic molds, we can go for this range. Having a speed of around 24000 RPM will be ideal in this case. It will keep the precision level at an accurate mode. Make sure you don’t cross this speed range because the spindle motor has a limit, and different sizes of spindle motors are used for it. If you are going for less precision, you need an average motor for basic speeding.  Carbide Type When it comes to milling, drilling, and cutting in a CNC machine, carbide has to do this task. In this way, carbide has to be tough enough to meet all the requirements. Normally, each carbide type has a different grade in this process. Each Grade has different levels of endurance and performance. For plastic injection molds, we use C2-grade carbides. This C2 Grade helps to meet detailing with smooth results. You can use C2 or even C1 Grade for that purpose. Mostly. C2 Grade of carbide is used for it.   Wall Thickness Level Another factor is the wall thickness level. In CNC machining, this factor has to be ensured for high accuracy of injection molding of plastic parts. The wall thickness is between 0.5 mm to 27 mm, usually for plastic parts molds. Plastic types like ABS, acrylic, polyethylene, polyester, etc., are used for this range of wall thickness. You can make molds with CNC machines by maintaining the wall thickness level as per your requirement. Some plastic types need wall thickness levels between 0.5 to 0.7 mm, some need 1 mm to 2 mm, and so on. You need to decide what kind of mold you need to manufacture and what kind of plastic-type will be injected into it. According to that, you will be able to produce the best standard of mold.  That’s all you can have here. If you can produce your own molds, you need a CNC machine for that. Otherwise, you can order molds from a bulk supplier.

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