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Prototype Manufacturing
Your customized prototype manufacturing service expert. High quality Prototyping – every time! Our rapid prototyping and precision CNC machining services ensure that your designs and ideas are presented in three dimensions in just a few days. Before mass production, you can actually check whether the design and function of the prototype are defective and correct them. Of course, DDPROTOTYPE’s expert team will also provide practical help in every step of prototyping. With our knowledge reserve of prototype manufacturing, with the most advanced rapid manufacturing technology and endless materials, DDPROTOTYPE is a rapid prototype manufacturing company, which has passed ISO 9001 certification, specializing in prototype machining and low volume manufacturing of customized parts, providing one-stop service from prototype to production.
Signing of NDA
Before discussing any content related to the project or sharing any drawings, DDPROTOTYPE proactively requires NDA signing. If you really want to protect your idea, it is recommended to contact your lawyer and ask him or her to draft a specific confidentiality agreement for you and your invention.
Priority for covid-19 orders
As we serve thousands of medical device customers, we are seen as an essential business during the covid-19 pandemic and remain in business. At a time when the global outbreak of covid-19 has had an unprecedented impact on mankind, we are committed to working together with our medical equipment customers. That’s why we do everything we can to speed up the production and transportation of covid-19 orders.
CNC machining services
In the field of customized parts machining in recent decades, it is difficult to say that there is a better prototype manufacturing technology than CNC machining. CNC machining usually refers to multi axis milling and turning. Its advantages include not only high production potential, accuracy and repeatability, but also suitable for processing a variety of material options, as well as relatively easy operation. DDPROTOTYPE interprets the technology of CNC machining for customized parts, low volume manufacturing and prototype manufacturing.
Material Science
Whether it is sheet, plate or strip, it is suitable for CNC machining. The hundreds of metals and plastics that can be machined, aluminum and plastics are the most commonly used materials for prototyping. It is particularly important to select materials in the prototype stage. Different materials have different costs, mechanical and chemical properties. The most common materials are aluminum and ABS. In some cases, alternative materials used for prototypes can allow specific finishing services or be more durable than production parts to facilitate testing and design optimization. Generally, CNC metal machining is easier than CNC plastic machining. Most thermoplastic plastics (such as PE, PP or PS) will melt or burn in the process of machining, so it is difficult to control the speed of milling cutter, which requires experienced machinists to consider various factors comprehensively,Especially for the machining of hollow thermoplastic, when the cutting force is applied, the elastic deformation will occur, so it is difficult to achieve high precision and maintain tolerance, especially for fine features and details. According to previous projects, it is particularly difficult to process car lights and lenses.
DDPROTOTYPE has 15 years of CNC plastic machining experience, and has a professional team to research optical prototypes, such as automotive lenses, photoconductivity and mirrors. When machining transparent plastics such as polycarbonate and acrylic acid, obtaining a higher surface finish during machining can reduce or eliminate processing operations such as grinding and polishing. Micromachining with single point diamond machining (spdm) can provide accuracy of less than 200 nm and improve surface roughness of less than 10 nm.
CNC aluminum machining
CNC aluminum machining is one of the most typical CNC metal materials. Compared with plastics, aluminum can be cut with high feed rate and high speed, and can be cut into dry or with coolant. It is important to pay attention to the grade of aluminum when setting the cutting aluminum. For example, a very common 6000 grade contains magnesium and silicon. These alloys have higher machinability, strength and toughness than the 7000 grade products with zinc as the main component.
5 axis CNC machining
5 axis CNC machining is more expensive than 3 axis CNC machining, but it is more and more popular in manufacturing industry because of its various technical advantages. For example, using 5-axis machine tool to cut parts with two-sided features can be faster, because the fixed way of parts enables the spindle to reach both sides in the same operation, while using 3-axis machine tool requires two or more settings, or even requires customized fixture, which increases human intervention and affects the tolerance of prototype. The 5-axis machine can also produce complex geometry and fine surface finish because the angle of the tool can be consistent with the shape of the part. For prototype manufacturers, flexible machine configuration and machining experience can improve efficiency and reduce machin costs. Flexibility is one of the main advantages of 5-axis machining centers. In combination with the high purchase price of machines, if possible, the workshop is strongly encouraged to keep running 24 / 7, which can reduce the cost of single prototype processing.
Precision machining and micromachining
Precision machining refers to CNC machining operation with tolerance within ± 0.05mm, which is widely used in automobile, medical equipment and aerospace parts manufacturing. The typical application of micro machining is single point diamond machining (spdm or SPDT). The main advantages of diamond machining are the customized parts with strict machining requirements: the shape accuracy is less than 200 nm, and the surface roughness is less than 10 nm. When making optical prototypes, such as transparent plastics or reflective metal parts, the surface finish of the mold is an important consideration. Diamond machining is a method to produce high precision and high precision surface during machining, especially for PMMA, PC and aluminum alloy. Suppliers who specialize in plastic processing of optical components are very professional, but this service can greatly reduce costs compared to short-term molds or prototype molds. In addition to milling machines, lathes and turning centers, EDM machines and other tools are in the range of CNC machining. For example, CNC milling machine + turning center as well as wire cutting and EDM are common.
Application Area
Of course, CNC machining is widely used in all manufacturing industries to produce metal and plastic end use parts and tools. However, in mass production, other methods (such as molding, casting or stamping) are usually faster and cheaper than machining. This is part of the reason that CNC machining services are very suitable for prototyping.
CNC machining and 3D printing
CNC machining is the preferred process for manufacturing metal and plastic prototypes because of its shorter processing time compared to 3D printing, casting, injection molding and other additional steps. The “push button” agility of converting digital CAD files into parts is often touted by 3D printing supporters as the main advantage of 3D printing. However, in many cases, CNC machining is also preferable to 3D printing.
Each build volume of a 3D printed part can take hours to complete, while CNC machining takes minutes. 3D printing builds parts in layers, which can result in insufficient strength compared to machined parts made of a single piece of material. In addition, the range of materials available for 3D printing is very narrow, which may limit the function of the prototype, while the machining prototype can be made of the same material as the final part. The prototypes processed by CNC can be used as design materials for end use to meet the functional verification and engineering verification of prototypes.
3D printed features (such as holes, tapped holes, mating surfaces and surface finish) require post-processing, usually by CNC machining. Although 3D printing does provide manufacturing technology advantages, today’s CNC machine tools provide many of the same advantages without some disadvantages. CNC machine tools with fast turnover can be used continuously 24 hours a day. This makes CNC machining economical for short-term production parts that require a large number of operations.
Operation mode
With the trend of customization and diversification in manufacturing market, the old mode of “one size fits all” mass production has been abandoned. CNC machining has been proved to be a general solution to produce customized parts quickly and flexibly. However, it is not enough to only use CNC machine tools. The use of lean production methods, process optimization and control of production costs and supply chain will also have a significant impact on productivity. In the small batch production of custom parts and prototypes, the impact is magnified because the opportunities for setting changes and waste are more frequent.
To learn more about prototypes and CNC machining, please contact DDPROTOTYPE or ask for a quote via the website.