Many designers are familiar with using CNC machining to achieve high quality prototypes that meet both appearance and dimensional tolerance requirements. With the evolution of additive manufacturing (“3D Printing”), additional design features that previously required high-cost tooling or substantial labor by skilled craftsmen can now be incorporated into prototype parts at a reasonable cost. Here’s how rapid prototype CNC machining and 3D-printed parts can be used together to achieve your design and production goals.

Combining CNC Machining with 3D Printing

Both prototype CNC machining and 3D printing offer opportunities for making useful prototype parts. The main differences between these two technologies surround material choice, final surface appearance, tolerances, and factors such as cost, speed, and waste. Depending on your priorities, either option will likely meet your needs. However, there are times when combining the two manufacturing approaches may allow you to achieve even better results.

In general, 3D printing allows for the creation of intricate details, which are harder to achieve with CNC machining unless you have experienced programmers and access to a large range of cutting tools and multi-axis cutting paths. When you have a part that needs some complicated details but generally just needs to be the right size and look good, a hybrid approach is to make the majority of the part with CNC machining, then create the details through 3D printing and bond the two together.

Another example involves situations where you require high degrees of accuracy or appearance for a section of a part, but the other sections have a different requirement. For example, if you are making a prototype of an automotive headlamp, some parts of the lens may need to be very clear and highly polished, to transmit the light accurately, while other areas may need to be blacked out to prevent light from shining in directions that are undesirable, or for design aesthetics. In this example, you can machine a high-quality, optically accurate lens, then 3D-print a part to represent – accurately – the blacked-out areas. This results in a better overall model than would be achieved trying to accomplish the same results with paint, for example. It also permits consistency if you require multiple copies of the same part.

Contact an Experienced Service Provider

Global Technology Ventures, Inc. is a reliable CNC machining prototype service with years of experience in this field. We also use 3D printing regularly, not only to fill our customer’s orders when this is the best technology to use but also to achieve designs that can’t be done with machining alone. We can help you leverage CNC machining with the use of 3D-printed parts, regardless of the scope of work.

You can visit our website to learn more about our services or talk to an expert.