CNC Machining: 3 Easy Tips to Reduce Lead Time

Key Highlights

• Look into important factors like choosing the right materials, machine, vendor and the readiness of your program.
• Tips to find ways for your CNC machining Quote and Order processes to work better and more efficiently.
• Review multiple factors for you to consider when putting together a CNC RFQ package and process for best results.

Have an Important Project on Deck? These are some Key Factors for Consideration that can Influence CNC Machining Lead Times

Getting quality CNC machined parts in your hands quickly is something we do every day for our customers at REV A MFG. While the overall part size and geometry of your part can be big factors for CNC machining lead times, being aware of what other factors can be influential in subtractive manufacturing process can help the timeliness of getting finished parts back to you as fast as possible.

3 Easy Tips & Tricks for Reducing CNC Lead Times

For a project to move quickly from start to finish, designers, machinists, and project managers need to understand the best ways to work together. By being aware of efficiencies, you can reduce the time it takes to get parts in hand and this can be all be done without losing quality or precision.

Here's our tips:

Tip #1- Optimizing RFQ Communication

Whether you are getting your parts cut down the street, or using a shop with local capabilities and global reach when you need it like REV A MFG, clear communication is the best way. Doing your best to effectively communicate your design is the how.

Effective Manufacturing Drawings for Production Manufacturing

When your expectations are high for the end results, the work put in communicating your part geometry and design intent goes a long way. How you articulate your part requirements is paramount. Ensure that your part and assembly drawings are thoroughly and correctly dimensioned, toleranced, annotated and with any details that need explaining are provided when it comes to complex geometries and their engineered intent.

Thorough RFQ Packages in help for Reducing Leadtime CNC

While creating a great RFQ package can sometimes be tedious, it is a critical part in setting the stage for your vendor and the time it takes should be considered by you and your team as time well spent. Having a standardized approach across all of your work offers a chance for your vendors to understand your particular style of communication and makes it easier for you to operate as your body of work increases through your career. We know you are a badass, your RFQ packages can really help you shine.

Tip #2 - Optimized Supplier Communication

Communication problems and misunderstandings often cause delays and mistakes in projects. Clear communication is key to achieving successful results within your supply chain.

Creating good relationships with CNC machining partners and keeping open communication during the entire project helps finish on time, reduce mistakes, and makes the manufacturing process smoother and more efficient.

Effective Communication & Collaboration with your Vendor

Effective teamwork begins with checking the design details together. This helps everyone involved know the design goals and how it can be produced. Using online review tools to share designs, get feedback, and watch progress in real-time with a Project Manager at REV A MFG can be hugely beneficial. Our PM team has years of manufacturing experience, many of them having come from the shop floor themselves.

Video calls are a great option to help everyone quickly get on the same page with design, material choices, and any potential manufacturing issues. This approach can reduce misunderstandings and cuts down on potential Engineering Change Orders later. Our knowledge of manufacturability can offer important ideas that stop costly delays due to design changes. This is very important for custom parts that have tight tolerances or unique shapes. Close teamwork will lead to better results.

Tip #3 - Defining your Priorities

Effective project management is very important for finishing CNC machining projects on time. We prefer to take a collaborative approach to managing projects from the outset in defining your priorities for the project. Managing our collective expectations and these factors well can absolutely help shorten lead times. There are many things we are considering when reviewing your projects. Here are a few insights for your consideration so that we can take the collaborative approach and discuss our options:

1. Setup time - Plays a big role in overall lead times in CNC machining. This includes the time needed to secure the workpiece, load the program, adjust the tools, and do test runs. To make setup times shorter, we need better processes and skilled operators. Improving setups by using standard fixturing systems, offline programming, and planned downtime for maintenance of equipment. This ensures production runs smoothly and helps speed up the delivery of production parts.
2. Material Choice - As you know, a key part of a successful program involves choosing the right material for your application. This choice will affect the cost and lead time of a project. It is important to consider options like wear resistance and tensile strength to to ensure peak performance from your parts. Some materials may have unique setup requirements. These requirements can impact cutting speeds and possibly how quickly tools can wear out. For example, aluminum is easy to work with and allows you cut faster than harder metals like stainless steel. Choosing materials that are easy to procure can speed up production. If you need special or hard-to-find materials, there could be some sourcing delays. Another reason to work closely with your CNC machining partner: we can help you understand material lead times and suggest other options if needed.
3. Part Complexity - Multiple setups, undercuts and milling time are all factors that we review when quoting your designs. The quality of your CAD file as well as design manufacturability are also important considerations at this point.
4. Machine Availability - Timely access to the right CNC machine is very important for meeting your project deadlines. When machines are available, it can help reduce lead times and us talking about your requirements in advance for a wide range of applications which can help with machine planning. Finding a CNC machining partner that has many machines and plenty of capacity can help prevent delays, especially for complex parts that need multi-axis machining.

With all of these discussion points in mind, keeping an open line of communication with manufacturing partners builds a mutual trust and can help address any unexpected challenges quickly. By creating a teamwork-focused environment, issues can be solved early, reducing delays and boosting the chances of project success.

Conclusion

We are well versed in helping companies launch successful CNC programs for both Prototype and Production needs. Our machining capabilities can be leveraged to assist in bringing your program to life. Please submit your files for quote here or reach out to us with a phone call in advance of your program being ready to help set the stage by phone here.

Want to really dive deep into the topic of Supplier Quality? Check out this great article from ASQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How can design complexity impact CNC machining lead times?

In product development, the overall size, shape and design of parts can greatly impact how long the CNC machining production process takes. Complex designs often need more detailed machining processes, materials with unique properties and timing. They may also require special tools but these can be identified at the early stage of a program during the RFQ process. All these factors can potentially raise the production time for CNC parts.

Reach out for a quote today!