To CNC or not to CNC?

摘要

In industry, both 3D printing and CNC machining allow manufacturers to rapidly produce complex, strong and lightweight parts but sometimes it can be difficult to know which technology will better suit an application. Here, Jonathan Wilkins, marketing director at obsolete industrial parts supplier, EU Automation, discusses the applications for CNC machining and additive manufacturing. CNC machining and 3D printing are both computer-controlled technologies that can produce complex parts from a variety of materials. The key difference between them is that 3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing, where material is added one layer at a time until the final component is built. On the other hand, CNC machining starts with a block of material, which is gradually removed by a cutting or milling tool until the part remains.