Many people think that manufacturing in China means lower quality control, but there are actually many reputable overseas manufacturers that produce top-quality products. There are many factors you need to consider when it comes to China and doing business with them. China is a vast country that has a range of industries and businesses. Here, we will focus on China’s machining industry, mainly concentrating on the CNC machining services offered. China’s rapid prototyping services are good for several reasons; they are cheap, fast, and excellent quality! Outsourcing CNC machining service from China is a great way to get prototype and low volume parts without having to invest in costly in-house machining equipment.
Why outsourcing CNC machining service from a China supplier
The first reason for working with an China’s CNC machine shop is to save money. The quality of the CNC machining services is not always commensurate with the price. With the increasing popularity of outsourcing, many people are looking for professional CNC machining services from China. There are many aspects to consider when choosing a CNC machining service in China. Here are some tips to help you choose the right CNC machining service in China.
China has always been known as the world’s factory because of its low labor costs and highly skilled workforce. The same principle applies to rapid prototyping services as well. The manpower is cheap and skilled which ensures that you get the best quality service at lower prices compared to anywhere else in the world. Plus, you won’t have any problems communicating with them.
Benefits of CNC machining service form China
There are many benefits when outsourcing rapid prototyping service from China. You can get the following advantages:
#1. Save cost
#2. Accelerate the development of your product
#3. Improve the efficiency of your project
#4. Get faster delivery time for prototypes
#5. Gain access to high quality service and skillful technicians in China
How long does it take for the CNC machining service from China
In general, making a prototype using CNC machining takes 4 to 10 days. For functional prototypes, 3D printing will be faster because it just takes between 3 and 5 days. There are also other technologies such as SLA, SLS, vacuum casting that are suitable for different applications.
Before start
There are millions of CNC machining services in China, and many factories are strong at different products. So you’d better be very clear about what you want.
The first step is to communicate your products design requirements in detail. This will help the manufacturer come up with an accurate quote for your job. In order to make sure the products perfectly meet your requirements, you should provide a detailed description of the design of your products including 2D drawings and 3D CAD files.
If you have 2D or 3D CAD drawings ready, make sure you send them over via email or download links so that they can take a look at it before making a quote.
If possible, try to visit the manufacturer if you can afford it as communication is much easier in person than through emails or Skype calls. A face-to-face meeting also gives you a good chance to check out the facilities and see what kind of works they are capable of doing.
Tips on getting the CNC machining service from China
In the process of using CNC machining, there are some important points that need our attention:
#1. Choose the right material and define the tolerance;
#2. Make sure the design meets the requirements of machining;
#3. Determine whether to use surface treatment and heat treatment;
#4. Analyze the cost breakdown from suppliers.
#5. Evaluate the actual situation of suppliers.
Step #1. Choose the right material and define the tolerance.
In machining, the goal is to create a part that is as close to perfect as possible. This means that the machine has to be able to work with imperfect materials and tolerances.
The material you use for your part can affect it in two ways:
First, The type of material you use for your part can determine how much force it takes to cut through it. Consider using a harder material, such as aluminum or steel (they’re usually stronger than softer metals), for parts that are going through more force or stress. For example, if you’re making a bearing or an axle, aluminum will be stronger than steel and less likely to have problems from excessive heat caused by friction. Bearings, like all metal parts, need to be very precise; they are only as strong as the weakest part of their assembly.
With regards to material requirements, once again, you’ll have to define what specs you’re looking for in terms of quality and performance. In some cases, CNC machining can produce parts that are less than ideal due to surface finish issues (often referred to as “hollowness”). Furthermore, there could be other complications such as glazing or cracking which would negatively impact performance or appearance. These issues don’t necessarily mean your CNC machining product won’t perform well — but they could pose problems down the road if proper attention isn’t paid to them now.
Second, Tolerance determines how precise your part needs to be. For example, an injection-molded plastic part might need to be within a few thousandths of a millimeter of its specification. A millimeter is a very small unit, so this means that it needs to be within a few hundredths of a millimeter. If the part doesn’t meet its tolerance requirements, it may leak or break or deform in some other way and render it unusable.
In CNC machining as well as injection molding, parts can also have tolerances expressed in microns (abbreviated “µ”). This is 1/1000th of a millimeter (1 micron) and is useful for applications where the part’s size is smaller than the material itself. In some cases, you can get parts made from materials that have different tolerances — one material might have tighter tolerances than another, for example — but these are uncommon and require more effort than simply using one material with tight tolerances.
Once you’ve selected your suppliers, explain clearly and concisely what you want them to produce. If you don’t specify the tolerances required by your process and materials, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment with potentially expensive returns if your specifications require more than what you can reasonably expect from an overseas manufacturer.
Step #2. Make sure the design meets machining requirements
Before starting the project, it is essential to make sure that the design meets the requirements of the machining process. If you do not take care at this stage, you may end up having to make costly changes later on in the project.
Here are some things to look out for:
- Make sure there are no sharp edges or radii that are less than 0.8 mm. These will be difficult to machine and can lead to burrs and even cracks in the part.
- Avoid very deep pockets with small radii corners as these can be difficult to machine and reach for deburring.
- Avoid very small details, such as holes smaller than 1 mm diameter and features smaller than 2 mm wide. These are extremely difficult (if not impossible) to machine without breaking tools and leaving burrs which must then be removed manually at considerable cost.
Step #3. Determine whether to use surface treatment and heat treatment
Surface treatment is applied only after the part has been machined. It’s used to protect the surface of the part from corrosion and wear. In some cases, it can also be used to improve the appearance of the finish. The most common surface treatments include clear coatings, anodizing and phosphating. Clear coatings are applied after heat treatment for protected and transparent surfaces, such as aluminum or stainless steel. Anodizing is applied after heat treatment for non-plated metals like titanium or chrome-molybdenum steel (CMS). Phosphating is applied after heat treatment for unplated metals like copper, brass and bronze.
Also, it is important that your part be heat treated. The process of heat treating (annealing) changes the characteristics of the metal, enabling it to be machined much more easily, especially in tight areas and around sharp features.
Step #4. Analyze the cost breakdown from suppliers
The costs associated with manufacturing parts through CNC machining services in China often vary depending on the suppliers. Therefore, it is important to analyze the costs offered by different suppliers so that you can determine how much you can save by having your products manufactured in China.
Ask for quotes from various suppliers and look into their cost breakdowns so that you can compare their prices. You should also consider other costs aside from the manufacturing costs such as shipping and logistics fees so that you will know if they are included in the quoted price or if they are not.
Step #5. Evaluate the actual situation of suppliers
In order to help you choose the right Chinese CNC machining service company, we will introduce a few tips for you to select the company:
- Evaluate the actual situation of suppliers
In addition to looking at the scale and strength of suppliers, you need to further evaluate their actual situation and whether they can provide the required parts in time. For example, look at the supplier’s production workshop and equipment conditions, whether they are professional and standardized production management method; look at their inventory level and product range; Check if they have sufficient manpower and resources to meet your orders, CNC machining requires a lot of manpower and resources in order to be completed successfully. if necessary, you can ask them to further demonstrate their processing capabilities.
- Verify supplier references
Supplier reference is an important basis for judging whether or not a supplier is trustworthy. You can ask for customer information from China CNC machining service company, then talk with these customers about the quality of their work and other aspects of cooperation experience. If possible, you can also visit these customers directly to get first-hand feedback on your supplier’s work.
In the end
The reality is that many of us don’t have the means to manufacture products or parts in-house, but could really benefit from doing so. Thankfully, there are services available to help make that a reality. You can consider working with small engineering firms and consulting companies, as well as looking into local manufacturing service providers. There are also large factories and production facilities that are used for designing a mold and making or producing individual parts or components. Going online for CNC machining services in China could be another option worth considering if you don’t live near any manufacturers. Regardless of what you decide, the key is to have a good understanding of your needs and the costs associated with outsourcing CNC machining, so that you can work towards meeting your needs at an affordable price. Once you have that figured out, it’s simply a matter of choosing the right supplier for your project—but hopefully, our buyer’s guide has made things a bit easier.
LEADRP is a good example of a Chinese company offering high-quality CNC machining services with over 15 years of experience. LEADRP offers quick-turn prototyping services from 3-5 days, and LEADRP can do mass production from 1-50000+ pieces per month. LEADRP has advanced 3-axis, 4-axis, and 5-axis CNC machining centers to ensure that you get your parts on time and at an affordable cost. LEADRP’s CNC machining services include CNC milling, CNC turning, CNC drilling, wire EDM cutting, water jet, laser cutting, all within a single machine shop. We have successfully completed many projects using our extensive knowledge of different materials and processes to manufacture precision parts with tight tolerances.
At LEADRP, we aim to offer a one-stop CNC machining service and guide customers to save money and improve their efficiency, so as to help our partners to promote their business and performance in the market. I’m pretty sure that all of the information in this article can help you fulfill your requirements with LEADRP.
