Whether you’re looking to buy a machinist’s part for your own needs or your business, there are seven aspects of machined parts that you should know about. These aspects include material, tolerance, and dimensions.
Material
Choosing the suitable material for your machined parts is essential. You must consider several factors, including the final application, the environment, and the materials’ physical properties. However, there are several materials you can use, such as stellite parts. These include metals, plastics, and composite materials.
Choosing a suitable material will affect the function and life of your finished product. It will also affect the production and prototyping costs. The most crucial factor in choosing a material is to select one that can withstand temperatures without causing warping or distorting.
The material you choose should also be able to handle stress. If you are working with a part subjected to a lot of pressure, a material like nylon will be a good choice. Nylon is also abrasion resistant and has a good impact strength.
Dimensions
Whether you’re planning to make a part in your shop or order it from a manufacturer, you’ll need to measure its critical dimensions. These include the width of the undercut, the cavity’s depth, the protruding features’ height, and the surface roughness.
These measures are necessary to ensure the part is shaped to its specifications. They are also needed to prevent any future damage.
Using these measures, you can determine whether the machining process has succeeded. Machined parts are manufactured in various shapes, sizes, and materials. If the part does not require precise dimensions, it can be made quickly and inexpensively.
You can use a vernier caliper to measure the dimensions of your machined part. The caliper has a main ruler and sliding vernier calipers. It can divide the part into 20 or 50 divisions. Each division has a graduation of either ten or twenty millimeters.
Tolerance
Whether you are a manufacturer or a designer, it is vital to know what machining tolerances are and how they can benefit your business. These standards are used in the design phase of a project to define the range of acceptable dimensions for your parts. These limits also help you minimize the cost of retooling and turnaround time.
Tolerances are essential to the manufacturing process because they allow you to start working on your part immediately. However, they can also have negative implications for your business. You need to fully understand the function of tolerances to save time and money retooling your parts.
Tolerances can also be tricky to understand, but once you get the hang of it, they can help you improve your processes and product. For example, if your part is designed to fit a sliding fit, it is essential to understand the benefits of tight tolerance.
Bead Blasting vs. Anodizing
Several types of surface treatments are used to finish CNC machined parts. Some of these methods are more efficient than others. These treatments are used to improve the appearance and durability of the component.
Anodizing is a standard surface treatment for metal parts. It adds metallic coloring and corrosion resistance. It is typically used on machined aluminum parts.
Bead blasting is one of the more affordable surface finishes. It can improve the look of parts by removing flaws and imperfections. A smooth, even surface is usually desired. Various types of materials can be blasted. It can also improve the surface’s mechanical strength.
A final buffing process usually follows bead blasting. The cost of service depends on the size of the surface.
Aluminum parts can often have an inconsistent finish. This can be due to minor tool marks and blend lines on the parts. It is also possible to get small round angles at the edges of the part.
