All You Need to Know About CNC Machining of Large Parts

CNC machining is one of the most widely preferred fabrication techniques for making parts and components of plastics, metals, and more. While it is used the most to make standard sized parts, OEMs may also prefer non-standard or custom parts which are large in size or of odd shapes. CNC machining of large parts needs tremendous skill, planning, expertise, and experience of the fabricator or CNC machining services provider. This is because these machines are designed to make parts of a range of dimensions, but they have an upper limit. The machines are of a certain size and cannot accommodate an excessively large part. So, beyond a certain size limit, the part in question needs to be made with extreme precision, planning, and in sections. This post discusses ways in which you can achieve CNC machining of large parts and get the required output in terms of structural and dimensional accuracy and more.

Points to Consider for CNC Machining of Large Parts

Large parts beyond a machine’s physical capacity needs a lot of planning before they are actually machined into the required size and shape. Here are some pointers which may be helpful when large parts need to be machined for a large or heavy duty product.

• First, the part would be machined in sections, and hence the setups and the number of production runs need to be planned based on the physical size, design complexity, and other technical parameters.
• The weight of that part is an important factor and needs to be compared with the load bearing capacity of the machine. Similarly, height also plays a role here. Excess of both weight and height may lead to wear or breakage of the machine. Hence, careful planning is necessary.
• To enable your machine to accommodate large parts with ease, you can keep the windows on enclosure sides open, so that some portion of the part may come out of that open space or protrude outwards. It will be even better if you can remove the enclosure portions so that the parts get enough space.
• With machining of large parts, there is always a risk of collision, which must be avoided at all costs. You can check the possibilities of collision with the help of CAD and check the program before running it.
• The geometry of the part is always important, and especially so for large parts. For odd geometries, linear lining up of parts may not be possible. Try extending the X and Y axes of the part, cut the corners and rotate the same on other side. This is applicable especially for round parts. In case of a rectangle, you need to consider the diagonal as it has the largest length.
• Using the right tools is just as important. You can use eight angle heads, big fly cutters, and so on.
• In terms of the design, a large part broken into smaller sections may work most times. To get the sections right, you can use a reliable CAD software. Also, selecting the right type of machine is crucial. It may be good to use machines with four or five axes.

If you are an OEM making plastic or metal parts or components for very large or heavy duty products, you need to partner with a service provider capable of handling CNC machining of large parts who can do justice to your requirement. and need fabrication services, ensure you partner with the right service provider. Ensure they understand your requirements and have advanced machines which can do this job with the required precision and accuracy. Brogan & Patrick offers various types of CNC machining services and have the expertise to build the most complex and heavy duty parts. The company has a well-equipped facility with advanced machining capabilities.