Video
Article
CNC Milling Service
CNC mills produce parts of nearly any shape from soft metals like aluminum, harder metals like steel, and plastics such as acetal.
eMachineShop offers cost-effective milling solutions whether you need a single part, batch of prototypes, or full production order.
- 50+ Materials.
- FREE Shipping in the USA.
- 100% Quality Guaranteed.
Advantages
- Can produce parts of almost any shape
- Cost-effective for prototyping and short runs
- High dimensional tolerances are possible
- Smooth finishes can be achieved
Design Considerations
- Use shapes that will hold well during machining, like straight edges
- Milling creates a visible cut pattern on the surface of the material
- Avoid deep pockets and ensure corners are rounded
- Avoid flimsy shapes
What is CNC Milling?
CNC Milling is an automated process used to manufacture 2D and 3D parts by removing material from raw stock.
To make a CNC milled part, a block or sheet is placed on a table below a spindle which holds a cutting tool. A computer controls the tool used, the rotation speed and the vertical motion of the spindle, and the horizontal motion of the table. This allows loaded cutters such as drills, taps and end mills to remove portions of the material to create shapes.
eMachineShop Milled Parts
What is a CNC Milling Machine?
A milling machine is designed to produce premium parts with a high level of detail and finish. It uses rotary tools to cut away at the material by following the instructions from a CAD file to create a part design.
A milling machine computer controls the cutter’s function and coordinates, while minimum human input is required to complete the task. These machines are involved in the mass production of many components from different materials and plastic.
The primary function of a milling machine includes cutting workpieces into the desired shape. Based on the number of axes this machine has, the more complicated the final piece can be. It’s used for copper milling, steel milling, and other materials.
Why Is CNC Machining Service Important?
CNC services and milling machine options enable solutions to many problems. This technology ensures efficient and effective working processes that result in improved manufacturing technologies. For instance, we could hardly imagine cutting metal to produce car parts or aerospace components without custom CNC milling. While possible, this process would be much riskier and could pose a serious threat to people working on-premises.
With the help of computer software, we can access and create high-definition designs that are easily converted into Cartesian coordinates. CNC milling also has a goal to minimize the costs of prototyping.
However, this technology isn’t for industrial purposes only. It’s widely used in woodworking, aluminum machining, prototyping, and modeling, just to name a few.
Cutting Tools Used in CNC Mills
Plain End Mill
Creates walls with straight 90 degree edges and sharp corners at the bottom of recesses.
Chamfer End Mill
Creates 45 degree bevels on the top edge of a wall or recess.
Ball End Mill
Creates rounded edges at the bottom edge of a recess.
Rounding End Mill
Creates rounded edges at the top edge of a wall or recess.
Dovetail Cutter
Typically used to cut the pins and tails of dovetail joints.
Order custom cnc parts in just a few steps! See how here:
Preparing CAD Models for CNC Machining
CNC machining offers many advantages compared to other processes including precision and quick turns. CNC machining is among the most demanded services due to its accuracy and efficiency. CAD (Computer Aided Design) enables realistic computer models of parts to be built and assembled using CNC machining, beginning with sketching a design model on CADsoftware. The completed design is then converted into other file formats where it is then imported into CAM/CNC software and converted into G-code, the programming language that directs the CNC machines.
Considerations for Custom CNC Milling
With CNC machining, manufacturers can quickly produce CNC prototypes and durable parts for various applications. When selecting CNC machining materials consider that only stainless steel is corrosion resistant. For a lightweight product, low-density metals should be considered such as aluminum, beryllium, titanium, and magnesium alloys.
Elements and alloys able to withstand high temperatures include titanium, stainless steel, nickel, and tantalum. Finally, material costs should be considered for custom CNC milling projects since material costs impact total cost.
Common CNC Milling Metals
For custom milling projects, any metal or plastic, which is hard enough for machining, can be machined. The most common material used for CNC machining by CNC machine shops are aluminum alloys, which are naturally resistant to corrosion.
The 6000 series is most commonly seen in milling machine shops. Stainless steel alloys are also common since they are resistant to corrosion and wear, as well as carbon steel, titanium, and nylon, a chemically resistant, strong, durable, thermoplastic material.
What our customers say
Compatible Materials
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a cnc mill?
A: A CNC mill machine uses computer numerical control to create various types of components. CNC mill machines are commonly used in the manufacturing industry to create parts for cars, computers etc. Desktop CNC mills are smaller versions of these machines that can be used for small-scale applications.
Q: What is 3 axis cnc machine?
A: A three-axis CNC machine is a computer-controlled machine tool that has three axes of motion: the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis. A three-axis CNC machine can perform many different machining operations, such as drilling, milling, turning, and engraving.
Q: What can you make with a milling machine?
A: Milling machines are most commonly used in machine shops, where they are used to create parts for a variety of industries. They can be used to create both small and large parts and can be fitted with a variety of attachments to perform different tasks.
