A record number of UK manufacturers are raising prices this year as inflation continues to escalate and as production becomes more and more expensive. Shortages, labour costs, and issues with supply chains are all putting pressure on producers to rethink their methods and look for ways to cut costs in any way possible.
While economists are unsure about how long-lasting or temporary these hikes in costs will be, any amount of high inflation can significantly impact your business and reduce your profits. Minimize the negative effects of inflated costs by closely examining how you manufacture and where you may be able to use more thrifty methods of production, such as CNC machining and injection moulding.
How to reduce costs with CNC machining
CNC Machining is an accurate, fast, and consistent method of production. It utilises a subtractive machining technology to carve out parts from a number of different materials such as metal, plastic, or even rigid foam. The costs of CNC machining can significantly differ depending on the type of project. Some cost-determining factors include:
Bulk material – This is a major cost factor, and you can instantly knock down your production costs by exploring alternative materials. Is there another, more machine-friendly material that can meet the requirements of your part? Some materials are more expensive to machine than others. For example, a softer bulk material, like brass, can be significantly less expensive than one that is more rigid, like stainless steel. Since it is easier to cut, it will take less time and be possibly compatible with less expensive tools.
You can also save money on CNC-Machining by finding a material that meets your requirements while being generally less expensive. For example, aluminium can be a good replacement for the much more expensive copper.
Part-design – Parts with complex geometries are going to be more expensive to machine than ones with a more simple design. However, there are ways to design complex parts so that they can be machined with cheaper or fewer tools. Inspect your design and see what you can alter. If there is text in your design, carefully consider its importance. It will add on extra machine-time and be much more expensive.
If text is a vital component of your part, consider injection-moulding as a method for production instead. It will be vastly more affordable.
Tolerance allowance and surface finish – The finishing touches on a part before it is finished can also greatly affect the price. For example, the tighter the tolerances, the higher the cost. This is due to extra material waste and an overall slower machining time. If your part can allow it, an increase in tolerances can save much time and money.
There are also a number of different finishes that can be applied to a machined part to hide or fix the scratches left from the cutting process, such as bead blasting, anodizing, and powder coating. However, adding surface finishes can get expensive fast, especially if more than one is used. Any finishes that are purely aesthetic should be avoided.
Carefully consider all of these factors and see where you can compromise. If your part requires expensive, tight tolerances, you may still be able to save money by altering the design or giving it a different type of finish.
How to reduce costs with injection moulding (H2)
Some of the tricks to reducing costs with CNC-Machining will also apply to injection moulding. The surface finishes and tolerances, material type, and complexity of your part’s design should all be considered carefully to see where you can best save money. However, injection moulding and CNC machining are very different processes. Injection moulding creates parts through the use of a mould and molten plastic. Metal can also be used to fill the cavities of a mould through metal injection moulding.
Injection moulding is often a much cheaper manufacturing method when it comes to mass-producing parts. It is also much easier to reduce the overall costs without sacrificing any quality or consistency. The best way to make injection moulding more affordable is by optimising the mould design. Some examples of this include:
● Reduce areas with solid parts – Solid sections in an injection moulded part can waste material and significantly raise your prices. Aim to reduce any areas that may have been solid by creating hollow spaces with well-placed supporting elements.
● Simplify features and remove unnecessary cosmetic finishes – Get rid of any elements to your design that are not absolutely necessary. Any cosmetic and aesthetic touches will only add to the overall cost.
● Use mill-friendly fonts for necessary text – If your part requires text, try to use a font that will be easy to mill onto the mould. The best fonts are Sans Serifs and above the size of 20pt.
Sacrificing the aesthetics and giving more time to planning and design is the best way to get ahead of inflating costs. If you can carefully consider what is essential for your part and what you are able to compromise on, you can save a considerable amount on production.
About the author: Luke Smoothy is the Director and Founder of Get It Made Ltd. Get It Made specialises in bespoke parts manufacturing and CNC machining services.
You can see Get It Made’s website here: https://get-it-made.co.uk/
For further information on anything in this article, the team at Get It Made can be
contacted via the contact page here: https://get-it-made.co.uk/contact/
