Each industry has different manufacturing needs, and there are many choices when choosing the right method to create custom parts. We have collaborated with thousands of clients from various industries and integrated key observations to help you choose the right process for your next project.
1. Aerospace
The vast majority of engineers and product designers in the aerospace industry use CNC to process their customized parts due to their high precision and a range of qualified materials and precision machining options. We have collaborated with aerospace companies to see that they have applied a large amount of machining because they can design strict tolerances for metals such as aluminum, steel, and titanium. For workpieces that do not use sheet metal processing or manufacturing, melt deposition modeling (FDM) and selective laser sintering (SLS) are common choices because they achieve complexity and scalability at a lower cost.
2. Medical equipment
The most popular process for engineers and product designers in this industry is direct metal laser sintering (DMLS). Metal 3D printing using DMLS provides strength, accuracy, and complex geometric shapes at a cost that is only a small fraction of traditional machining. SLS 3D printing is also a popular choice for non-metallic parts and prototypes. When high-precision and customized materials become the main focus, CNC machining is still a manufacturing method required for some medical device work.
3. Technology and Consumers
Although parts in the technology industry can be manufactured using multiple processes, they may be the most suitable for FDM manufacturing. FDM provides higher strength, material selection, and larger capacity. The more refined models used for rapid prototyping are very suitable for photopolymers, such as PolyJet rigid and rubber materials, including options for constructing multi material demonstrations. For more cosmetics and end consumer products, the industry typically turns to polyurethane casting to achieve surface finish, performance, and color requirements that astonish its market. Polyurethane castings are typically the precursor to mass manufacturing (such as molding).
4. Automobile
CNC machining is the preferred manufacturing method for automotive industry engineers. When designing custom car parts, it is important to have a variety of materials to choose from, as well as various custom finish options. In the factory, automotive production engineers are using FDM's large-scale manufacturing to specifically manufacture assembly fixtures and fixtures up to three feet in length!
