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What makes stainless steel CNC machining better than stainless steel casting?

Stainless steel is a widely preferred material for the manufacture of industrial and commercial products. Its properties such as high ductility, glossy surface finish, high strength and high temperature sustainability make it ideal for manufacturing industrial products. Earlier, stainless steel products were manufactured using stainless steel castings. Casting is preferred due to the high temperature dyeability and formability of stainless steel materials.

While stainless steel is still favored by industrial manufacturers, casting techniques are being replaced. This is because casting creates dimensional defects and can involve long production cycles. What exactly makes stainless steel CNC machining a good substitute for stainless steel castings? Or is CNC machining really better than casting? This article answers all your questions.

Factors that make CNC machining better than stainless steel casting

Here are some of the beneficial factors of CNC machining of stainless steel that make it a better alternative to stainless steel castings.

No mold cost:

Unlike casting, CNC machining does require a mold. CNC machines use a variety of cutting tools that are guided through digital computer code to shape the product. Therefore, CNC machining saves the cost of molds.

Complex production:

CNC machining can be used for the production of tiny and complex parts. However, casting has a limitation, it is not suitable for complex part production. The use of casting for complex products can result in dimensional errors and rough surfaces. However, CNC machining is carried out with consistent feeds, proper tooling and low tolerance dimensional coding, so using CNC machining of stainless steel products allows for complex and precise production to be performed efficiently.

Faster production cycle:

Compared to stainless steel casting, stainless steel CNC machining is a faster manufacturing process. Mold setup is a time-consuming activity in the casting process, followed by melting and cooling of the metal, and release of the final product from the mold. In contrast, CNC machining involves generating computer code, setting up workpieces, and post-production ejection of stainless steel parts.

Dimensional accuracy and stability:

CNC operations are computer managed, so it reduces the chance of human error in dimensional accuracy. Stainless steel castings can require extreme heating and cooling, which can alter the dimensional accuracy of the final product. In contrast, stainless steel CNC machining can be performed with low dimensional tolerances. Additionally, it does not require extreme heating or cooling of the stainless steel sheet. Therefore, dimensional changes due to temperature fluctuations are excluded in CNC machining.

Due to the aforementioned advantages of CNC machining of stainless steel, stainless steel castings are rapidly being replaced by CNC machining and have proven beneficial in a variety of applications.

Summarize:

Generally speaking, CNC milling is an alternative to stainless steel casting because it can quickly form products, maintain the glossy surface finish of stainless steel, and provide stainless steel products with high strength and durability. However, for different parts, various CNC techniques can also be used, such as CNC milling, turning, drilling, etc.