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Custom Machining - A More Economical Option for Toronto Businesses

August 29, 2016

There are common off-the-shelf components for various applications but is not always of the right size and shape so that product designers are forced to make compromises. Instead of desperately searching product catalogs for components that will not require modifications, there is an option of custom machining that will create a perfectly suitable component through different machining techniques like milling, grinding, turning and drilling. Custom machining for Toronto businesses can create a variety of features and complex surface contours so that your product can manufactured without any unnecessary modifications.

Why custom machining is a more economical option

Contrary to what many people assume, custom machining is not actually a complex and expensive process. Custom machining in Toronto involves the same processes as traditional machining of off-the-shelf components. A custom component starts from design after which a team of designers and engineers will sit down together to develop and build a prototype. It is important to prove the viability of the prototype aside from investigating any design inefficiencies and potential issues. Improvements on the design can also be achieved during the evaluation of the prototype to eliminate any costly errors. However, the success of custom machining lies on the communication between the client’s research and development (R&D) team and the custom machining shops’ own designers and engineers. Because of the elimination of issues and inefficiencies prior to production, custom machining in Toronto becomes more cost effective and efficient for product manufacturers.

Because it is a material removal process, many do not consider custom machining as an economical choice. In order to machine a part, material is cut and discarded to obtain a finished part. Tooling costs and setup times including the time involved from design to the fabrication process makes custom machining ineffective for large volumes of custom products. Custom machining is recommended for limited quantities of parts like custom tooling for the manufacturing process. On the other hand, most of the cutting processes like turning have been integrated with computer numerical technology that speeds up machining and fabrication of custom parts. Today, sophisticated lathes ensure accuracy and surface finishes that are comparable to those provided through grinding. This is the reason why most machine shops have retired their grinders in favor of the more cost effective and versatile CNC lathes.

Custom machining for Toronto businesses also allows more flexibility in design. Product components are machined and fabricated in a way that is meant to be. Custom machining can be completely hi-tech or it can be undertaken through traditional machining tools like single-point cutting, multi-point cutting or abrasive machining. The material for custom machining may involve rolls, sheets and solid blocks of metals which are machined into a specific shape, size or complexity. As a result, end users enjoy specialized products from machines and equipment to items that are used in daily life. Today custom machining is applied by different industries from jewelry making to the manufacture of automotive parts and components. Custom machining is capable of achieving accurate part dimensions based on the requirements of the industry.