CNC Plastic Machining: An Ultimate Solution for Complex Plastic Parts Production
CNC plastic machining is one of the most popular and advanced techniques used in plastic manufacturing to produce customized plastic parts. With great advantages over traditional plastic processing like injection molding, CNC machining has become the first choice for low to medium volume production runs, high precision parts and rapid prototyping.
What is CNC Plastic Machining?
CNC plastic machining or CNC plastic machined parts refer to the plastic parts produced by removing excess materials from plastic blocks or sheets using computer numerical control (CNC) machines. The CNC machines mainly used for plastic machining include CNC milling machines and CNC turning centers. Through entering the designed 3D model or 2D technical drawing into the CNC machine controller, it can automatically remove materials based on the programmed tool paths and produce plastic parts accurately.
Some common plastic materials that can be machined through CNC include ABS, Nylon, PEEK, PTFE, Polycarbonate, POM, PS and more. With powerful and flexible CNC machining capability, highly precise plastic components in small quantity, prototypes or mass production can be efficiently fabricated to meet various industrial requirements.
Benefits of CNC Plastic Machining Service
As a professional CNC Plastic Machining Service provider, Junying offers customized plastic part machining with the following benefits:
| High Precision | CNC machining ensures micro-precision and tight tolerances up to ±0.005 mm. Complex shapes can be accurately machined. |
| Good Surface Finish | Smooth polished surface with Ra 0.4μm or even mirrror surface can be achieved via CNC. |
| Material Flexibility | A wide selection of engineering plastics in stock for CNC machining. |
| Repeatability | Highly standardized machining process ensures excellent repeatability and reproducibility. |
| Time and Cost Saving | Compared with molding, CNC machining is more flexible for low-medium volume production. |
| Complex Design Capability | Virtually any complex 3D design can be CNC machined from plastic raw materials. |
With excellent CNC Plastic Machining Service, Junying helps customers quickly realize plastic part prototypes and mass production with superb quality, strict on-time delivery and competitive prices.
Common CNC Machining Techniques for Plastics
There are several fundamental CNC machining techniques that are widely used in plastic part fabrication, including:
CNC Milling
CNC milling utilizes rotating cutting tools to remove materials from plastic workpiece through plunging or surface milling motion. It's capable of producing both 2D and 3D contoured parts with high precision.
CNC Turning
CNC turning shapes the plastic workpiece by precisely rotating it while a single-point cutting tool removes excess materials to achieve the desired diameter, depth and surface finish.
CNC Drilling
CNC drilling accurately forms holes on plastic components through feeding the drill bits vertically into the workpiece at high rotational speeds.
CNC Routing
Like woodworking, CNC routing cuts away plastic materials through horizontal reciprocating or plunging motions of the cutting tool to result in complex profiles or cavities.
With advanced multi-axis CNC machinery, elaborate plastic parts can be fabricated through the combination of above basic techniques.
Common Plastic Materials for CNC Machining
Some of the most popular plastic materials suitable for CNC machining include:
ABS
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene plastic has good impact strength, heat resistance and machinability. It's widely used in consumer electronics, appliances and automotive parts.
Nylon
Nylon possesses superb mechanical properties, friction resistance and dimensional stability. Medical devices, gears and auto components usually apply nylon.
POM
Polyoxymethylene or acetal plastic features self-lubricating property, high stiffness and creep resistance. It's ideal for creating gearwheels, bearings and connectors.
PC
Polycarbonate is an engineering thermoplastic with high heat resistance and strength. Sheets, lenses and housings are typical PC application areas.
PTFE
Polytetrafluoroethylene or Teflon is a non-sticky plastic known for low friction coefficient. Components in aerospace, medical and semiconductor fields commonly use PTFE.
PEEK
Polyetheretherketone has remarkable strength and chemical resistance up to 260°C. It finds usage in machinery, aviation and medical implants.
Surface Finishing of CNC Machined Plastics
To meet functional and aesthetic requirements of the final parts, various plastic part surface finishing techniques are usually involved after CNC manufacturing, for instance:
Abrasion Finishing
Smoothening or micro-finishing plastic surfaces through mechanical abrasion process like sanding, polishing or vibratory finishing.
Plating
Applying metallic or non-metallic thin films onto plastic substrates through electroplating or physical vapor deposition.
Painting
Painting, powder coating or lacquering plastic parts to achieve certain colors, textures and protective functions.
Engraving
Laser engraving plastic surfaces with patterns, logos or text markings through pyrolytic removal of materials.
Precision CNC Plastic Machining by Junying
As a professional CNC Plastic Machining Service provider focusing on plastic CNC manufacturing for over 15 years, Junying is capable of processing various engineering thermoplastics and producing high-precision plastic components with tight tolerances up to ±0.005mm.
With a team of skilled engineers and state-of-the-art 5-axis CNC machines, Junying has helped countless customers realize their plastic part designs and satisfy small to mass production needs in different industries. Please feel free to contact us for your CNC plastic machining requirements.