The automotive industry is a major industrial and economic force worldwide. It’s been almost 150 years since the first gas engine automobiles drove down the street, and in that time, the automotive industry has made incredible leaps. Many of the biggest innovations in the automotive sector are tied directly to manufacturing advances. CNC machining for automotive applications drives many of the manufacturing advances in the industry.   Early automobile and automotive parts assembly were done by hand until Henry Ford introduced the first moving assembly line for mass production in 1913. Since that time, the automotive industry has continually made advances in automation and improved automotive production and design.

In recent years, there have been advances in design, robotics, and manufacturing processes. All these led to significant increases in the automation of automotive machining. These same technologies have also led to improvements in vehicle design and performance. There are several applications of CNC machining. However, this technology plays several important roles in the transformation of auto-making.

CNC machining is a technology that has transformed automotive manufacturing processes. This article covers its applications, advantages, and how it is helping to move auto production into the future.

Prototyping Applications of CNC Machining for Automotive Industry

CNC automotive machining helps in making several parts in the automotive industry. Called CNC car parts, these parts are highly accurate for easy assembling to form different automotive products. They include:

Engines   CNC machining (including CNC milling, CNC turning, wire EDM, and other processes) can be used to create several important components of a car’s combustion engine. For example, a large aluminum alloy block can be machined into an engine block (or cylinder block), the metal structure that comprises an engine’s cylinders where moving pistons travel up and down.   CNC machining is now heavily relied on for machining these parts due to its compatibility with a wide range of materials. Product designers also rely on CNC machinery for rapid prototyping and the production of other essential automotive parts like starter motors.   Cylinder heads, auto parts that enclose the cylinders above the cylinder block, are also commonly produced using CNC machining techniques.
	Interior Panels   Interior vehicle components such as the dashboard panel can be manufactured using CNC Machining.   This process has the necessary precision for milling a dashboard frame from a block of raw plastic materials. This helps ensure that the cutouts for the speedometer, gas gauge and indicator lights perfectly align when installed.   CNC machining operations such as milling and drilling are perfect for such components because such cutouts should have a high tolerance that doesn’t affect the functional properties of the part after assembling.
Lighting   CNC machining is suitable for working with materials such as acrylic glass and PMMA used in car lighting. Hence, lighting components such as headlights and interior lighting are compatible with the process.   By machining PMMA, manufacturers can produce lighting for a vehicle, including both its headlights and interior lighting. Although these acrylic pieces need grinding and polishing after the CNC machining, the entire process is still relatively fast, allowing automakers to prototype new light fixtures for their cars.
	Other parts   Automotive machining can make several other car parts, including but not limited to suspension components, exhaust parts, carburetor housings, fluid system components, bushings and valve retainers.   The manufacturing technology is also particularly useful for customization of vehicles and their specific auto parts, since CAD allows for the quick alteration of part designs and fabrication of custom parts.

Advantages of CNC Machining for Automotive Applications

CNC Machining for the automotive industry has become popular in recent years. Manufacturers across the globe seek to benefit from the process’s many perks. Such perks include speed, automation, repeatability, and more. Here are some of the advantages of automotive CNC machining:

Accuracy & precision

One reason why automotive manufacturers favor CNC machining is the accuracy and high precision of the process. Automotive parts majorly have complex designs and require tight tolerances. This is because manufacturers majorly assembled them to form different products after part manufacturing. For example, a car’s piston rings have a tolerance of about 4 μm and must fit in a corresponding cylinder.

Making these parts is impossible using hand, and other machining processes cannot deliver like CNC. Hence, CNC machining is the most suitable process because of its precision, accuracy, high tolerances, and ability to make parts with complex designs. It is also computer-controlled. Hence, there is no human error.

Production speed

Compared to traditional machining, one of the most significant advantages of CNC machining car parts is speed, with lead times especially short during low-volume production. Since the machining is carried out automatically by a computer, no human limitations such as fatigue need to be factored into the process. The speed advantages of CNC become particularly apparent when producing large volumes of a part, since the computer instructions can be repeated as many times as necessary.

Automation

Automation is in itself an advantage of CNC Machining. Not only does it allow faster production times compared to manual processes, but it also makes the automotive manufacturing process more streamlined. If you sent a part for manufacturing on a CNC Machine, robotic arms could assist in the removal of the part once finished. Therefore, workers can dedicate more time to design and innovation tasks.

Repeatability

Since CNC machines rely on 3D CAD models and computer instructions, operations can be repeated, and parts can be fabricated as many times as necessary without any discrepancy. ODMs rely on CNC machines to manufacture large volumes of identical car parts.

Conclusion

CNC automotive machining is applicable for prototyping and manufacturing parts in the automotive industry due to the process’s accuracy, precision, and tight tolerance. Due to the high precision and quality of CNC car parts, there is a growing trend among automotive part manufacturers for a better application of the process.

As a rapid prototyping manufacturer, GT proto has years of experience in custom automotive parts and automotive prototyping. Our CNC machining services allow the creation of high-quality auto parts quickly and easily. We also offer a wide range of CNC plastic and metal materials, All these will guarantees that you’ll receive superior quality machined parts every time. Upload your CAD file and get your parts in days.