In the world of manufacturing, there’s always a struggle to achieve the perfect dichotomy of “affordability” and “quality.” All too often, manufacturers will sacrifice one for the other—namely quality for affordability—which can have some negative, long-term ramifications.
For those who hold firm when it comes to quality, finding ways to lower manufacturing and fabrication costs can be a major struggle in and of itself. Even pennies are valuable when there are a limited number of ways they can be saved! Luckily, if your project involves any sort of fabrication work, CNC machining in Phoenix, AZ offers a very real way to cut costs and keep them low in this critical stage of your project.
Organization and planning costs
Because CNC machining is rooted in programming, the first and potentially biggest opportunity for cost savings comes in the ability to better plan and execute fabrication. Instead of rolling through a series of prototypes, scrapping projects that aren’t turning out properly or wasting materials throughout the cutting process, CNC machining allows for a planned, organized approach.
With more forethought to cutting design and material use, CNC machining helps lower the waste and timeline of a project, thereby cutting out what might otherwise be seen as buffering costs in a traditional fabrication project.
Automation savings
The “set it and forget it” nature of CNC machining in Phoenix, AZ means fewer man-hours spent on any one single project and more capabilities when it comes to handling several jobs at once. This in turn lowers each individual customer’s cost and allows the machine shop to be more profitable at the same time!
Shops investing in CNC technology are investing in automation, which serves to cut heavy overhead costs that are frequently passed on to the customer. With these costs eliminated, customers enjoy more competitive rates, which means fixed costs per project are reduced. While a project might include setup costs, it might not include machining fees, for example.
Lead time and timeline savings
Often, projects with rapid turnaround are subject to markups and expedited costs. This isn’t always a penalty—often, fees are levied because they force a machine shop to interrupt a scheduled production cycle, which can result in fluctuating cash flow. Because CNC machining is quick and automated, however, such interruptions may not occur for rapid turnaround projects—which means lead time fees might not be required. This results in immediate cost savings for a customer.
With CNC machining’s numerous cost-cutting capabilities, it’s making more and more sense for customers to trust machine shops with this technology, and for shops without it to start adopting it. If you’re faced with a project that’s struggling in the space between quality and affordability, consider how CNC machining might help you get the best of both worlds!
Metal Pro Inc. is here to help you with all of your CNC machining in Phoenix, AZ. We’re ready to tackle your project, no matter its size or scope, to provide results that are rooted in both quality and affordability.