Do CNC Machines Cut Metal?
CNC machines absolutely cut metal, as well as various other materials. Among the most used metals are steel, aluminum, brass, copper, and a wide range of alloys. Aluminum, for example, is a peerless metal due to a combination of favorable characteristics. It’s fantastically flexible, provides durability, and has an advantage over many materials: it’s infinitely recyclable.
And as the machining industry collectively shifts toward more sustainable practices and more efficient use of materials, along with reduced waste production, such considerations are becoming more crucial. This eco-mindedness is echoed by all procedures, be it CNC routers for sheet metal fabrication or the multi-axes cutters that achieve great accuracies. Overall, computer-mediated design and manufacture boast impeccable precision, reducing energy use and waste.
Even the exotic, robust metals that frustrate traditional methods are no match for a manufacturing trick-up-the-sleeve: electrical discharge machining (EDM). This unconventional process utilizes erosion by electricity—we literally zap a workpiece into shape, removing material via electrical discharges at a rate of thousands of “zaps” per second. With EDM in the back pocket, shaping toughened steel, titanium, and exotic materials is no problem.
CNC Machining Isn’t Limited To Metal
Machining also excels with other materials, including plastics, ceramic, wood, and foam. It all depends on your project: do you require structural strength, flexibility, lightness, corrosion resistance, or some other capability? A combination, perhaps? It’s essential to know the types of stress or weight capacity you’ll need and temperature resistance. Overall costs, production volume, and desired tolerances are also crucial.
But unlike your fabricated components, you don’t have to endure any stress; with our industry experience, Beltim would love to help you figure it all out.
Nor Is it Limited By Any Other Aspect
The constantly evolving AI, machine learning systems, and other analytics mean that this is all perpetually a “work in progress.” Better techniques and never-ending innovation are always on the horizon. The future of fabrication is, without exaggeration, limitless. So we strive for adaptability and agility, to utilize state-of-the-art tech, and ensure the quality we’ve become known for over the past several decades.