For product designers aiming to lower costs and boost efficiency, selecting the right CNC design strategies is a game-changer. One critical yet often overlooked factor is the number of setups required during machining. The design and alignment of setups significantly impact production costs and part precision. This article explores effective design tips for reducing setups, providing actionable insights for mechanical product design engineers.

Each time a part is secured in a fixture and aligned for machining, it’s called a “setup”. Setup operations are essential for achieving precision but come at the cost of additional time, labor, and potential errors. From a design perspective, reducing setups eliminates redundant processes, lowers costs, and enhances machining precision and consistency.

Impact on Costs

Minimizing setups directly reduces machining time and associated expenses. For instance, a part requiring machining on both sides with blind holes typically needs at least two setups: one for each side. Each reorientation or repositioning adds manufacturing costs and, for complex parts, might need custom fixtures, further increasing expenses.

Impact on Precision To achieve maximum positional accuracy between two or more features, machining them in a single setup is essential. Each new setup might bring minor but cumulative errors, regardless of fixture precision, which can compromise the part’s overall accuracy.

1. Align Machining Surfaces to the Same Height Inconsistent surface heights often require multiple adjustments to the machine. For example, if features A and B are at different heights, machining them in a single setup becomes challenging. By aligning these surfaces to the same height in the part design, both features can be machined simultaneously, eliminating unnecessary adjustments and reducing part costs.

2. Standardize Keyway Directions When keyways on a shaft are not aligned in the same direction, multiple setups and realignments are required for milling. By ensuring keyways are oriented consistently, machining can be completed in fewer setups, reducing costs and improving positional accuracy.

3. Break Down Complex Structures into Simpler Components Highly intricate parts often require multi-axis CNC machines, which come with higher hourly rates. Instead, consider breaking down complex structures into simpler components that can be machined separately and then assembled through threading, welding, or other post-processing techniques. This approach not only reduces costs but also improves the relative positional accuracy of features.
This rapid turnaround can be extremely beneficial for industries like automotive and consumer electronics, where staying ahead of trends can make or break a product’s success. The ability to quickly iterate and refine designs ensures companies remain at the forefront of their markets.

4. Avoid Multiple Surface Treatments Surface treatments enhance the appearance and durability of CNC parts but add to production costs, particularly when multiple treatments are required. Machining paths are one of the primary design constraints in milling. To access all surfaces of a model, the workpiece often needs to be rotated or flipped multiple times, further increasing expenses. To minimize costs, either avoid surface treatments altogether or reduce the number of treatments required.

By implementing these design strategies, mechanical product design engineers can bridge the gap between innovative design and efficient production, ensuring a seamless journey from concept to creation. Explore how RPWORLD expertise in CNC machining can bring your designs to life. Contact us today.