As we become more aware of how human activities affect the environment, companies are becoming more concerned about waste. If your brand is looking for ways of becoming more sustainable, using parts manufactured with CNC milling can help you reduce waste in the manufacture of parts because precision is a vital part of its success.
The advantage is that reducing waste is also likely to save your business money in the long run. This is because CNC milling is a very precise process enabling it to make more efficient use of the raw materials, meaning it can manufacture the same part from a smaller amount of material which ends up producing less waste.
In this blog, we’ll look at how CNC milling can help your company reduce waste both now and in the longer term.
The advantages of precision in CNC milling and turning
CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining is an advanced milling process that allows extreme precision. When it comes to manufacturing new and custom parts, we use CNC milling and turning to bespoke design and produce a high quality part that is exactly what you need. The precision and efficiency of the cutting tool helps you reduce waste in a number of different ways.
Error-free
CNC machines are programmed to be precise, eliminating errors in the machining process and therefore reducing the amount of waste produced.
Immediate reduction in waste
The computerised design means it’s possible to be precise when it comes to the milling process. The advanced programming ensures precise material removal, using a lot less of the raw material than other machining, even though you’re manufacturing the same product. If you don’t need to buy in as much raw material, you’ll make immediate cost savings.
Less waste further down the line
Bespoke manufacturing has a huge advantage in the longer term. The higher the quality of the part, the more fit for purpose it is. It is therefore likely that a part manufactured by CNC milling will outlast off-the-shelf components, and less likely to become damaged or break, resulting in the need for expensive downtime and repairs. If you make sure the part is also made of high quality, robust materials, you’re exponentially improving your chances of each item lasting a long time, possibly even beyond the lifetime of the equipment.
Energy efficiency
CNC machines offer a sustainable solution not just because they reduce material waste, but also because they use less energy consumption, making it much more sustainable than other machining methods. The energy efficiency can be increased still further if, like AFT Fluorotec, the manufacturer generates its own sustainable energy.
Efficiency through automation
CNC milling is an automated cutting process which optimises the manufacturing process. Once the machine has been programmed and set up, it will run for as long as you need it to, producing high-quality precision-cut parts quickly and consistently, with no reduction in quality.
The automation of the milling process reduces waste and is also more energy efficient, which makes it an ideal way of reducing your company’s carbon footprint. So by choosing a supplier with experience and expertise in CNC milling, you will be adding to your CSR credentials. With more and more businesses becoming concerned about environmentally conscious customers, they are more likely to be looking for suppliers that can help them boost their credentials.
Small batches
With our state-of-the-art CNC milling machines we can produce as many or as few parts as you need…even if it’s just one! Our lean manufacturing principles means you can reduce waste still further by only manufacturing the number of parts you need at any given time. This means you don’t have to buy and store more parts than you actually need and are unlikely to use, eliminating both the waste material that would have resulted from the manufacture, and the necessity of wasting parts you don’t use.
AFT Fluorotec and sustainability
At AFT we have a strong sustainability ethic and are ISO 14001 accredited. Last year we installed solar energy at our main manufacturing site and are always looking for ways - large and small - of minimising our carbon footprint.
To this end we have invested heavily in state of the art CNC milling machines that will not only produce high quality parts, but also minimise waste.
Contact us to find out how we can help you with your plastics CNC milling requirements
