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Home Xometry Community Manufacturing CNC machining vs 3D printing parts

CNC machining vs 3D printing parts

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D
7

Hey everyone, I am trying to decide which of my parts should be machined and which 3D printed. I am leaning towards 3D printing primarily because it will be cheaper. But there is one specific part, the piston, that I would prefer to have machined and there are other parts where either method would suffice. I am mostly concerned that the forces involved could break the parts, so I don’t know if 3D-printed parts will be strong enough or if I will be forced to machine all the load-bearing parts.

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Solved by Karl P

Well, there are many ways. First, design your part such that it can be made from standard billet sizes, do not add unnecessarily complex features, and use cheap commodity material (like you have already suggested). But I will admit that it would be best to iron out all the issues by prototyping with a 3D printer first, then once you are confident with the design, go pay a visit to your local machine shop with the 3D printed part and they can help you decide on the best way to machine it.

    • D

      Hey everyone, I am trying to decide which of my parts should be machined and which 3D printed. I am leaning towards 3D printing primarily because it will be cheaper. But there is one specific part, the piston, that I would prefer to have machined and there are other parts where either method would suffice. I am mostly concerned that the forces involved could break the parts, so I don’t know if 3D-printed parts will be strong enough or if I will be forced to machine all the load-bearing parts.

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    • D

      Hi David, I have also been in a similar situation as it’s far easier to gain access to a 3D printer over a CNC machine (judging by the complexity of your parts, you would most likely need a CNC machine). 3D printers are cheap and accessible with newer models being almost plug-and-play with very little tinkering required which makes it ideal for R&D and limited production.

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    • J

      3D-printed parts can be very strong if designed with the limitations of 3D printing in mind. With 3D printing, it’s important to take note of layer line direction, wall thicknesses, and infill percentage (if you decide to go with FDM).

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      • D
        James Smith

        Thanks, it’s good to know that 3D printing can be a viable alternative without necessarily sacrificing strength. Can you give me some specific tips on how to increase the strength of a 3D-printed part?

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      • J
        David.Garcia112

        Typical FDM-type 3D printers are weak perpendicularly to the layer lines so when printing make sure your layer lines are in line with the direction of the applied force. The wall thickness and infill percentages can also be increased to increase the strength of the overall part.

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    • K

      Hello David, I am going to have to disagree with the others somewhat, while it is certainly true that 3D printed parts can be designed in such a way to maximize strength, if your main goal is strength then nothing beats a homogenous, machined material. If you plan on turning this into a product then CNC machining will also outstrip 3D printing in terms of production rate.

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      • D
        Karl P

        Thank you for the alternative view. While I do want to turn this into a product I am a bit hesitant to immediately move over to CNC machining due to the much higher costs. Can you suggest ways to reduce the costs when CNC machining?

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      • K
        David.Garcia112

        Well, there are many ways. First, design your part such that it can be made from standard billet sizes, do not add unnecessarily complex features, and use cheap commodity material (like you have already suggested). But I will admit that it would be best to iron out all the issues by prototyping with a 3D printer first, then once you are confident with the design, go pay a visit to your local machine shop with the 3D printed part and they can help you decide on the best way to machine it.

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