Metal plating is a complex process. To get the desired quality and results, you must choose the right technique and company. for the metal plating finish. You can find many metal plating and surface finishing methods and choose the most suitable for your production.

The primary purpose of surface finishes is to improve the aesthetic of prototyping and products and make better functionality. Selecting the metal plating is much complex, and we are giving you some helpful tips to choose the best plate finish, guaranteeing improved finish quality.

• The bright Acid Tin Plating process uses to plate metals and provide solderability, electrical conductivity, and heat resistance to the material.
• Bright Nickel Plating can plate copper, steel, iron, brass, and this method provides corrosion protection.
• Chrome plating uses for the plating of plastics and provides surface hardness and corrosion resistance.
• If you want to plate ferrous metal, you must go for the Cold Chemical Blacking process, which provides a lubricative layer and reduces the light glare.
• If you want to make metals tough, non-magnetic, and ductile, you must need copper electroplating. To give the copper, iron, and grass a good conductivity, electroless Nickel Plating is the best choice.
• If you are looking for the plating of a metal having a conductive surface, you need to do Gold Plating to your metal. It will provide a conductive layer and resistance to corrosion.

So, before the plating, you must have complete information about the plating techniques and their benefit. Now let’s see what some main advantages of metal plate finishes are and how to choose them.

What are Metal Plate Finishes and Their Advantages/ Benefits?

It is a post-production method of metal plating in which we coat a surface of a metallic part of a workpiece. The purpose and role of the coating is to improve the product quality, polishing, and cleaning. Metal plate finishes can be a chemical, mechanical or physical process, and it is often used to describe the last phase of fabrication. This phase can be of non-metallic products or metallic products. There are many processes involved in the metal finishes process, and each process has its unique and specific advantages. Some common advantages /benefits of metal plate finishes are:

1. You can use metal surface finishes to improve paint adhesion.
2. It can prove helpful to reduce the friction of a surface.
3. It can serve as an essential coat to increase paint adhesion and make an electrically conductive surface.
4. It can change the conductibility ad conductivity of a material.
5. For improving corrosion resistance, heat resistance and parts wearability, you can apply metal plate finishes.
6. Metal plate finishes protect against radiation and also boost solderability.
7. Metal surface finishes are used for cleaning and removing surface defects.

Standard Industrial Plating Types

You can classify electroplating into types of metal used in the coating. A wide array of metals is included in standard metals such as chromium, nickel, tin, gold, zinc, copper and various alloys. We are discussing some of the standard industrial metals types as under:

1: Chrome Plating

The primary function of chrome plating is to improve the aesthetics and corrosion resistance of a material. Chrome plating involves chromic acid and trivalent chromium to manufacture an overlay on the parts, and it also increases the hardness of the material on which you apply chrome plating. It makes parts suitable for various industrial applications.

2: Nickel Plating

Nickel is a lustrous, sturdy base coat mainly used for silver and gold. It hardens the surface and enhances the wear resistance. Nickel plating uses for coating and painting household accessories such as showers, doorknobs, and fixtures, and it is popular because of its effectiveness in electroless plating.

It can improve the wear resistance and aesthetic of parts and also apply as underlying chromium plating. You can use nickel plating for a wide range of materials, but it mostly recommends copper and aluminium parts.

3: Tin Plating

Tin plating refers to tinning, and it is a cost-effective process to achieve a semi-bright, matte and bright appearance. Tin is easily accessible, a soft, malleable metal, and becomes less costly when we use it with other metals.

4: Copper Plating

Copper is a good conductor of electricity, and for high conductivity and cost-effective application, copper plating considers one of the best choices. It serves as the primary coating pretreatment for plated finishes and prefers manufacturing semiconductors, circuit boards, electronics, and many other electric components. Copper plating is known because of its high plating efficiency, high conductivity, low material cost, and improved adhesion.

5: Gold Plating

Gold plating is known due to resistance to oxidation and high electrical conductivity. Gold plating can be a good choice when you need to impart these characteristics to copper and silver. The application of gold plating can improve electrical parts conductivity, such as electrical connectors and components. Gold has superior value for the electroplating option and has glamour and glittering features.

6: Zinc Plating

Zinc is readily available, and this availability makes zinc plating a cost-effective option for metal plate finishes. The main benefits of zinc plating are excellent corrosion protection, and the uses of zinc are on small metallic parts like screws, bolts and nuts.

Different Metal Plating Techniques

Several techniques are used for metal plating. Following are the most widely used techniques for metal plating.

 1: Electroplating Metal Plating Finishes

Electroplating is considered the most common technique of metal plating. It is an electrolytic process. In this process, the electric current is passed through a chemical solution. It can dissolve the ions. Due to the electric current, the positively charged ions move toward the cathode, and the negatively charged ions move toward the anode. As a result, the plated material is evenly and smoothly coated. Electroplating significantly improves the chemical, mechanical and physical properties of the plated material.

2: Electroless Metal Plating Finishes

Electroless metal plating doesn’t require any electric current for plating. Electroless plating uses the induction process instead of electric current, and it involves a chemical reaction resulting in the induction of the metal atom reduction. As a result, the metal particles solutions transforms into a metal solid after mixing with a reducing agent. In the end, the material is coated with solid plating metal. There is no plating bath and electricity in this process, so this technique is more cost-effective.

Moreover, electroless plating can perform on a variety of materials. Electroless plating is a slow process and does the thinner plating. This technique is more suitable for nickel plating. It provides more protection than the conductivity and solderability of the material.

3: Immersion Metal Plating Finishes

In immersion plating, the metal dips into a solution containing metal ions. The noble metal ions are generally more stable. This technique causes the natural pull of the metal ions from the initial metal, which is displaced by the noble metal ions. A thin layer of noble metal ions is formed on the metal.

It is a much slower process as compared to other techniques. A thin plating coverage is formed as a result of the immersion technique.

 Application of Metal Plating Finishes

Metal plating finish provides a lot of applications. Following are some uses of the metal plating finish.

1- Improved Appearance

Metal plating finish is widely used to improve the appearance of the metals. The surface of metals may lose its lustrous appearance with time. Metal plating finish gives a new look to the metals.

 2- Corrosion Resistance

Most metals and machinery may become damaged due to rust, so they require a metal plating finish. The metal plating acts as corrosion-resistant by providing an effective barrier against rust.

3- Improve Electrical Conductivity

Metal plating finish uses to improve the electrical conductivity of most of the surfaces. Most of the non-conductive surfaces require the passage of electric current. So, the metal plating finish is the best option for them to make them electrically conductive.

 4- Heat-Resistant

Most of the equipment is highly sensitive to extreme temperatures. They may become damaged after exposure to heat. The metal plating finish of such equipment protects them from damage due to heat exposure.

 5- Restoring a Polished Surface

Most of the metal and surfaces may lose their polish and look unattractive. Metal plating finish helps in restoring the polished surface and makes them more attractive and good-looking.

Conclusion

Metal plate finishing is an easy process and can improve the functionality and aesthetic of the material. A wide range of materials can use for metal plate finishes. Therefore select an experienced company with a low budget is essential to work.

Whether you are looking for a CNC machining service or sheet metal fabrication, QBH technology is your best choice. We deliver efficient and effective sheet metal and CNC fabrication. Delivering high-quality results and saving customers time and money is our top priority.

Contact us today and get a great experience. QBH technology will be your metal finishing expert that offers perfect services at cost-effective budgets.

While selecting a manufacturing process for metal parts, you need to determine which can complete your project in less time. You cannot pick the wrong one as it will alter the functionality of the components. In this article, we have covered the basic principles of each manufacturing process, their production speed, and the materials used. So, you can choose the right one.

How to Select the Fastest Manufacturing Process for Metal Parts?

Faster manufacturing of metal parts reduces time-to-market and increases profits. Even if you produce parts with on-demand manufacturing, you are entitled to choose the speed of your production process. Here we have highlighted the most common high-speed production processes:

Sheet Metal Fabrication

Fabrication is forming components from raw materials by combining two or more processes. 

Sheet Metal Fabrication is a subtractive manufacturing process that involves forming parts from flat metal sheets. Design the parts in 3D CAD software and connect them with various manufacturing tools through written coding. You can cut, bend, stretch, or assemble the sheets into different shapes by combining all manufacturing processes. 

Speed: You’ll find that Sheet Metal Fabrication requires various tools and machinery for each individual process. Hence, the short-run production and prototyping speed are lower than CNC Machining, which provides all-in-one processes.

Best for Materials: 

• Zinc.
• Aluminum. 
• Copper. 
• Steel.
• Stainless Steel. 

These materials come in gauges ranging from 0.015 to 0.635 centimeters.

You can use this process for producing: 

• Low-cost end-use applications like device panels, enclosures, brackets, boxes, cases, and chassis.
• Lightweight applications.
• Thin-walled components that are not possible or cost-effective to be built with CNC Machining.
• Projects which need complex designs, repeating shapes, and patterns.

CNC Machining

CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control, a method of automating the motion of machine tools through pre-programmed software. 

CNC Machining is a computerized manufacturing process where the software controls the movement of complex machinery. The tools cut, shape, and create different metal parts through subtractive manufacturing, a controlled material removal process. 

CNC Machining provides a fast manufacturing process for prototyping and short-run productions, where one production factor is fixed. Also, you won’t need any extra tools as the 5-axis machine reduces the time for multiple setups.

Speed: CNC machines are faster than manual ones, with a feed rate that can exceed 2,300 inches per minute (ipm). 

A feed rate refers to the speed the tool advances through the workpiece and is usually measured in inches per minute.

Best for Materials: 

• Brass. 
• Aluminum.
• Copper.
• Stainless Steel.
• Carbon steel.

You can use this process for producing:

• High-quality materials.
• Projects with tight tolerances meaning they have strict design parameters and require more precision and accuracy.
• On a scale of up to 10,000 parts.
• Projects that require custom finishes.

Metal Injection Molding (MIM)

Metal Injection Molding is a process that involves injecting raw powdered metal with measured polymer binders to make feedstock. 

Binders shape and hold together the metal particles until the onset of the molding process. They are removed before sintering, a method to form and compact a solid mass of material through heat and pressure without liquefying it.

The feedstock mixture is solidified and further molded to form metal components with desired strength properties. 

Speed: Metal Injection Molding is a two-step manufacturing process, and molding takes time. So, the short-run production and prototyping speed might be less. But once the metal injection shots are completed, you can instantly produce a high volume of metal parts.

Best for Materials: 

• Steel.
• Stainless Steel.
• Tungsten Alloys.
• Cemented Carbides.
• Cobalt-Chromium.
• Copper.

You can use this process for producing:

• Small parts in high volume.
• Manufacturing complicated shapes that are not cost-effective with other processes.
• Finely detailed textures, engravings, profiled holes, and net shape features such as internal and external threads. 
• Medical devices.

Metal 3D Printing

Metal 3D printing is an additive manufacturing process where you can create a metal design using 3D “CAD” software. The digital file is transmitted to the machine used for building components.

The process works by spreading a thin layer of metal powder and fusing the particles with the help of a laser. The process is repeated until the layers form a metal part. 

Speed: It is a fast manufacturing process with a short setup time. However,  it has concise production runs so that you can produce only ten units or less. 

Best for Materials: 

• Super Alloys.
• Aluminum.
• Tool Steel.
• Stainless Steel.
• Silicone-Carbide. 

You can use this process for producing: 

• Parts with complex geometries that are otherwise impossible.
• Replacement parts for legacy systems.
• Low-volume prototypes for functional testing.

There are many choices in Metal 3D Printing, but here we are mentioning only the renowned and most used ones:

Selective Laser Melting (SLM)

Selective Laser Melting, as the name suggests, Selective Laser Melting selects metal powder with a single melting temperature to melt it completely. 

Best for Materials: 

• Only selective metals.
• Stainless steel. 
• Tool Steel.
• Titanium.
• Cobalt chrome.
• Aluminum.

You can use this process for producing: 

• Metal equipment as a whole rather than components.

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS)

The Direct Metal Laser Sintering process uses a metal powder with variable melting points to fuse the particles at elevated temperatures. 

Best for Materials: 

• Almost all alloys.

You can use this process for producing: 

Aerospace and automotive parts that operate under high stress.

Principles of Design for Manufacturability (DFM) for Metal Parts 

Design for Manufacturability works on five fundamental principles that you need to consider while designing your project. Following them will produce quality metal parts in a short time. Here they are:

1.Process

Choose the proper manufacturing process regarding the materials used, the surface complexity, and the required volume of parts. In some cases, the metal components don’t require complex manufacturing. So, choose wisely.

2.Design

Designing your project is vital. Don’t forget to discuss the design with your manufacturer. Only they can ensure that it conforms to the principles of the manufacturing process you’ve chosen. Your plan will include specifications, tolerances, thickness, and texture. But don’t specify tight tolerances where they are not needed.

3.Materials

It is essential to select suitable material for your project. Consider the material properties and choose one that is easy to process. For instance, CNC machines can cut aluminum quicker than steel. Contact your manufacturer as they may have existing materials so you can secure them at lower pricing. 

4.Environment

Your project won’t matter if it won’t be operational under normal conditions. So, be sure to design it to withstand the environment in which it will be utilized. 

5.Compliance

Your project should comply with industry and third-party safety and quality standards. Only give your project to a manufacturer who can provide quality assurance.

Conclusion

Quick manufacturing processes that can shorten production time for metal components are the need of the hour. After reading the article, we hope that you’ll now be able to choose materials and a manufacturing process suitable to your project needs. But be sure to keep your design free of ambiguities. Moreover, be clear about your objective to your manufacturer. 

Having said that, at QBH Technology, we take pride in producing custom metal parts at competitive rates. We have decades of experience providing manufacturing services for CNC Machining, Laser cutting, server rack & cabinet, and much more. Our expertise includes CNC Machining and Metal Sheet Fabrication. We ensure to manufacture your product with great precision and accuracy in a short duration. Contact us for a free quote!

Introduction

Metals require heat to get in the desired shape, become harder, and be less brittle. Since modern machining thrives on sophistication and precision, it is crucial that we heat treat the metals appropriately to help them gain a permanent set of properties. Hardness, strength, machinability, elasticity, formability, and other critical properties change when metals undergo heat treatment. When heat-treated properly, metallurgists can harness the remarkable chemical and physical properties of metals and prepare them well for machining. Let’s understand the heat treatment of metals in more detail, shall we?

What is heat treatment?

Heat treatment is a simple process in which the metal or alloy is heated to a certain temperature and cooled. The heating and cooling of the metal changes the microstructure of the metal and brings out the desired chemical and physical properties required for a project. While the very definition of heat treatment is heating and cooling of a material, we must understand that the process is conducted in a controlled manner. This is because you want the shape of the metal component to remain intact. Before discussing how heat treatment of metal or alloy works, let’s learn how the process benefits metallurgists.

Benefits of heat treatment

Why should you heat treat metals? Here are some of the most crucial benefits of the heat treatment process. Let’s discuss them in detail.

• Boosts metal strength

Heat treatment is known to boost metal strength. However, it reduces toughness and introduces brittleness in the metal. More importantly, you should heat treat metal as it can significantly impact yield strength, tensile strength, and fracture toughness. Heat treatment generally makes the material ductile and flexible.

• Changes metal properties

Metal properties change dramatically when heat-treated in a controlled environment. You can heat treat materials to yield the required mechanical, electrical, chemical, and magnetic properties to make sure a component is compatible with other materials. The change in mechanical or physical properties plays a crucial role in machining.

• Improves brittleness

Are you working with metal that weakens or breaks when exposed to extreme working conditions or environment? Heat treatment will come to the rescue. When heat-treated, metals gain the ability to overcome environments that would otherwise make them break. 

• Makes metal wear-resistant

Heat treatment will improve the wear resistance and durability of your metals. It does that by hardening the material on the surface or all the way through. Metals and alloys like steel, titanium, and other copper alloys become stronger, tougher, and more resistant to wear after heat treatment.

• Reduces material stresses

What about workability and machinability? Well, heat treatment takes care of that as well. Heat treatment helps manufacturers remove internal stresses and make the metal or alloy suitable for sheet metal fabrication,CNC machining, stamping, welding, and any kind of hot or cold work. 

How does heat treatment work?

To help you understand heat treatment better, we have divided the process into three crucial steps. Basically, the process involves heating the metal, holding it at a certain temperature, and cooling it down. The high temperature disrupts a metal’s microstructure, which causes changes in its chemical, mechanical, and electrical properties.

Step 1: Heating

Metallurgists begin the process by heating the metal to a prescribed thermal profile. When heated, the metal or alloy will turn into a mechanical mixture, a solid solution, or a combination. Since each state brings different properties and qualities to the metal, one must heat the metal according to the associated phase diagram. 

Step 2: Holding

As the term suggests, holding refers to keeping the heated metal at a specified temperature. This step is also called the soaking stage, as the metal is made to stay at the achieved temperature for a period of time. However, the soaking time depends on the metal being heat treated. You will also have to consider the material type and part size. Large materials or parts will require more soaking time.

Step 3: Cooling

Finally, you will have to cool the material once the soaking period is over. Make sure the metal is cooled in a prescribed manner. Since structural changes might occur in the cooling stage, you should conduct the process in a controlled environment. It will help make the heat treatment process more precise.

Different types of heat treatment methods in metals

Since you want to leverage different qualities of the metal through heat treatment, you can choose from a variety of heat treatment techniques. Here are some of the common heat treatment methods you should know of.

• Hardening

Hardening is the most common heat treatment process that, as the name suggests, increases the hardness of a metal. The metal is heated to a specified temperature and then cooled rapidly by putting it in a cooling medium. One can use oil or water to cool the metal. This results in the part achieving increased hardness and strength. However, the metal’s brittleness increases as well. Some of the common types of hardening processes are induction hardening, differential hardening, flame hardening, and case hardening. 

• Tempering

Tempering is the heat treatment technique that helps reduce the excess hardness in the metal introduced during the hardening process. Besides that, it also relieves the internal stresses, making the metal suitable for the application. Tempering involves heating the metal at a temperature much lower than that of hardening. 

• Ageing (Precipitation Hardening)

Ageing or precipitation hardening is the heat treatment method that boosts the yield strength of malleable metals. The properties of metal change as this heat treatment method produces uniformly dispersed particles within the metal’s grain structure. In this, the metal is heated to medium levels of temperature and then cooled quickly. 

• Annealing

Annealing involves heating the metal beyond the upper critical temperature. Once heated, the metal is cooled slowly, which makes it suitable for cold working and forming. Annealing is the best heat treatment method to soften the metal before usage. It reduces the stresses and plastic deformations in the metal when heated beyond the upper critical temperature. Also, there are plenty of annealing techniques like recrystallization annealing, partial annealing, full annealing, final annealing, and more.

• Normalizing

Normalizing is a heat treatment method that helps relieve internal stresses in the metal caused due to welding, casting, quenching, and similar processes. It involves heating the metal to a temperature of 40°C above the upper critical temperature. As the name suggests, normalizing involves cooling the metal in the air after holding it at the temperature for a designated period of time. Normalizing helps make the metal stronger and tougher. 

• Carburisation

Carburisation is a unique heat treatment method as it involves heating the metal in the presence of another material. The material, however, should be able to release carbon on decomposition. The metal surface absorbs the carbon, which makes it harder than the inner core!

• Stress relieving

Stress-relieving is another heat treatment method that helps eliminate the stresses introduced by processes like forming, rolling, straightening, machining, and more. It is a common heat treatment technique for boiler parts, accumulators, air bottles, etc. In this, the metal is heated to just below its lower critical temperature. The metal is then cooled slowly.

Best metals for heat treatment

So, which are the best metals for heat treatment? Finding suitable metals for heat treatment isn’t challenging. While most ferrous metals are suitable for heat treatment, you can also heat-treat alloys of magnesium, aluminium, nickel, copper, brass, and titanium. The heat treatment techniques shared above are generally applied to ferrous metals. However, annealing, ageing, and quenching are suitable for metal alloys. Aluminium, one of the most used metals around the globe, is heat-treated using methods like annealing, solution heat treating, and ageing. To be frank, not all heat treatment methods are beneficial for all materials. Therefore, we recommend you study the metal’s behavior under different conditions before selecting a heat treatment method.

FAQs

What is heat treatment?

Heat treatment is a group of industrial, thermal and metalworking processes used to alter the physical, and sometimes chemical, properties of a material. The most common application is metallurgical. 

What are the major the majority of heat treated materials?

alloys of copper, magnesium, aluminium, nickel, brass, and titanium can be heat treated.  About 80% of heat treated metals are different grades of steel.

Introduction

The manufacturing industry is fueled by engineers and designers that put part’s dimensions and geometric characteristics on a pedestal. Such a pragmatic approach to manufacturing significantly reduces the errors that could otherwise jeopardize the production process. Subsequently, CMM or Coordinate Measuring Machine was invented to facilitate highly accurate and precise production. It is an essential tool in the manufacturing process and enables the manufacturers to maintain the workflow. In this post, we will dive into the world of manufacturing to learn about CMM machines from inside and out. We will discuss the components, benefits, and challenges of using a CMM machine. So, let’s get started!

What is a CMM machine?

Creating prototypes and the final product requires pitch-perfect measurements. Accurate geometric and physical dimensions help run the manufacturing process flawlessly. However, there are two ways one can measure the physical dimensions of a product. Conventionally, people used hand tools or optical comparators to determine the dimensions. Such tools were prone to error as one needed excellent skills to operate them.

CMM or Coordinate Measuring Machine is a modern solution to determining accurate geometric physical dimensions without errors. The machine uses coordinate technology to measure the dimensions of a machine/tool part. The measurement includes the height, width, and depth of the part – recorded and measured in the X, Y, and Z-axis, respectively. 

The very first three-axis CMM appeared in the early 60s. It was originally developed by Ferranti Company in Scotland in the 60s. The CMM used a 3D tracing device to develop 2-axis designs. It had a simple digital readout to measure precision components and was used primarily for military products. Here are some common types of modern-day CMM machines.

• Bridge CMM
• Gantry CMM
• Cantilever CMM
• Horizontal Arm CMM
• Measuring Arm CMM
• Optical CMM

But, do we really need CMM machines when traditional methods have done a fine job till now? Well, traditional methods have limitations that render them useless when it comes to developing more complex geometries. The speed and accuracy with which the CMM machines perform make it easier to produce precise parts and boost overall productivity. 

What are the benefits of using a CMM machine?

How beneficial is a CMM machine for your manufacturing process? In this section, we will share five crucial advantages of using a CMM machine over traditional methods of measurement. Let’s discuss them.

1.Boosts productivity

Setting up a manufacturing process and running it efficiently is hard work. After all, it requires a lot of effort to design a manufacturing process that produces accurate results. However, errors in part measurement often lead to abruption – impacting the production significantly. With CMM, you can rely on technology to provide fool-proof measurement and run the manufacturing process relentlessly.

2.Quality assurance

CMM machines are reliable. The unmatched accuracy and precision in the machine allow engineers and manufacturers to measure and analyze the parts digitally. Not just that, a CMM machine can perform dimensional analysis, CAD comparison, reverse engineering, and tool certifications. Such features and facilities help with quality assurance.

3.Negligible operator intervention

The best thing about using a CMM machine is that it requires negligible operator intervention. The machine requires power and is entirely computer-controlled. Since the machine reduces the involvement of human personnel, the manufacturing process experiences significantly less operational error than traditional methods. 

4.Increased compatibility

The Coordinate Measuring Machine has multiple probes and techniques. In other words, the machine is highly compatible with many types of tools, machine parts, and components. This makes the machine useful for measuring highly sophisticated geometries. A CMM machine will perform regardless of the complexity of the part.

5.Save time, money, and reputation

A CMM machine introduces the highest speed and accuracy to the manufacturing process. This makes the machine integral to the production flow. Simultaneously, the machine helps manufacture complex tools easily, saving money and time. The increasing use of a CMM machine in the manufacturing industry has helped reduce the time and money required for rampant production. Most importantly, speed and accuracy have allowed companies to raise their standards and reputation.

How does a CMM machine work?

A Coordinate Measuring Machine works in two ways. First, you can use touch probes and measure the tools/parts through a contact mechanism. Secondly, you can use cameras, sensors, and lasers to accomplish an error-free measurement. Let’s dive deeper to understand how a CMM machine functions. Here are the different components used in a CMM machine. Understanding how these components function will give you a firm grasp of the machine’s functioning. 

1.Probe

Probes or touch probes are crucial to the machine’s functioning. It is responsible for the measuring action. Probes are present on CMM machines that don’t use optical light, cameras, lasers, and other sensors for part measurement. The tip of the probe is made from a rigid and stable material. The strong tip is temperature resistant as it is made from ruby and zirconia. The tip is usually spherical in shape or needle-like.

2.Granite Table

The granite table in a CMM machine adds strength to the machine. The table is very stable and is not affected by fluctuations in temperature. It is crucial to the machine’s functioning as it reduces wear and tear. Since the table’s shape remains the same, the machine provides highly accurate measurements.

3.Fixtures

Fixtures in a CMM machine add stability and support during the manufacturing process. These help keep the parts in place. Fixing the parts is critical to achieving accurate measurements. The CMM machine has other fixing tools like fixture plates, clamps, and magnets.

4.Air Compressors/Dryers

Air compressors and dryers are quite commonly found in Coordinate Measuring Machines. These are staples in CMM machines like the standard bridge or gantry-type machines. 

5.Software

Lastly, the CMM machine operates on software. Although it is not a physical component, one should not compromise the program’s quality used on the machine. The software helps the machine analyze the probes and other sensored components.

Let’s assume we have to measure a part through the Coordinate Measuring Machine. We need to place the part on the CMM’s base to do that. The base of CMM is made of granite, which is a dense material. It provides stability and rigidity to the machine. As a result, the machine eliminates all external forces and provides an accurate measurement.

The machine also has a movable gantry that houses a touching probe. The computerized CMM machine controls the gantry and moves the probe along the X, Y, and Z-axis. The movements in the three directions help the machine replicate every facet of the part placed on the CMM’s base.

How does the probe function? As we mentioned earlier, the touching probe comes in contact with the part. Once in contact, the probe sends an electrical signal to the computer. It touches many points before the computer maps out the part. The next stage in the measurement process is analysis.

The computer has adequate data captured through the probe. To be precise, the computer has the part’s X, Y, and Z coordinates. The data is processed and analyzed to construct the part’s physical features. The measuring mechanism is similar for Coordinate Measuring Machines equipped with cameras, lasers, or other systems.

What are the challenges of using a CMM?

But, what are the limitations of a CMM machine? With the advantages of using a CMM machine come the following drawbacks. We suggest you consider these drawbacks as challenges and focus on overcoming them.

1.Measuring fragile parts

The CMM machine requires the probe to touch the surface of the part to be measured. This makes it challenging to measure parts that are not very durable. The probe will have to consecutively touch the surface of the part, which can lead to deterioration of the material finish.

2.Probe selection

One should only work with the right probe. You should be careful with probe selection since measuring different parts requires different probes. We suggest you determine the part’s physical structure, the required design, and the probe’s ability when selecting the suitable probe. 

3.Physical contact with parts

Are you measuring parts made from soft materials? Parts made out of rubbers and elastomers might lose their form due to the probe coming in contact with them. The physical contact will lead to errors that you will realize during digital analysis.

Keep reading!

There you have it. Measuring a part’s physical and geometric properties during manufacturing has never been easier. With a CMM machine, you now have the power to make highly informed decisions, boost productivity, and reduce errors across the manufacturing process. We went through the basics, advantages, limitations, and working of a CMM machine in this extensive guide.

Although now you have an adequate understanding of how CMMs work, we suggest you consider consulting manufacturing experts. Most modern manufacturing service centers provide a combination of part’s dimensional analysis and several manufacturing procedures like machining, molding, 3D printing, and more. Did you find this guide helpful? Let us know in the comments. Also, don’t forget to check out other informative posts on the blog.