Blog - JLCCNC
CNC Machining DesignCNC Machining Knowledge
What Steps Are Taken To Minimize Waste In CNC Machining Processes?
Design optimization, material management, strategic machining, tool maintenance, and waste recycling minimize waste in CNC machining. Waste in CNC machining refers to surplus or residual material produced during the machining process. Waste can take many different forms, including chips, shavings, scraps, and leftover material. The residue left behind after material is removed to form and produce the required pieces or components is known as waste in CNC machining. Reducing waste is crucial for maximi......
Jan 02,2024
vertical vs horizontal CNC milling machines: Pros and Cons
When you’re selecting the right CNC milling machine, you’ll eventually hit the fork in the road: vertical vs horizontal. Both vertical CNC machines and horizontal CNC milling machines bring powerful capabilities to the table, but the direction in which the spindle is oriented (up/down or side-to-side) drastically affects performance, material handling, and end-use applications. So what’s the real difference? And more importantly, which one is better for your project? What is a Vertical CNC Machine? A ......
Jul 26,2025
EDM Hole Drilling vs Conventional Drilling: Precision and Use Cases Compared
Drilling a hole sounds simple, until you need to do it with extreme precision, into hardened materials, or to microscopic depths. That’s when you start comparing EDM hole drilling and conventional CNC drilling side by side. While both are designed to create holes, their technologies, capabilities, and ideal use cases couldn’t be more different. So, which method should you choose for your next project? Let’s dig in. What Is EDM Hole Drilling? EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) hole drilling, also cal......
Jul 24,2025
End Milling vs Face Milling: Key Differences, Tools & Applications
In the world of CNC machining, milling is a go-to process, but not all milling operations are the same. End milling and face milling are two widely used machining methods, each optimized with distinct tooling designs, cutting geometries, and suited for different types of operations. While they both shape metal through rotary cutters, they differ in how, where, and what they cut. In this blog, we’ll break down the differences between end mills and face mills, compare performance, and help you decide wh......
Jul 22,2025
How EDM Wire Cutting Works: Complete Guide to Precision CNC Wire Cutting
Cutting Metal with Electricity? If you’re in the world of high-precision manufacturing, chances are you’ve heard of EDM wire cutting, short for Electrical Discharge Machining (Wire EDM). It’s not your typical metal cutting method. There are no spinning blades, drills, or end mills. Instead, it slices through metal with electrical sparks, offering unmatched precision and control. But how does EDM wire cutting work? What makes it so popular in aerospace, mold-making, and medical device industries? And w......
Jul 20,2025
Casting vs CNC Machining: Which One is Right for Your Metal Project?
When it comes to manufacturing metal parts, two of the most widely used methods are metal casting and CNC machining. Each has its advantages, challenges, and ideal use cases. But how do you decide which one’s right for your project? (Freepik) Let’s break down both techniques to help you make a smarter, cost-effective, and performance-driven decision. What Is Metal Casting? Metal casting is one of the oldest manufacturing methods, dating back thousands of years. Molten metal is poured into a pre-shaped......
Jul 18,2025
New Energy Vehicle CNC Machining Boom: Inside the Process Behind Battery Boxes and Motor Housings
Engineering the Core: How CNC Machining Powers Battery Enclosures and Motor Housings in EVs With the explosive growth of the New Energy Vehicle (NEV) industry, engineering demands are becoming more complex than ever. Powertrain components are expected to be lighter, stronger, more thermally efficient, and assembled with higher precision. Two of the most critical components—battery enclosures and motor housings—are not only central to structural integrity but also essential to thermal management and ve......
Jul 16,2025
How to Avoid HAZ in Sheet Metal Laser Cutting: Pro Tips for Precision
Laser cutting is a go-to method in modern fabrication thanks to its speed, precision, and ability to handle complex geometries. But like all thermal cutting processes, it comes with an often-overlooked challenge, the HAZ, or heat affected zone. If you're cutting parts from thin or sensitive metals, that small area of unwanted thermal distortion can make or break your results. So, what is the heat affected zone, and how do you avoid it during laser cutting of metal sheets? In this guide, we’ll explain ......
Jul 14,2025
CNC Machining for Heat Sink Manufacturing: Design Tips and Material Selection
Engineering Precision Cooling: From Material Choice to Machining Tolerances In today’s thermally demanding environments—power electronics, automotive ECUs, high-performance computing, 5G base stations—effective thermal management isn’t optional; it’s fundamental. Among various passive cooling components, heat sinks remain the most widely used and technically versatile. But with growing customization needs, tighter integration demands, and shrinking form factors, traditional heat sink manufacturing met......
Jul 12,2025
CNC vs Manual Machining: Cost, Accuracy & Benefits Compared
When it comes to shaping metal with precision, engineers and fabricators often face one big question: CNC vs manual machining, which is better for your project? Whether you're working on prototypes, production parts, or custom components, the cost and accuracy of your chosen method can make or break your results. On one side, manual machining has been the backbone of metalworking for decades, offering hands-on control and simplicity. On the other, CNC machining brings in software-driven precision, rep......
Jul 06,2025
High-Speed CNC Machining: What It Is and When to Use It
In the world of precision manufacturing, speed isn't just about working faster—it's about working smarter. High-speed CNC machining (HSC) is often misunderstood as simply “spinning the spindle faster,” but in practice, it's a sophisticated, multi-variable strategy that blends tooling, motion control, thermal dynamics, and material science. For engineers, machinists, and manufacturers dealing with complex geometries, tight tolerances, and short lead times, high-speed machining isn’t a trend—it’s a comp......
Jul 04,2025
Zero-Waste CNC Strategies: Recycling Metal Chips and Coolants
In an era where sustainability meets precision manufacturing, the CNC industry is facing growing pressure to not only improve tolerances—but also to minimize waste. For engineers, machinists, and operations managers alike, the challenge isn't just making parts faster or cheaper—it's making them cleaner. Welcome to the world of zero-waste CNC machining. This article dives into practical strategies to recover, recycle, and reuse two of the most underestimated byproducts in any CNC shop: metal chips and ......
Jul 04,2025
How CNC Machines Work with Different Metals: Steel, Aluminum, Copper & More
CNC machining metal parts may seem straightforward, until you hit chatter, tool wear, or melting edges. Whether it’s stainless steel’s strength or copper’s thermal conductivity, each metal reacts differently to CNC machining. That’s why understanding how CNC machines work with various materials isn’t just helpful, it’s essential. In this guide, we’ll break down how modern CNC machines cut through popular metals like steel, aluminum, copper, and more. You’ll learn the techniques, challenges, and machin......
Jul 04,2025
5 Signs You Need a CNC Machine for Your Metal Project
You’ve got a metal project on your hands, maybe a few prototypes, maybe a production run, and you're wondering if it’s time to upgrade your toolkit. CNC machines aren’t just fancy toys for industrial giants anymore. Today, shops of all sizes rely on them to cut, mill, drill, and shape metal with unshakable accuracy. But when is the right time to make that leap? This isn’t just about having cool equipment. It’s about knowing when manual methods, traditional tools, or even outsourcing just aren't cuttin......
Jul 02,2025
End Milling Explained: Types, Uses & Best End Mills for Metal & Wood
If you’re serious about machining precision parts, end milling isn’t just another operation, it’s the backbone of modern subtractive manufacturing. But despite how common end mills are in workshops and factories, many still underestimate how nuanced they can be. From tool geometry and coating to matching the right end mill to the material (yes, there's a difference between what cuts wood cleanly and what survives stainless steel), the details make or break your result. This blog isn’t a surface-level ......
Jun 30,2025
Z Bending vs U Bending in CNC Sheet Metal Fabrication: Techniques & Tools
If you've ever wondered how sharp folds and precise curves come to life in sheet metal parts, the answer lies in bending, and not just any kind. We're talking CNC Z bending and U bending, two fundamental techniques that turn flat metal sheets into functional forms in everything from electronics housings to structural components. This guide cuts through the fluff and walks you through what each method is, when to use it, and how CNC bending machines and specialized tube bending tools get the job done. ......
Jun 28,2025
Best CNC Machines for Metal: A Guide for Choosing Between Mills, Routers, and Press Brakes
If you're machining metal, you already know the difference between real guidance and sales fluff. Most blogs titled "Best CNC Machines for Metal" throw around specs and brand names without explaining how those factors actually affect your tolerances, cycle times, or tooling life. This guide is different. Written for engineers, machinists, and procurement teams, this breakdown skips the surface-level intro and dives straight into what matters: ● machine rigidity, ● chip load management, ● thermal respo......
Jun 22,2025
Hole cutting in sheet metal: techniques, tolerances and applications
If you've ever had to spec or machine holes in a 2mm aluminum sheet or struggled with laser-cut distortion in thin stainless, you already know: cutting holes in sheet metal is rarely as simple as it sounds. Engineers and fabricators need to think beyond just “drill or laser?”, you’re managing material behavior, thermal impact, edge quality, post-processing needs, and downstream fit-up tolerances. That’s why this guide isn’t another generic walk-through of hole-making methods. We’ll cover what really m......
Jun 22,2025
5 cnc techniques to reduce waste in metal fabrication
Metal’s not cheap, and neither is time. When you’re running CNC operations, waste isn’t just a nuisance. It’s a cost center, a margin killer, and a red flag on your efficiency scorecard. Whether you’re machining high-grade alloys or standard sheet, every gram of scrap hits your bottom line. The good news? There are proven, practical CNC techniques that can seriously cut down waste, and they don’t require reinventing your workflow. Just smarter setup, better planning, and the right tooling choices. Her......
Jun 16,2025
Common Defects in Sheet Metal Bending and Forming (with Solutions)
Bending and forming sheet metal sounds simple, until your part cracks, wrinkles, or shows up two degrees off. Suddenly, you're staring at a reject pile and wondering what went wrong. Sheet metal bending defects are more common than most shops admit, and the same goes for flaws during forming. Whether it’s springback, surface damage, or a miscalculated angle, these problems don’t just mess with appearance, they compromise fit, function, and cost. In this guide, we’ll break down the most common sheet me......
Jun 16,2025
What is CNC Turning: Types, Materials & Advantages
CNC turning is one of those processes that quietly powers much of the world around us. If you’ve ever handled a metal shaft, a threaded connector, or even a machined knob, chances are it came off a CNC turning machine. It’s a precise, reliable method for shaping round or cylindrical parts, and it’s a staple in industries that can’t afford guesswork, like aerospace, automotive, and medical tech. But CNC turning isn’t just about spinning metal and shaving off chips. it’s about hitting exact measurements......
Jun 14,2025
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