CNC machining and 3D printing often work together in some cases to produce relatively end-use parts. After 3D printing of metal parts, CNC machining can be used to milling precision features and improve surface quality. CNC machining is crucial in secondary machining to fine-tune features and holes on parts that require a higher level of finishing. 3D printing continues along the path of solid growth; As features continue to evolve, the past few years have seen advances in 3D printing and amazing technological developments. In contrast, machining is still here and continues to evolve along with 3D printing.

CNC machine tools are faster, more accurate, and cheaper than they were thirty years ago. The tools and software that support them have also improved significantly. Programming systems are more advanced, machine controls are easier to operate, and cutting tools remove metal faster than previous generations of processing equipment.

The people who design and buy the parts expect them to have the exact specifications, the exact materials and the exact quantities, and they want them soon enough. So do their customers. Product development cycles are getting tighter and tighter. The trend toward mass customization and accelerated listings is a legitimate challenge that companies face every day. To take full advantage of these technologies, those who design and buy machined parts must learn to think differently. They must accept the digitization of traditional processes, such as processing 3D drawings and CAD models, must become reference documents for all aspects of the product life cycle, and must become standards for communicating processing requirements to manufacturers.

These digital transactions have long been the standard for 3D printing, but are also fast becoming the standard for CNC machining, at least now enabling the previously unaffordable small-volume customization that is the key to our digital manufacturing revolution? We must continue to adopt new technologies and embrace this ever-changing digital environment. We can do that.