The lathe is one of the oldest machines on Earth. In design and function, lathes have come a long way from what the workers used in ancient Egypt to what we have available today.

As simple manual lathes have evolved into high-precision CNC machines, the number of companies offering machining services has grown dramatically. After all, the fully automated CNC process doesn’t seem to require too much human expertise.

Does this mean that you can choose any old company that has a CNC machine for your next project

Let’s find out what you need to consider when looking for the best CNC machining services.

1) Equipment Variety

When talking to a supplier, make sure to ask what type of machines they are working with. Having a single CNC milling machine is far from being sufficient for complex projects. An established manufacturing company should have a variety of CNC milling and CNC turning machines as well as manual equipment.

It’s easier to choose a company with diverse machining capabilities than to figure out which particular equipment you need for each of your projects and look for a company that offers it.

2) Extensive Experience

Even though modern CNC equipment doesn’t require the same type of operator experience as a manual lathe, it doesn’t mean anyone can handle these machines. Only professionals know which materials are suitable for each project and how to work with them in order to achieve the best results.

3) Positive Reviews

Even start-up companies should be able to provide references and reviews, or at least project case studies. A good supplier will have a variety of references so you can consult previous clients and look at previous projects.

Ideally, the company will have already handled a project similar to yours and can verify the quality of work by providing client reviews.

4) Reasonable Price

In the CNC machining business, high prices don’t always mean high quality. However, low prices may well mean low quality. It’s important to find the right balance between cost, delivery time and quality.

Find out the reasons for a supplier’s pricing. High prices may be due to the cost of the machinery used by the company. If the equipment is highly advanced, it’s expensive, thus increasing the price of services. A low price may be due to low overheads – e.g. fully paid up equipment – or ultra-fast machinery, or it could be a sales tactic to undercut the competition. This is no bad thing in itself but make sure the client can deliver the required service on time for the fee you’re paying.

5) Location

The closer the company you are working with is located the better. You can take a closer look at the equipment, have an in-person consultation with the experts, and save on delivery.

If you don’t have a company in your area, we advise choosing one located elsewhere in the UK. Dealing with long-distance shipping and language barriers can be costly and frustrating.

Download Our Free Guide

At Woodley Engineering we have a wide variety of equipment, highly experienced operators, and an impressive portfolio of completed work. Give us a call for a free quote and consultation. For more information about our services, please click here to download our free Woodley Engineering Precision Engineering Guide.

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