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We鈥檝e said it before, and we鈥檒l continue to say it: Quality is everything in CNC machining.

It鈥檚 the reason why manufacturers use CNC machining to produce precise parts. Of course, every CNC machine shop will say that they highly value quality and meet quality requirements. But, how do you know for sure?

Designing a new part is one thing. Manufacturing it is a different story.

Talk with any customer of a CNC machine shop and you鈥檒l likely hear an example of a part design being altered, refined, and/or improved thanks to CNC precision engineering. Of all the CNC engineering services provided by a shop, having an influence on the design itself may not be what you think of first.

In part 1 of our series on cost-effective, on-time CNC precision machining we explored how to go from RFQ to a successful project.

Tedious. Exciting. Frustrating. However you think of RFQs (Requests for Quote), it鈥檚 a standard business practice that鈥檚 here to stay. In fact, it may be becoming a bigger differentiator within manufacturing than ever.

Imagine this: a manufacturing technique that鈥檚 lasted for more than 6,000 years AND is still highly valued today. That鈥檚 metal casting.

These are demanding times.

For a new product design to be considered successful today, the manufacturing process used to build it must be scrutinized as much as the product itself. Modern designers look to design for manufacturing (DFM) to reduce costs, simplify how a product is produced, reduce design rework, and maintain overall quality.

Choosing a new CNC vendor is challenging. Evaluating a current CNC machine shop relationship is equally important (and even tougher) because a relationship has developed. This vendor may have been a trusted extension of your team for quite a while, so seeing a clear picture isn鈥檛 always easy.

When do you know it鈥檚 time to evaluate a current CNC machine shop relationship? Have you properly monitored this vendor鈥檚 performance so you can make a wise choice? How can you add one to your list (or drop one)?

鈥淚t鈥檚 a long way to the top, if you want to rock and roll.鈥�

Thank you rock legends, AC/DC. Yet, it鈥檚 a long, tough road to reach the top in the manufacturing world, too, especially CNC machining.

So, what does it take to not only be recognized as a 鈥�Top Shop鈥� by industry influencer Modern Machine Shop, but also make the cover () of their annual Top Shops issue? Let鈥檚 find out, and also hear about the award presentation during the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS).

So much time and effort is put into machining CNC parts and components: designing, planning, casting, machining, deburring, washing, controlling quality, managing inventory 鈥� plus all of the coordination required. Yet, without properly shipping the finished CNC machined parts, all of this effort could be wasted.

Shipping CNC parts 鈥� some reaching tolerances to 0.001鈥� 鈥� requires the right methods and materials to ensure they arrive undamaged and ready to perform. 鈥淢etal鈥� sounds hard and unbreakable, so protection may not seem like a priority 鈥� but it is.

Automation is here to stay.

While the overall labor shortage is forcing the hand of manufacturers that haven鈥檛 yet embraced automation, those that know it consider automation to be a manufacturing advantage.

Previously, we shared 鈥�Tips for Using Industrial Robotics in a CNC Machine Shop,鈥� which covered various aspects of using robotics: robot functions, programming, and the best ways that a shop can use robots.