Skip to content 
Low-Volume Machining Overview
Low-volume machining involves manufacturing products in limited or low volumes, between a few units to several thousand. However, the minimum production level can vary depending on the product, manufacturing, utilized technologies, and the industry. Due to its flexibility and adaptability to market demands, this production process is best suited for prototypes, customized products, and small batches.
Benefits of Low-Volume Production
The unique advantages of low-volume production set it aside in modern manufacturing. Some of the reasons why low-volume manufacturing is a critical part of the manufacturing landscape include:
Reduced Time to Market
Low-volume machining enables the faster penetration of products into the market since it accelerates your product from the design phase to the market quickly. Since strong competition exists among businesses in industries where trends and customer preferences change consistently, it facilitates high-quality product manufacturing and ensures they reach the market quickly.
High-Quality Parts
CNC parts produced through low-volume machining are of high quality since the focus is on quality. Low-volume machining offers manufacturers more significant control over the production process. As a result, each machined part meets the desired tolerance and surface finishes according to requirements.
Improved Manufacturing Flexibility
Low-volume manufacturers can easily identify machining defects and make required adjustments at a low cost with low-volume machining. Similarly, businesses that utilize low-volume manufacturing can collect customer feedback and elevate their products, ensuring client satisfaction.
Customization
Producing parts in low volume enables manufacturers to customize products and cater to niche markets. Unlike large-scale production, low-volume machining supports a personalized approach that allows manufacturers to meet specific requirements of a targeted market segment or produce small batches of custom products.
Minimal Initial Costs
Most manufacturers embrace low-volume machining due to its advantage in reduced setup costs. The process minimizes the need for expensive tooling and setup. Hence, it is an ideal choice for established and startup companies. Producing in low volume is a cost-effective option when launching a novel product or testing a new market.
Reduced Inventory Costs and Space
When you produce in low volume, you can reduce inventory costs and significantly reduce the space required for storage. This is particularly beneficial to businesses that seek to minimize capital held down by unsold inventory or those with limited storage facilities.
Supports Innovation and Sustainability
Small batch production encourages innovation since it allows for rapid prototyping and experimentation. Therefore, manufacturers can create and refine innovative products without mass production. Additionally, product manufacturers reduce energy consumption and waste by producing in smaller quantities. Low-volume manufacturing runs ensure less material waste and enable production on demand, reducing the risk of excess inventory.
Risk Mitigation
The risks of launching a new item into the market are limitless. However, you can mitigate these risks by smaller production runs, which low-volume machining allows. With this approach, you can examine the market’s reaction to your product without the financial burdens of large-scale production.
Standard Low-Volume Manufacturing Methods
Product manufacturers and engineers utilize various production technologies with distinct procedures to achieve the vast benefits of low-volume manufacturing. In this section, we will explore the different low-volume machining processes to help you determine the right fit for your project:
3D Printing
3D printing (additive manufacturing process) creates parts from one layer after another from a digital file. This technology is highly versatile for manufacturing complex parts or structures that would be nearly impossible to create with traditional manufacturing processes. This approach is compatible with materials such as metals, plastics, and composites. More notably, it is suitable for rapid prototyping and production in small quantities.
CNC Machining
This versatile machining method uses computer-controlled machine tools, including lathes, grinders, and mills, to shape a blank into the desired shape. CNC machining processes offer exceptional precision and versatility, rendering them ideal for handling complex parts requiring tight tolerances. CNC machining is paramount in low-volume machining, mainly when creating intricate designs or high-quality steel parts.
Injection Molding
The injection molding process is commonly used for manufacturing metal and plastic parts, particularly when precision and scale are paramount. This process occurs by injectinghot liquid material into a mold and letting it harden to create the final part. Injection molding is ideal for creating high-quality parts in small volumes to establish a balance between scalability and cost-efficiency.
Sheet Metal Fabrication
This low-volume manufacturing method involves cutting, bending, and assembling metal sheets to create different metal products. Sheet metal fabrication is known for its ability to make sturdy and functional parts, making it ideal in industries like aerospace and automotive.
Urethane Casting
Urethane casting involves using silicone molds to create parts from various polymers, particularly urethane. This technique is a viable option for creating prototypes and customized parts in small quantities since it offers a cost-effective way of developing high-quality parts.
Vacuum Casting
Vacuum casting involves drawing specific liquid materials into a mold under vacuum conditions. This method is particularly effective for producing end-use parts, high-quality prototypes, and replicating components in low quantities.
Die Casting
Die casting is a manufacturing process that helps produce parts in low or high volume by molding materials under higher pressure. Despite being typically associated with large-scale production, die casting is adaptable for small batches of production of metal parts with complex designs and tight tolerances.
Laser Cutting and Engraving
Laser cutting and engraving involves using a high-powered laser to deliver precise cuts on a material like plastics or metals or engrave it with desired details. This technology is known for its quality and precision to create intricate shapes with superior surface finish.
Silicon Molding
Silicon molding is another integral process in low-volume manufacturing, renowned for its flexibility and precision. This technique is well-suited for creating parts from silicon, a material valued for its heat resistance, flexibility, and durability.
Silicon molding is excellent for creating seals, gaskets, and other flexible parts requiring precise dimensions and shapes. It is integral to low-volume production, most notably in medical, consumer electronics, and automotive industries, where customized or small-batch silicone components are
Industries that Use Low-Volume Manufacturing Methods
Low-volume machining is not restricted to a particular sector. It cuts across various industries, which leverage its benefits in distinct ways. We’ll explore some of the industries that benefit from low production runs:
- Automotive: Automobile manufacturers produce low-volume custom parts, prototypes, and specialized parts for luxury vehicles. With low production runs, manufacturers enjoy design flexibility and rapid adaptation to new technologies.
- Aerospace: Manufacturers in this sector rely on low-volume manufacturing to produce precise components like airframes and intricate engine parts. It allows for high-quality materials and precision technologies.
- Consumer Electronics: In this sector, manufacturers embrace low-volume manufacturing methods when prototyping new devices and developing high-end specialized electronics in cases where high-volume production is unnecessary.
- Robotics: Low-volume manufacturing supports the production of unique robotic components that are in the developmental stages or require customization.
- Defense: Producing specialized equipment and components in small batches is critical to the defense sector, where customization and high precision are principal requirements.
- Medical: Medical tool and device manufacturers leverage low-volume machining to achieve precision and customization in producing specialized medical equipment and devices.
- Industrial Machinery: Low-volume machining helps produce components of specialized machinery that require precise specifications that do not require full-scale production.
Challenges of Low-Volume Manufacturing
Low-volume manufacturing poses certain challenges despite its many advantages. Hence, it is crucial to understand these challenges and remedies that can help overcome them. We’ll examine the common challenges of low-volume production and helpful tips for addressing them in this section:
Technology Integration
In most cases, manufacturers find it hard to keep up with new manufacturing challenges, even though it is essential to stay competitive. Hence, this influences the outcomes of low-volume productions.
- Remedy: It would help to invest in new technologies and train machinists and other personnel on the machine floor to remain at the forefront of manufacturing advancements.
Balancing Cost and Volume
Establishing a balance between cost-efficiency and production volumes can be tricky when producing in low volumes.
- Remedy: Perform a thorough market analysis to decide the ideal production quantity. Employ flexible production techniques that can adapt to dynamic demands.
High Tooling and Initial Costs
Although tooling costs for low-volume manufacturing are not as high as for mass production, they remain significant constraints when producing in low quantities.
- Remedy: Improve design for manufacturing to minimize the complexity of manufactured parts. Advanced tools and processes, including 3D printing, should also be used to reduce tooling requirements.
Material Selection and Availability
Custom parts manufacturers can find it challenging to source the right material in the required quantities when producing parts in low volumes.
- Remedy: Contract a reliable material supplier to determine the availability of the materials you need and the time it will take to deliver them. However, considering alternative materials that meet the required specifications can help avert this problem.
Supply Chain Complexity
Due to the smaller scale and less predictability attributes of this manufacturing approach, there may be setbacks in managing supply chains for manufactured parts.
- Remedy: Building solid relationships with suppliers and choosing those experienced in low-volume manufacturing might help. You can also consider local sourcing to reduce costs and lead times.
Rapid Prototyping and Testing
The need for rapid prototyping and testing can increase the required lead time and cost of low-volume production runs.
- Remedy: Machining experts recommend employing rapid prototyping technologies like 3D printing to speed up the development phase.
Quality Consistency
Product engineers can experience setbacks in ensuring the consistency of low-volume parts, most notably when machining custom projects.
- Remedy: Implementing strict quality control processes and leveraging additive manufacturing and CNC machining technologies help achieve precise and repeatable outcomes.
Customization Demands
Manufacturers often experience more complexity and increased production times due to high levels of customization when producing in low volumes.
- Remedy: Using advanced manufacturing processes like 3D printing (additive manufacturing) or CNC machining can help to handle the complexities of custom designs.
Market Adaptability
Challenges often occur when adapting to market changes for low-volume products.
- Remedy: Employ agile manufacturing processes and remain updated about market trends to adapt seamlessly to demand inconsistencies.
Expertise Requirement
Low-volume production demands skilled labor for specialized tasks, which may require hiring extra hands.
- Remedy: Consider partnering with educational institutions for a steady supply of skilled labor or invest in employee training and development.
Environmental Considerations
Irrespective of the scale, manufacturing processes tend to attract environmental impacts that need consideration.
- Remedy: Establishing sustainable practices such as using recyclable materials and optimizing energy usage would significantly mitigate environmental impact.
Tips to Maximizing Budget for Designing Low-Volume CNC Parts
During low-volume production runs, there are several factors to consider to save manufacturing time and costs. Adhering to these practices can help you to optimize your low-volume machining projects efficiently:
Consider DFM (Design for Manufacturing)
Accurate design for manufacturing enables the creation of parts that are easy to manufacture. Thus, it is essential to understand the capabilities of the machining equipment and incorporate DFM principles when planning for low-volume manufacturing to ensure design optimization. Thus, it would be best to develop simple parts that are easy to produce with the available tools, ensuring high quality and minimizing waste.
Use Simple and Standard Designs
Adhere to simple and uniform designs when developing low-volume CNC parts. Manufacturing parts with complex designs may require manual repositioning, rotation, or more expensive machines, which can increase production costs. Thus, breaking down complex structures into smaller parts for assembly could prove beneficial. Below are helpful tips that can help keep your low-volume production parts simple:
- Avoid Tight Tolerances: Generally, extremely tight tolerances drive up the required time for machine setup, machining, and inspection. It also calls for using specialized production techniques or post-processing operations, which might increase overall cost. As a result, ensure your products meet the tolerances necessary to guarantee their fit and function according to the design requirements.
- Use Standard Threads: Experts advise using standard threads for low-volume machining. It helps to leverage existing thread classes instead of creating a unique thread during the process, which might result in complexities.
- Choose Standard Sizes for Holes: Chip removal will eventually become more difficult as the hole in a workpiece gets deeper. Hence, experts recommend maintaining a hole depth of 5 – 6 times the diameter of the drill. Furthermore, it would be best to design holes for your products with standard drill sizes to avoid purchasing a unique tool that might increase costs.
Avoid Wastage
It is essential to avoid material waste to minimize environmental impact and machining costs when producing parts in low volume. Examine usage and manufacture products that generate the least waste while designing for low-volume machining. You can also use recycled materials to down reduce material waste.
Determine the Ideal Finishing and Text
One of the best practices for low-volume machining parts design is to steer clear of elaborate finishes. Although machined texts have an appealing look and offer operational benefits, they can increase production costs and lead time because of the required technique to track each character.
However, some techniques may help save cost and time if you need to add a logo or some lettering to your low-volume machined parts. For example, you can use laser marking, silk screening, or painting to directly engrave your product with your product quickly.
Material Selection
Whether low-volume or large-scale machining projects, costs might increase significantly if you choose the wrong materials. Besides, the machinability of a preferred material is critical as it can drive cost and impact the quality of the final product since harder machining materials might require special tools. Hence, choose less expensive and functional materials when it is not compulsory to use costly and specialized materials with greater qualities when you contact a supplier.
Choosing the Right Machine Shop for Your Low-Volume Part Production
Contracting a reliable and experienced manufacturer is critical to the success of your low-volume manufacturing projects. However, there are some things to consider when choosing a partner. Here are some of them:
Machining Capabilities
When you need to produce parts in low volumes, ensure the shop possesses the required machine and equipment to handle your part’s design. It would be best to partner with a part supplier with extensive capabilities, from prototyping to high-scale production. They must be able to handle low volumes, short production runs, and high mix requirements. Furthermore, seek a partner capable of providing value-added manufacturing services like material finishing, laser marking, and assembly to optimize efficiency and reduce lead times.
Expertise and Experience
Examine the machine shop’s track record in low-volume production to assess their experience and expertise level. Evaluate their experience manufacturing different parts for complex industries and their ability to meet specific quality requirements, including material specifications, corrosion resistance, and tight tolerances.
Quality Control
Ensure your prospective partner for low-volume part production has the necessary in-house quality control systems and procedures to ensure manufactured parts meet specifications. Check to see if the supplier has AS9100 or ISO 9001 certifications that show their compliance with strict quality standards.
Customer Service and Support
Partnering with a machine shop that provides clear communication and support throughout the low-volume production stages is crucial. It helps to optimize your design for manufacturability (DFM) and guarantees transparency.
AT-Machining: The Ideal Contract Manufacturer for Seamless Low Volume Machining
AT-Machining is a one-stop machine shop specializing in prototyping and low-volume machining services. We boast of years of experience and expertise handling complex parts with intricate designs and tight tolerances for various industries. Our expert technicians have an in-depth understanding of extensive manufacturing processes, including sheet metal fabrication, plastic injection molding, CNC machining, and pressure die casting. Contact us now; we can offer the expert guidance needed in your initial prototype development or low-volume machining phase.
Conclusion
Low-volume machining is a cornerstone in modern production, offering diverse advantages, including flexibility, customization, and reduced time to market. Embracing low-volume machining processes can be a transformative choice for businesses that seek cost-effectiveness to remain competitive and responsive in dynamic markets even as the manufacturing landscape evolves continuously.
