Can 3D Printing eliminate high-end CNC machining?

3D printing technology is an emerging technology and China is getting involved in that. 3D printing is used in a wide range of applications, from aerospace, machining, precision instrumentation, automotive manufacturing and basic scientific equipment manufacturing. Metal 3D printing is a very big boon for modern industry, which will greatly reduce the production cost of the product and save material. However, high-quality products do not only require advanced technicians, but also the role of high-end CNC machine tools. Especially for submarine construction, high-end CNC machine tools are needed. The higher the machining accuracy, the lower the noise, which is conducive to submarine concealment. Some precision instruments, precision instruments, clocks, ballpoint pens, engine components and some basic scientific research equipment are all dependent on high-precision CNC machine tools. The rise of 3D printing technology has partly replaced the role of high-end CNC machine tools. Some parts of some products can be printed at one time without the need to machine different parts and assemble them. As long as the parts of the same material can be printed at one time, no matter how complicated it is not a problem, even individual flying parts can be partially made. The industrial application of high-end metal 3D printing technology does not only speed up production, but also saves time and costs by using a small amount of material. Even so, some parts can’t be done by 3D printing, and some materials can’t use 3D printing, such as cast iron parts and special alloys. That is to say, 3D printing technology cannot completely replace high-end CNC machine tools. Even if 3D printing can print all materials, it is still inseparable from high-end CNC machine tools, because the installation of special parts of some electromechanical products requires separate components. Although 3D printing technology is in the air, high-end CNC machine tools can not be absent. What’s more, 3D printing has just begun, and the technology is still not mature. At present, it has not reached the level of universal popularity like CNC machine tools. With the emphasis on 3D printing technology in various countries, the field and scope of application are becoming wider and wider, and the precision and quality of production parts will be higher and higher. However, the high-end CNC machine tools have not stopped. The five-axis linkage has been developed to nine-axis linkage, which is more intelligent, with higher machining accuracy and more processing dimensions. In the field of high-end CNC machine tools, Germany, the United States, Japan, Sweden, and Switzerland are the strongest. In recent years, China’s high-end CNC machine tool technology has also achieved breakthroughs, and it has been able to produce nine-axis five-link CNC machine tools. As for whether 3D printing can replace high-end CNC machine tools, the answer is NO. Both are essential for modern industry, and the smart manufacturing of the future industry 4.0 era is still inseparable from these two technologies. The 3D printing technology of high-end metal materials does contribute a lot to modern industry, the production efficiency is greatly improved, the production cost is greatly reduced, and even individual products can be produced for customers. Products that are no longer the same specifications as traditional assembly lines have a great effect on the market segments between enterprises, and the products of enterprises are more competitive. Even such high-end CNC machine tools are still very important industrial aircraft carriers, and the future of Industry 4.0 and China Manufacturing 2025 are still indispensable for high-end CNC machine tools.