Thursday, August 07, 2014
Computer numeric control (CNC) devices have advanced technologies
available to the modern consumer. The introduction of CNC devices has been instrumental in automating labor and cutting manufacturing costs of
all kinds.
Initially introduced in the mid-20th century, CNC technology revolutionized machining forever. For example, it has been fundamental in extending the availability of granite countertops to a much wider market. Currently among the most common building materials used in new homes, granite is used across the United States in bathrooms, kitchens and living rooms more than ever. But it wasn’t always so accessible.
Granite mining used to be arduous and incredibly expensive, implementing an incredible amount of manpower and resources. Every aspect of refining granite, from mining the raw material to fitting and finishing, required painstaking labor. Granite masonry was a very specialized practice. But thanks to CNC technology (and market globalization) the cost per square foot to a homeowner dropped exponentially.
Cutting out the expensive American labor costs, homebuilders and designers simply send digital specifications to granite distributors overseas. Here, the CNC quickly and accurately cuts countertops to exact specifications, cutting out costly manual masonry which is only a fraction as accurate. Now available for as little as $20 per square foot, granite can give any home kitchen or bathroom renovation project that million dollar look, without the million dollar price tag.
Milling and woodworking is another industry having experienced a heavy shift in production resources thanks to heavier use in CNC implementation. Namely in lathe machine programming, woodworking is not more efficient and dynamic than ever. Simply programming the computerized lathe to the exact specs of length, width and signature features of the desired bat produces the finished product in a matter of minutes. This compares to the time consuming process of handmade bats, which would take days.
CNC offers precise manufacturing for products of all kinds. It is used in everything from automobile manufacturing to computer software assembly to firearm production. Not only is it as precise as technologically possible, it is much more affordable than a manual option. This is why CNC technologies continue to advance and make more resources of all kinds available to markets previously untapped.
TAGGED AS:
- automated workforce
- CNC
- Computerized Machinery
- Cost of Labor