7 Reasons Why You Should Buy A CNC Conversion Kit

A CNC conversion kit is your one-stop solution for both automation and precision

The world is on the brink of what is being called a Fourth Industrial Revolution, and a CNC conversion kit can be your ticket to success here. 

But why exactly CNC conversion, you may wonder? 

You see, as a workshop owner or small-scale producer, accuracy in production is most likely your biggest challenge. And that can even be a hurdle to scaling your business and making it more competitive. 

There’s already a huge demand for high-precision goods, and unsurprisingly there are a large number of manufacturers too for the same. 

So competing in such a marketplace with a manual machine can be a task. More so, as most machine shop owners have already attained automation and accuracy by switching over to CNC machining. 

However, depending on your machining requirements, CNC machines can be really expensive, and they might even break your bank. 

But what if you could simply convert your manual machine to CNC? 

Yes, it is possible to have your regular milling or lathe machine converted and include the best machining features with a CNC conversion kit. 

In fact, CNC conversion kits offer you the most affordable solution for a highly accurate and fast-paced production. 

There’s more to CNC conversion and how it can benefit your machine shop, so let’s have a look in detail. 

#1. A CNC conversion kit offers high precision and better accuracy 

To achieve a precise workpiece using your manual milling or lathe machine can be very tricky. And not to forget how much of a task it can be just to improve on accuracy. 

So the only way you can improve quality and achieve workpiece specifications on a manual machine is by having the unbroken attention of a highly skilled machinist throughout the production. 

And even with a skillful machine operator with years of experience, you can’t rule out the possibility of human error. As such, accuracy in a manually controlled manufacturing process remains a myth. 

Nevertheless, you can buy a CNC conversion kit and have the qualities of a high-performance CNC machine on your manual machine itself. 

You see, as you automate your machining, the chances of human error will come down to zero. Also, you can pre-set your workpiece specifications in the CNC software, which will then produce it exactly to your specific requirements. 

The result: you’ll have much-improved accuracy in production, and your produced workpieces will be highly precise. 

Done right, you can even create the most complex pieces by achieving a tolerance as small as 0.004 mm. 

Sounds awesome, doesn’t it? 

Here’s a catch:

While working on a CNC machine, you need to maintain an ideal operating environment and the right calibration on your cutting tool. That’s because, even as a CNC conversion kit automates machining by pre-programming it, ensuring the duo is critical to your machine’s accuracy. 

#2. Nothing beats the endurance of a CNC machine

Nothing comes even close to a CNC machine when it comes to high endurance and round-the-clock functioning. 

You see, your manual machine will run and continue to produce workpieces only as long as you have skillful machinists. And not only do these machine specialists need to run the machines manually, but they’ve also got to constantly check for the right calibration. 

That means no sooner than the operators’ work-shift ends; your production will come to a complete halt. 

However, a CNC conversion kit lets you turn your manually-controlled machine into fully-fledged CNC-capable equipment. As such, you can have a machine that runs 24 hours a day non-stop and without needing any machine operators. 

In fact, a machine operator can program the computer of your CNC machine as per the design requirements of your project. As a result, you can get your workpiece or parts of it manufactured as often as you need, thus increasing the production capacity of your machine shop manifold. 

Also, with your machining process being automated and the need for human intervention reduced, you’ll need far fewer machine operators. 

There’s more to a conversion kit enabled CNC machine

With one such machine, you can have unmatched flexibility in production, as it allows for quick product and design changes. 

For instance, if you need to produce a small number of products, you can set the machine for that amount of order. And as soon as the production is complete, you can quickly change the CNC program for the next round of production. 

That degree of flexibility means your CNC-enabled machine shop can complete just about any order right on time. And that ranges from huge batches of similar workpieces to single prototypes. 

Further, what underscores the endurance of a conversion kit powered CNC machine is the fact that it needs the least maintenance. 

While CNC machines can be worn since they run continuously, you can keep track of it with regular machine inspections. And once wear is detected, you can address and fix it in no time. 

#3. Attain higher production and scalability with CNC 

Are you looking to scale and grow your manufacturing business? 

If yes, a CNC conversion kit is your gateway to business expansion via large-scale production of various workpieces. 

After you’ve converted your mill or lathe machine with a CNC conversion kit, you’re set to start production. All you need to do is program your CNC machine as per the design requirements of the product. 

And once you’ve kickstarted the production using CNC, manufacturing workpieces takes very little time. That means you can increase production volume multiple times by having more workpieces ready than in the manual process in the same amount of time. 

Also, apart from being able to produce parts in a much higher quantity, a CNC machine is very scalable. Meaning, you can program your machine to produce workpieces of different shapes and sizes; and in different quantities, i.e., form a single product to thousands of its variants. 

Since you can use optimal resources and produce the maximum number of goods, you’re sure to attain high efficiency as well. 

Amazing, right? 

#4. Get unmatched speed with a CNC conversion kit 

A manual machine’s working is not-hassle free at all, and one of the problems you’ll encounter often is slow-paced production. 

You can, however, overcome this hurdle with the turnkey solution offered by a CNC conversion kit. 

You can attain the highest possible production speed by converting your manual machine and switching over to CNC machining. That’s because with automation comes speed, as the machine is able to use its fastest setting in the safest way. 

So how exactly does a CNC conversion kit help attain high speed? 

You see, in a conventional mill machine, you’re required to manually operate the system. And that includes frequently changing the tooling depending on the type of cutting operation you need. 

As such, producing even a single workpiece takes a lot of time, resulting in slowed operations and inefficiency. 

But that’s not the case anymore after you’ve enabled CNC on your machine using a conversion kit. 

Since all manual functions are performed automatically via a computer program, you’ll have high speed, best accuracy, and minimum waste. In fact, there’s no better way to attain quick, efficient, and much-diversified production than CNC machining. 

There you have it, the best solution for high-speed machining. 

#5. Enhanced machining capability 

If you’re looking to produce a wide variety of workpieces on a single machine, you should definitely consider upgrading to CNC with a conversion kit. 

Your manual machine isn’t without shortcomings, one of them being a lack of ability to work on different workpieces. However, you can machine many types of workpieces on the same mini lathe or mill with a CNC conversion kit. 

Your machine with CNC capability can have a rotating carousel that can easily carry up to 30 machine tools. Also, these tools can be swapped automatically during the milling or machining operations, thus allowing for various products to be machined. 

Want more? 

The CNC conversion plans bring along top-of-the-line design software, which makes working with sophisticated designs possible. In fact, with the right software on your CNC machine, you can produce a workpiece of just about any shape and size. 

On the contrary, we can’t even imagine machining products with delicate designs on manual mills. Can we? 

#6. You can machine any material with a conversion kit

Our manual machines are seriously limited when it comes to the materials they can machine. For instance, if you own a small-sized manual mill, you’re most likely to machine only softer metals like aluminum, brass, copper, etc. 

A mill CNC conversion kit, on the other hand, can enable you to machine even hard metals like stainless steel by diversifying the machine tools and increasing machining capability. 

Also, since CNC machines are equipped with multiple tools, they’re even compatible with materials like composites, plastics, rigid, and carving foam, among others. 

Nonetheless, there are certain considerations that you should factor in when choosing a material for CNC milling. For instance, it makes sense to take into account your machine’s design tolerance, stress resistance, heat tolerance, hardness, and fastening before you choose a material. 

#7. A CNC conversion kit makes machining safe

CNC machines and conversion kits have brought about increased safety in the manufacturing industry. 

You see, all an operator needs to do on CNC-enabled equipment is enter the code and maintain the machine’s functioning as per workpiece specifications. 

Since a CNC conversion kit makes the machining process entirely automatic, the interaction of an operator is limited to pre-programming. As such, machine operators no longer need to go near the cutting tools. 

As a result, there are lesser occupational health concerns and safety-related accidents on CNC machines. 

Even as machine operators may find the working of CNC machines complex initially, once acquainted, they’re sure to find it much safer and simpler to use.

BONUS: Reduced production costs and increased profitability 

A CNC conversion kit may need an upfront investment at first, but it will bring down your cost of workpiece production remarkably. That’s because CNC machines not only minimize waste generation but also increase output. 

Also, you need a smaller workforce and lesser skill training to run a CNC machine workshop, which again reduces the overall cost. 

Altogether, this lowered cost of running the machine shop and producing workpieces will result in higher profitability for your business. 

Interesting, isn’t it? 

Wrapping it up

The methods of manufacturing are changing across the world, and automation is clearly leading this change. With automation has come high precision and mass production, so businesses achieving these two are growing at a faster pace. 

Automation, however, isn’t very affordable and can even cost a fortune. 

Interestingly, a CNC conversion kit can offer you automation on a shoestring budget by simply converting your manual machine into a computerized and programmable manufacturing device. 

If you’re looking for such turn key machines for your machine shop, you can reach out to us. We’ve got CNC conversion kits from industry-leading manufacturers, and we can convert your manual machine in the most cost-effective way.