From aircraft to musical instruments and surgical tools, CNC machining has made its name everywhere. With the generation of nearly 4.5 billion dollars in revenue from the music industry annually, it is considered one of the biggest industries. This cost is totally justifiable as musicians know how much precision is required to generate a perfect piece of an acoustic instrument.

Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machining comes to the area where precision is required. This article will tell you in which musical instruments CNC services have been brought and what advantages it is providing to the music industry. 

Instrument Production with CNC Machining

All types of musical instruments require a high amount of precision. And no other thing can provide more precision than CNC machining. If only a little change were to happen in the provision of the crafts, the harmony completely changes. 

The process of designing the instruments with CNC prototyping is quick and dimensionally precise as compared to the other modes of manufacturing. That’s why the first choice of every customer is always CNC machining. Musical instruments are made of many parts. If the system has CNC services, it’s not a big challenge for the industry to manufacture high-quality instruments. From the delicate cuts to the fine details and custom designs, and from the small business to the mass production there’s nothing that can’t be done with it. 

Parts of Musical Instruments that require CNC machining

With the ease of use of CNC Prototyping, everyone especially small business owners is taking full advantage. With minimum labor and less investment, producers are making goods of their own choice. Professional musical instrument builders have purchased economical machines CNC and building guitars, violins, and pianos according to customers’ choices. 

Every part of a musical instrument needs special cuts with its specifications. There are certain parts of musical instruments that have the highest requirement of CNC machining. These parts are the following:

• Fretboards
• Wooden instrument bodies
• Guitar necks
• Carvings
• Engravings
• Fret slots
• Violins necks
• Turning knobs
• Old musical instruments that need restoration

The specification in a CNC router can only be obtained if you don’t sacrifice the performance of that part during the complete process of manufacturing. Only then you’ll get a high-quality product. 

How Small businesses are capable of using CNC machining?

CNC machining and the whole setup of it is not cost-effective. Small businesses and shopholders can’t afford to get all of it. So, they get small setups of it and use the mixed approach (a combination of manual and CNC prototypes) to build an instrument. 

If we take an example of guitar manufacturing, the maker will build the main body of the guitar with wood and will use CNC machining only to craft the design of fret slots and tuning knots. They do the same with the violin. This way they acquire the required features in the most cost-effective manner. The smaller CNC machines can easily perform the above-mentioned parts of instruments. These CNC milling processes also provide the same precision level as the larger ones. Let’s get into the details of some parts of musical instruments that can be tweaked with CNC machining. 

• Height adjuster of Strings

If you’ve ever seen a guitar, you must noticed some strings below the neck of the guitar. There’s a string height adjuster to adjust the length of the guitar’s strings. You can raise or lower the strings with this adjuster as per your playing style. 

• Valve casings

It is a part of many musical instruments. The purpose of valve casings is to protect the musical instrument from any kind of damage. Valve casings play an important role in noise reduction. Musicians who use customized instruments demand that valve casings should be precised by CNC.

• Top caps

Tops caps’ function is similar to the valve casings. But its position is at the top neck of the musical instrument. Nickel, Brass, and stainless steel are used to make top caps to ensure the durability of the product. 

• Bottom valve cap

The bottom valve cap can be of metal or plastic. It protects the bottom valve from dust particles and also provides protection to the fingers of the musician when he is playing with the bottom valve of Brass and trumpet. The bottom valve cap keeps the valve positioned. 

• Mouthpieces 

A trumpet or trombone has a mouthpiece at one end. It is cup-shaped. The mouthpiece goes into the musician’s mouth to pass air into the instrument. 

Musical instruments with CNC incorporation

The incorporation of Computer Numerical Control machining in musical instruments has become very common these days. For musical instruments, precision of notes and harmony is the key feature. And no one can beat CNC services in providing precision and accuracy. Below are a few instruments in which Plasma cutting is installed. This automation has made the instruments flexible and reproducible. You can make the whole instrument with Lathe or you can make a part of the instrument from it. 

• Guitars
• Turntables
• Guitar cases
• Speakers
• Banjos
• Pianos
• Violins
• Dulcimers
• Mandolins
• Woodwind instruments

Use of 5-axis CNC machining in the musical industry

CNC machining’s 5-axis ability can be used to build parts of instruments like

1. Flute bodies
2. Guitar necks and bodies
3. Drum shells

• Flute bodies

Placing the flute’s holes and embouchure at the exact position is the real task. With 5-axis machining, you can achieve it easily. These flute’s holes are the ones that produce a consistent and precise sound. Wood and metal can be used for flute bodies.

• Guitar necks and bodies

Making guitar bodies with wood is no work for a 5-axis system of CNC prototyping. From a solid block, a hollow or semi-hollow-bodied guitar can be formed easily. 

• Drum shells

5-axis services can be used to make innovative drum shells. Innovation can be brought with unique shapes, intricate patterns, and striking ends, which are visually appealing. Wood, metal, or acrylic can be used for this purpose.

Benefits of CNC machining over conventional manufacturing

CNC is an advanced method of building things from computer-controlled machines and programs rather than man. It is an automated way to get the accurate and complex shapes of different objects from solid materials like guitars, headphones, etc. This labor-free method has many benefits over conventional manufacturing techniques. A few of them will be discussed here:

• Consistency
• Accuracy
• Flexibility
• complexity

• Consistency

CNC services are so vast that you can build identical parts of instruments in mass numbers. The quality of each part will remain the same. The accuracy of meeting all specifications of the instrument will be met. Along with that, there are zero chances of human error. 

• Accuracy

CNC machining has the ability to make instruments with top-notch accuracy. The precision is kept high so that the instrument has the same sound quality over the years.

• Flexibility 

There’s no condition to use the same manufacturing process every time to build an instrument part with CNC machining. You can use CNC milling, CNC turning, or any other process that suits you best. All will form a product of high quality and high precision. Processes are quite flexible and you can even customize them. The whole purpose is to save time and money.

• Complexity 

The complex designs and shapes which are difficult to make by man. Or you can say it takes time to build in traditional manufacturing can be built easily with CNC prototyping.

CNC services in the music industry

There are many ways in which CNC machining can be used in the musical industry. Lathe is providing unlimited services to one of the biggest industries of the time. 

• Reproducing the coveted instruments

By using the scanning power of CNC machines you can copy the shape and design of any traditional instrument. This way you get a musical instrument with advanced technology of classic antique design. Be it pianos, violins, or guitars, CNC milling can reproduce any design. You can get an instrument of expensive looks in less price. The recreation of “the 1704 Stradivarius violin” by a group of researchers is one of the famous examples of reproducing coveted instruments

• Customization

Musicians can order an instrument of their personal preferences. With CNC machining, the weight, size, height, shape, and even sound of the musical instrument can be customized. So many singers have their own specific sound style. And it never changes. This is achieved due to the customization feature of CNC prototyping.

• Building unique and new instruments

CNC milling has made people artists. You can have a musical instrument of any shape and design with CNC services. Experimenting with shapes, materials, and sounds helps in building unique instruments. Even the fret layers and logos can be built with this. Multiple companies use unique fibers to make their product look different from others. 

Top ten world’s best musical instrument companies

If you are a musician, you know what a musical instrument means to you and your performance. Having good vocals is definitely a quality of a musician. But the combination of voice with the musical instrument’s melodies is what makes a singer’s songs best. There are so many musical instruments whose sound is soothing. People listen to them to calm themselves. People listen to the tunes for peaceful sleep. So, having a well-praised musical instrument is more important than you think. There’s a recommendation list for you people. It is of companies which provide the best musical instruments.

• Harman Professional

Harman is an American subsidiary of Samsung. It operates in Asia, Europe, and America. Harman’s products which are famous are connected cars, automation, and connected services of enterprises.

• Yamaha

Yamaha is a Japanese company that is known for building the best musical instruments like Pianos, Viola, Brass, Drums, etc. The other famous products of Yamaha are home appliances, computer-related products, and sports products.

• Gibson

It is an American company. Gibson is famous for making guitars. The main focus of Gibson is on the manufacturing of semi-hollow body and hollow body guitars.

• Shure

Shure is a corporation in America and is well known for making audio-related products like headphones, microphones, and phonograph cartridges. 

• Fender Musical Instruments

Fender’s musical instruments corporation is America-based. People love Fender for building the world’s best-stringed guitars. The other instruments which this company makes are Banjos, electric guitars, bass amplifiers, etc. You can check their website for further details.

• Kawai

We all know Kawai is a Japanese company. In our lives, we all have used one or other products from this brand. Kawai is well known for building pianos, electronic synthesizers, upright pianos, and keyboards.

• Steinway musical instruments

Many brands work under this American-based company. Steinway musical instruments include a variety of pianos, ludwigs snare drums,  trumpets, woodwinds, and French horns. 

• Roland

This Japanese company builds electronic equipment, musical instruments and whatnot. You can find guitars, amplifiers, guitar products, keyboards, and digital recording products under this brand.

• C.F. Martin and Company

The famous C.F. Martin & Company is in the United States. If you ever plan to buy a guitar, go buy from them. You’ll never regret it. From acoustic guitars to flat-top guitars, every musical instrument is of top-notch quality.

•  Sennheiser

This is a German-based company and is well known for making headphones and other audio-related products.

Other industries that use CNC machining

The applications of CNC machining are not limited to one field. There are many more industries other than the Musical industry. All of them gain maximum from the CNC machining. A few of them are the following

• Aerospace industry
• Consumer electronics
• Automobile industry
• Oil and gas industry
• Defense industry
• Health field

Conclusion

In whatever field you are in, you can use CNC machining according to your need and choice. In the music industry, the CNC machining has made its name. Players love to play an instrument that is highly precise.

In Zintilon, we work to meet your requirements. CNC machining is an integral part of our system. If you want your dream musical instrument, you can contact Zintilon any time.