Selection of the optimal manufacturing process of CAD/CAM/CNC and conventional machining through engineering workshop experimentation

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to help students understand and apply the knowledge and skills of three manufacturing processes, and to select the optimal manufacturing design procedures for screw thread. The design requirement was established by the researcher, and students requested to perform the manufacturing procedures through conventional machining, computer numerical control (CNC), and 3D printing machine. The study presents the students’ prioritisation of 12 manufacturing criteria for five alternatives of the three-manufacturing methods through Expert Choice software. The results showed that the overall inconsistency of the manufacturing processes comparison was (0.09) which indicates strong validity and stability of the selections because it is less than (0.1). The study found that the priority level of the five alternatives was 0.282 for the SolidWorks, 0.240 for the 3D Scanner, 0.197 for the CNC turning, 0.177 for the conventional machining with, and 0.111 for manual thread.