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In modern manufacturing, CNC machining technology has become one of the indispensable processing methods due to its high precision and high efficiency. In the field of CNC machining, 5-axis CNC machining technology has become the preferred method for processing complex parts due to its unique advantages. So,what is 5-axis CNC machining?This article aims to deeply analyze theconnotation of 5-axis CNC machiningtechnology, reveal the working principle behind it, and explore its important position in modern manufacturing and its future development trends.

What is 5-Axis CNC Machining?

5-Axis CNC machining is a sophisticated manufacturing coursethat features a number of shifting chopping devices alongside 5 axes. This allows the creation of intricate and complicated parts with extreme precision and prime quality.

If you need to perform complex machining,5-axis CNC machining can provide high-precision and fast solutions. Compared to 4-axis CNC machining, it has an additional inclined axis, allowing the tool to move on multiple angles and planes. The following are the steps involved in the 5-axis CNC machining process:

• CAD design:Construct and design 3D models according to product requirements. Designers first need to perform sketch design, and then import the sketch into CAD software for model refinement and construction. The accuracy and quality of CAD design determine the complexity and efficiency of subsequent production processes.
• CAM programming:Transforming the designed part model into a machining program that the machine can understand. CAM software generates tool paths, cutting parameters, and machining codes for controlling 5-axis CNC machine tools.
• Machine tool settings:Adjust and set the machine tool, including clamping workpieces, installing machining tools, setting workpiece coordinates, selecting machining parameters, etc.
• Real time monitoring and adjustment:During the machining process, use the real-time monitoring system or sensors of the machine tool to detect information such as the position, temperature, and cutting force of the cutting tool and workpiece. Based on this information, necessary adjustments and corrections can be made to ensure the accuracy and quality of the machining process.
• Cutting cooling and lubrication:According to the machining materials and cutting conditions, use coolant or lubricants to cool and lubricate the cutting area to prevent tool overheating and surface quality issues of the workpiece.
• machining inspection:machining inspection requires physical and chemical testing, including material hardness, size, flatness, roundness, and appearance. machining inspection requires testing and maintenance of the accuracy and precision of the inspection tools to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the inspection.

What are the Types of 5-Axis CNC Machines?

When selecting a 5 Axis CNC machine, it is necessary to comprehensively consider multiple factors such as specific processing requirements, material properties, and processing accuracy to select the most suitable machine tool type. At the same time, it is also necessary to pay attention to the brand, quality, after-sales service and other aspects of the machine tool to ensure the stability and reliability of the machine tool. There are many types, here are some commontypes of 5-Axis CNC machines:

1. Table/Table Machines

Head/Head machine usually refer to double swing head machines. In this kind of machine tool, two rotational coordinates directly control the direction of the tool axis, that is, the tool head has two rotational degrees of freedom. The characteristics of this kind of machine tool are that the swing coordinate driving power is small, the workpiece is easy to load and unload, and the coordinate conversion relationship is simple. Since the tool head can flexibly rotate, it is very suitable for processing complex curved surfaces and workpieces with changing angles.

2. Table/Head Machines

Table/head machine usually refers to a swing-head and one-turntable machine tool or a double-turntable machine tool. In this type of machine tool, one rotational coordinate acts on the tool (swing head) and another rotational coordinate acts on the worktable (turntable). The performance of this machine tool is between that of a double-swing head machine tool and a double-turntable machine tool, combining the advantages of both. The swing head can realize flexible rotation of the tool, while the turntable can realize multi-angle processing of the workpiece. This machine is ideal for machining complex workpieces that require consideration of both tool and table angles.

3. Table/Table Machines

The classification of table/table Machines may not be very standard, but based on the description, it can be inferred that it refers to a fixed table five-axis machine tool or a mobile table five-axis machine tool. In both machines, the table has several degrees of rotational freedom, but is fixed in different ways.

What are the applications of 5-axis CNC machining?

5-axis CNC machining plays an important role in modern manufacturing, with wide applications and significant effects. The following is a detailed analysis of the application of 5-axis CNC machining in different fields:

Theadvantage of 5-axis CNC machiningis that it can greatly improve the machining efficiency and machining quality, but also reduce the production cost, so 5-axis CNC machining has a wide range of applications in industry, covering many fields. The following are some of the main industrialapplications of 5-axis CNC machining:

Aerospace field

In the field of aerospace,5-axis CNC machining is widely used in the production of aircraft,missiles and satellites. 5-axis CNC machining can be realized on a variety of materials, including high strength titanium alloy, nickel base alloy and stainless steel. 5-axis CNC machining can produce lighter and more robust space structures, thereby improving the performance and efficiency of airborne equipment.

Shipbuilding industry

5-axis CNC machining in the shipbuilding industry can be used to manufacture ship structural parts, propellers, ship mold and so on. The 5-axis CNC machining can realize the high precision machining of Marine parts and the manufacture of complex surface.

Automobile manufacturing

5-axis CNC machining is used in the automobilemanufacturing industry to manufacture engine parts, chassis parts, body structure, etc. It can realize the machining of complex surface, improve the precision and quality of parts, and reduce the number of spare parts in the assembly process.

Medical field

5-axis CNC machining in the medical industrycan manufacture a variety of high-precision medical instruments, such as artificial joints, implants, dental orthotics, etc. 5-axis CNC machining can improve medical results by precise cutting and machining to produce medical devices that are more suitable for patients’ needs.

Art and sculpture

5-axis CNC machining in the art production and engraving industry can achieve complex three-dimensional engraving and surface details machining , to meet the creative needs of artists and designers.

What are the commonly used materials for 5-axis machining?

In the process of 5-axis machining, the machining difficulty and effect of different materials are different. 5-axis machining can be applied to a wide range of materials, including but not limited to the following commonly used materials:

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel has good corrosion resistance and high hardness, so it is often used in the manufacture of high demand parts. However, because of its high hardness, machining difficulty is relatively high. In the process of 5 axis machining, it is necessary to adopt appropriate technology to ensure the machining effect.

Copper and Brass

Copper and brass are widely used in electronic parts, automobiles and ships because of their electrical and thermal conductivity. 5 axis machining can produce more complex and precise structure, ensure product quality and improve production efficiency

Hose

The hose has the characteristics of flexibility, good elasticity, strong wear resistance, etc. The hose is usually used for conveying liquid, gas and semi-solid materials, such as oil drilling, chemical production, medical equipment, food production and other fields are widely used

Teflon

Ptfe has the advantages of corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, not easy to adhere, etc., usually used to make valves, pump body and other equipment components, chemical pipelines, etc

Aramid Fiber

With high strength and wear resistance, it is often used in bulletproof materials, composite materials and protective equipment manufacturing.

Polyimide

High temperature resistance and electrical insulation properties, widely used in aerospace and electronic industries.

Superalloy

Superalloy has good mechanical properties and can maintain good strength and stability in high temperature environment. Therefore, it is widely used in aviation, petroleum, chemical industry, electric power and other fields. Superalloys can be used to make high-temperature components and parts that are resistant to wear and corrosion.

What parts can be produced by 5 axis CNC machining?

5-axis CNC machining can complete surface finishing, three-dimensional engraving, grooves and other machining tasks on a machine to produce more complex parts and products. There are many kinds of parts that can be manufactured by 5-axis CNC machining. Here are some common 5-axis CNC machining parts that can be made:

Turbine blade

As an important part of aviation and engine, turbine blade is so difficult to process because of its complex structure and precise size. The traditional machining method is not only time-consuming, but also difficult to meet the high precision requirements.5-axis CNC machining can manufacture turbine blades with high speed and accuracy, which can greatly improve production efficiency.

Helical gear

5-axis CNC machining technology can be used to manufacture spiral gears at any Angle. It can make many things, such as car transmissions, starting flywheels in car engines and so on

Complex parts

5-axis CNC machining technology can produce very complex three-dimensional shape parts, such as pumps, automotive machinery, pneumatic parts, motor rotors, and so on. These parts require high precision manufacturing, and with the help of 5-axis CNC machining, precise sizes and shapes can be made

Composite parts

Because 5-axis CNC machining can easily process parts of any shape, a variety of composite parts can be manufactured, such as composite aircraft parts, automobile bodies, etc. These parts usually need to have high strength, high stiffness, light weight and other characteristics,5-axis CNC machining can meet these needs.

Helical part

Many 5-axis CNC machining tools have the technology to make helical parts, so the manufacturing accuracy is often higher than traditional two – or three-axis machining. 5-axis machine tools can turn the tool at many different angles in order to make spiral parts more complete. Therefore, the quality and reliability of these parts can be guaranteed.

Aircraft engine component

5-axis CNC machining technology can manufacture a variety of complex shape parts, such as cylinder head, crankshaft, etc. And the precision and quality of these parts are higher than traditional manufacturing accuracy.

The main difference between 4-axis machining and 5-axis CNC machining

First of all, we need to understand what 4-axis machining and 5-axis CNC machining are. Four-axis machining means that the machine tool can rotate around four axes in addition to the linear motion. 5-axis CNC machining means that the machining machine can be rotated on 5 axes, which allows for more complex machining and cutting. Now that 4-axis machining and 5-axis CNC machining are clear, let’s take a look at the main differences between them

The maindifference between 4-axis machining and 5-axis CNC machininglies in the number of machine tool motion axes and machining capacity:

Number of axes:

Main axis of 4-axis cnc machining:

X axis: represents the horizontal movement of the machine tool, controlling the position of the workpiece in the horizontal direction.
Y axis: represents the vertical movement of the machine tool, controlling the position of the workpiece in the vertical direction.
Z axis: represents the longitudinal movement of the machine tool, controlling the position of the workpiece in the longitudinal direction.
Axis of rotation: Usually the axis of rotation of a table or spindle that controls the rotation of a workpiece or tool in a plane.

Main axis of 5-axis cnc machining:

X axis: represents the horizontal movement of the machine tool, controlling the position of the workpiece in the horizontal direction.
Y axis: represents the vertical movement of the machine tool, controlling the position of the workpiece in the vertical direction.
Z axis: represents the longitudinal movement of the machine tool, controlling the position of the workpiece in the longitudinal direction.
Axis A: Tilt axis, so that the tool can be tilted in the horizontal plane.
C axis: Axis of rotation that allows the tool to rotate in a vertical plane.

Machining capacity

Under the same machining conditions, the machining accuracy of 5-axis CNC machining is higher than that of 4-axis CNC machining, because 5-axis CNC machining can eliminate machining errors by adjusting the Angle of parts in the machining process, so as to achieve more accurate machining operation. Here’s why:

4-axis CNC machining

A 4-axis machining machine tool is a basic CNC machine tool with four working axes, which are X (the horizontal axis moves forward and back), Y (the horizontal axis moves left and right), Z (the vertical axis moves up and down) and A (the axis of rotation).

The machining ability of 4-axis machine tool has certain limitations. It can only be processed in the horizontal plane, so for some complex shape of the workpiece, to complete the machining is required for multiple tool conversion, more complicated, low efficiency.

However, the advantage of 4 axis machining machine tool is that its economy is better, simple operation, convenient adjustment. At the same time, because its machining plane is fixed, so it will be more stable in machining .

5-axis CNC machining

Unlike 4-axis machine tools, 5-axis CNC machines have five axes, namely X, Y, Z and B, C. Compared with 4-axis machining machine, it has a wider range of machining capabilities.

5-axis CNC machining machine can rotate the machining plane without limit, and can be inclined machining, which makes the machining accuracy and efficiency have been improved. In the face of complex workpiece, 5-axis CNC machining machine can achieve a tool conversion, complete the whole machining process, thus greatly improving the machining efficiency and accuracy.

Obviously, in terms of machining capacity, 5-axis CNC machine tools are more advanced and efficient than 4-axis CNC machines. However, its price has also increased correspondingly, and the operation is complex, requiring professional skills to operate and adjust.

In addition to the 4-axis machining capability, 5-axis CNC machine tools can also tilt and rotate on two rotating axes, so as to achieve more complex surface machining, multi-angle machining and spiral machining.

Delivery time

4-axis machining allows parts to be processed on multiple planes at the same time. At the same time, 4-axis machining is very effective in producing a single product because most of the work can be done in one machining. However, 4-axis machining is less efficient when complex parts need to be produced.

In contrast, 5-axis CNC machining can be processed in all Spaces. Compared with 4-axis machining, it has greater flexibility and higher production efficiency. Although the initial cost of 5-axis CNC machining is relatively high, it offers higher production efficiency and accuracy in the production of complex parts.

Start your project with Longsheng CNC machining services

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FAQs

1.What is a 5-axis CNC machine?

A 5-axis CNC machine refers to a machine tool with at least 5 coordinate axes, 3 linear coordinate axes (X, Y, Z axis) and 2 rotational coordinate axes (usually B and C axes, respectively around the Y axis). and Z-axis rotation). This kind of machine tool can complete multi-faceted and multi-directional processing in one clamping, improving the processing accuracy and efficiency of parts.

2.What is the difference between 3-axis and 5-axis CNC machining?

Compared with the traditional 3-axis machining based machining technology, it can operate in the three directions of X, Y and Z axes. 3-axis machining is suitable for many simple machining processes, such as drilling, chamfering and grooving. However, for the complex shape of the workpiece, 3-axis machining can not meet the demand. 5-axis machining allows cutting in more angles and directions and can handle more complex geometries and surfaces. It can reduce the number of parts re clamping, improve the machining efficiency and accuracy.

3.What is 5-axis CNC coordinate system?

The5-axis CNC coordinate systemrefers to a CNC machine tool coordinate system composed of five coordinate axes, including three linear coordinate axes (X, Y, Z axes) and two rotational coordinate axes (usually B and C axes, respectively around Y and Z axis rotation). This coordinate system enables machine tools to complete more complex and precise processing tasks.

4.What is 5-axis rotation?

5-axis rotation refers to a processing methodin which the processing equipment simultaneously rotates around the B and C directions of the workpiece on the basis of moving on three linear axes (X, Y, Z axes). This processing method can flexibly and diversify the processing of workpieces, especially the processing of complex-shaped workpieces. By rationally selecting different types of rotation axes, different types of processing needs can be met and processing efficiency and accuracy can be improved.

Summary

5-axis CNC machining technology plays an increasingly important role in modern manufacturing with its advantages of high precision, high efficiency and high flexibility. With the continuous advancement of technology and the continuous expansion of application fields, five-axis CNC machining technology will play a more important role in the development of the manufacturing industry in the future.

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LS Team

This article was written by multiple Longsheng contributors. Longsheng is a leading resource in the manufacturing sector, withCNC machining,sheet metal fabrication,3D printing,injection molding,metal stamping, and more.