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When referring to specific 5 axis CNC machining, the first impression most people think of is: high-tech, expensive and difficult to operate, but is 5-axis machining really like this? In this 5 axis CNC router machine buying guide.

What Is 5 Axis?

“5-axis” usually refers to the ability of a CNC machine tool to move parts or tools on five different CNC axes at the same time. The 3-axis machining center moves the part in two directions (X and Y), and the tool moves in the up and down direction (Z). The 5-axis CNC machining center can rotate on two additional rotating axes (A and B), which helps the cutting tool to approach the part from all directions.

What Is 5 Axis Machining?

5-axis machining is a way of CNC machining. The machining center we usually use is a three-axis machining center. The 3-axis refers to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis of the machining center. The 5-axis machining center adds two rotation axes to the three common linear axes of X, Y, and Z.

What Can A Five-axis CNC Router Machine Do?

5-axis machine tools are the force multiplier of any machine shop. In the hands of skilled operators, it can create complete parts without changing any settings-basically a complete operation-greatly reducing downtime.

Application Industry:

Aerospace industry

5-axis CNC machine tools are one of the main CNC machine tools most suitable for the aerospace industry. Since a typical aerospace component complexity, the three-axis or four-axis CNC machine would require multiple steps and re-fixing repositioned so that the cutting head is difficult to process area. Aerospace components also have organic shapes with compound curves, making them ideal for 5-axis machine tools. An example of a compound curve can be found in a turbine blade, which is cast and usually processed by a 5-axis machining center to achieve the final desired shape and surface finish.

Automobile industry

The automotive industry is characterized by high output and high requirements for consistency. From the first to the thousandth, each component needs to fit a specific tolerance every time. Most components in the transportation industry are manufactured using low-cost, high-volume processes such as stamping, injection molding, and casting. However, these cheap and fast technologies require advanced and highly accurate tools, which are ideal applications for 5-axis machining.

 

Medical industry

Like the aerospace industry, the medical industry has extremely strict requirements on quality.If harmful quality problems, certain medical components may have a direct impact on human health or survival. Some medical components have organic shapes processed from dissimilar materials so that they can be implanted in patients. The 5-axis CNC can process these types of materials as well as the organic shape of this implant.

 

Energy industry

In the energy industry, it is the backbone of all other industries. It is huge and contains many different technologies. From coal-fired power stations to centralized solar power systems, to more exotic technologies such as fusion, there is no end to the demand for advanced components, which will push the limits of engineering, materials science, and manufacturing. Because of these strong requirements, a processing system that can reliably produce high-end parts is needed, and this is where the 5-axis machinery came into being. An example of the type of complex component that has emerged in the industry is the plasma containment chamber in a stellar mixing device. The shape of the machine is so complicated and complicated that there is no other way to manufacture them with a five-axis machine.

 

Industrial sector

The industrial sector includes many other industries not mentioned previously, such as consumer goods manufacturing, mining, construction, etc. Due to the large scale of the industrial sector, for 5-axis machine tools, many complex parts to be manufactured are invaluable. General-purpose CNC machine tools occupy most of the work in this industry, while five-axis machine tools play an auxiliary role in tool manufacturing, mold manufacturing, and special applications. With the advancement of technology and the development of machine learning and AI, existing systems will undergo more optimization and technology. Although advances in additive technology have made it possible to manufacture more complex shapes, the production process is still relatively slow. At least so far, nothing can match the pace and flexibility of a 5-axis machining solution.

 

Advantages Of 5-axis CNC Machine Tools

The benefits provided by five-axis machining are long. What provides the greatest benefit varies from store to store and from person to person. Here are some advantages: