If you are worried about designing parts with high precision and complex processes and don’t know how to manufacture this great design, don’t know how to make your product ideas a reality. Please Stop! Stop! Stop! Look here. We will introduce you to a special manufacturing process – CNC 5-axis machining, and you will find the most perfect and detailed answer on this page.
5-axis machining, an unparalleled machining method, is definitely a great artistic masterpiece in history. 5-axis – in short, 5 spindles can rotate at the same time and can directly process 5 surfaces of a product, which means almost 360 degrees, all-round rotation processing. Through this technology, complex curved surfaces and workpieces that require multiple clamping to complete traditional three-axis machining can be formed at one time, greatly improving efficiency and accuracy.
Compared with three-axis and four-axis, the core advantage of 5-axis machining is more reflected in the advancement of key components inside the equipment. This advantage also shows that 5-axis machining is critical in the entire manufacturing industry. AIXI is a special CNC machining company, and our engineers like to pursue complex and high-precision products. We are not interested in simple workpieces that only require CNC milling of two planes or drilling of a few holes, which are tasks that require almost no technical skills and can even be completed by interns who have just graduated. We are more willing to challenge more complex 5-axis machining parts.
The principle of 5-axis machining is not complicated. It uses a cutting tool connected to 5 axes to run simultaneously to process products. It is more flexible and efficient than traditional three- or four-axis machine tools.
Common three-axis CNC milling machines usually move up and down, left and right, and forward and backward through the three axes of X, Y, and Z to process planes or drill holes. The 5-axis machine tool adds two additional rotation axes on this basis, which significantly improves the flexibility of the entire machine tool. This allows the entire machining plane to swing left and right and rotate 360 degrees. The tool can maximize contact with the part, making it possible to process curved surfaces and even ultra-complex designs.
Because there is no angle limit for 5-axis machining, engineers usually only need to make a fixed fixture once instead of frequently disassembling and assembling it like a three-axis machine tool. This not only improves the product’s processing efficiency but also reduces the error rate caused by manually flipping parts.
5-axis simultaneous machining is usually called the “true 5-axis” in China’s CNC industry. It can process continuously without stopping when changing tools. It has a fast machining speed.
3+2, on the contrary, is called “fake 5-axis“. It is equipped with two axes that can swing and rotate left and right on the basis of three axes, but the axis of the tool is fixed. Compared with 5-axis processing, 3+2 can process harder parts and the tool life is longer.
All machine tools basically move along three axes: X, Y, and Z. 5-axis machine tools add two additional axes to this, thus forming 5-axis machining. Due to the different installation methods of these two rotating axes, 5-axis equipment can be divided into two types: rotary 5-axis and trunnion 5-axis.
As the name implies, a rotary 5-axis is a CNC milling machine equipped with a rotating spindle. The tool can process the part from any angle to the maximum extent. Since the operating table remains horizontal, rotary 5-axis equipment is often used to process heavy parts to obtain the same smooth surface.
The main difference between the trunnion 5-axis and the rotary 5-axis is that it achieves angle adjustment by rotating the operating table. Although its rotation method is different, the trunnion 5-axis can also achieve multi-angle machining. In addition, by flipping the material position, the trunnion 5-axis can better cut the material itself.
All our processing processes are certified by ISO 9001 standards. The tolerances of CNC 5-axis processing of plastic parts are usually based on ISO-2768-M standards. If it is a metal part, we will use the more stringent tolerance ISO2768-F. And we have complete testing equipment to protect your parts.
| Maximum 5-axis machining size | 600 mm * 600 mm * 600 mm |
|---|---|
| Minimum 5-axis machining size | 5 mm * 5 mm * 5 mm |
| Tolerance capability | ±0.005 mm |
| Machinable Materials | Almost all metals and plastics, except for rubber |
| MOQ | AIXI mainly focuses on making prototypes, so 1 pcs |
| Delivery time | According to design, but usually prototype in 2-3 days |
If you are designing a 5-axis part and would like to choose AIXI to complete it, you can refer to our dimensional limits and tolerances.
(There are many precision machining factories worldwide, but AIXI is still very popular in 5-axis machining. Why choose us?)
People
Our entire team works hard, and engineers delve into technology. Sales staff regularly train CNC professional knowledge and can respond quickly. Everyone works hard to learn in their own positions to maintain the integrity of the entire process. Most of them are old employees, and they can maintain the same high quality every time for repetitive products.
Machine
Good machine tools can produce more precise dimensions. Our equipment includes HAAS machine tools, Beijing Jingdiao 5-axis, and testing equipment. When a part size is processed, our machine tools can automatically detect whether it is correct. This not only saves time but also protects products that require high precision.
Experience
AIXI has rich experience in 5-axis machining and has manufactured thousands of 5-axis parts. Our engineers can quickly simulate the fastest processing time for products, greatly improving their processing efficiency. We can very skillfully handle everything from programming to making parts, as well as surface treatment, customs declaration, and shipment.
Our factory has 8 5-axis machining machines, over 20 4- and three-axis accessories, and about a dozen lathes. We can undertake large projects and deliver them quickly. We have very good 3D printing partners, EDM, wire cutting, and bending capabilities. We can make a variety of custom parts and provide one-stop delivery services.
CNC 5-axis machining is one of the most advanced machining technologies. Multiple surfaces can be machined through one clamping, maintaining the consistency and high precision of parts and saving machining time. It is widely used in aerospace, automotive, medical, shipbuilding, and mold.
Parts in the aviation field usually have complex geometric shapes. Traditional three-axis machining can hardly achieve very complex machining. If it can be done, it also requires multiple machining with many fixtures and a long machining time. Therefore, we usually need to use 5-axis machining to complete these parts. For example, common aircraft turbines, blades, landing gears and rocket nozzles.
Common human joints, these medical parts often require precise curved surfaces, high-precision tolerances, and smooth surfaces. The structure that imitates the human joints, as well as the screws of the spine, and optical lenses (endoscopes, intraoperative microscopes, etc.), all require 5-axis machining equipment to complete.
Most automobile parts are completed by CNC and sheet metal. 5-axis linkage machining completes more high-precision and complex parts. For example, the mold of the entire car body, the engine housing and cylinder block, the parts of the automatic transmission, the connecting rod, etc., require high-precision and high-strength parts.
The parts in the mold field are usually complex in shape, and modeling thousands of parts is even more difficult, so the material needs to be high-strength, precise in size, and smooth on the surface. 5-axis machining technology can flexibly process various complex curved shapes and is usually the only choice for injection molds, die-casting molds, stamping molds, etc.
Some parts used in power generation equipment are closely related to 5-axis precision machining. For example, wind turbines (all turbine blades are made of curved surfaces) and the shell frame of the equipment, these parts require high precision and stability.
Propellers and other parts of the hull need to be shaped using 5-axis machining in one pass to ensure durability in harsh environments.
5-axis machining also belongs to CNC and can process all metal and plastic materials that CNC can process. It can also produce more precise and complex surface parts. Common processing materials include metals such as aluminum alloys, stainless steel, brass, and titanium alloys, as well as plastics such as POM, ABS, PA, PTFE, and PEEK.
The cost of 5-axis machining products is usually related to the complexity of the design, and it also has a lot to do with materials and tolerances. Normal high-precision 5-axis milling parts cost about $100-200 per hour for most companies. This includes finishing the surface, simple polishing, and deburring. For AIXI, because we can optimize the machining path of the tool path and improve the machining efficiency, we can finally achieve the goal of reducing machining costs. We can do 60-80 US dollars per hour.
5-axis machining costs are the highest in CNC, so when you design a complex product with more curved surfaces, precise tolerances, or require a consistent surface, that is, one-shot molding, it is efficient and economical to choose 5-axis machining. It is more common in industries such as aerospace, medical, automotive, and molds.
If not otherwise specified, we will use the ISO 2768-M tolerance standard. However, AIXI CNC machining can always achieve extremely strict tolerances, and our 5-axis equipment can achieve a tolerance of 0.01mm. Different materials have different precision levels. AIXI also has the most complete testing tools to ensure that your parts are completely correct before leaving AIXI. For more tolerance requirements, please contact us directly at our email.
Contact AIXI, and we can provide a free DFM report. AIXI always makes the impossible possible.
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