What Is The Difference Between 3, 4, And 5-axis CNC?
Dec 26, 2024
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What is the difference between 3, 4, and 5-axis CNC?
In the field of precision machining in modern manufacturing, desktop five-axis CNC technology is gradually emerging. With its unique five-axis linkage capability, it breaks through the limitations of traditional three-axis machining and opens up new paths for high-precision manufacturing of complex and tiny parts. As a highly influential company in the industry, Xinshan Tech occupies an important position in the desktop five-axis CNC market with its deep technical accumulation and continuous innovation. Its products are widely used in many key fields, pushing precision manufacturing to new heights.
contents
1. Basics of CNC machining
Analysis of the principles of CNC machining
Advantages of CNC machining over traditional manual machining
2.Three-axis CNC machining
Operation mode of three-axis CNC machining
Applicable scenarios of three-axis CNC machining
3. Four-axis CNC machining
New features of four-axis CNC machining
Main application areas of four-axis CNC machining
4. Five-axis CNC machining
The unique advantages of five-axis CNC machining
5. About Xinshan Tech
1. Basics of CNC machining
Analysis of the principles of CNC machining
CNC machining is the process of shaping and resizing workpieces such as plastic or metal by subtractive manufacturing with computer numerical control (CNC) machines under computer control, through automatic material removal. Computer applications precisely control the movement of machine tools. Common machining processes include milling, turning, grinding, and EDM. For example, in milling, a rotating tool moves along 3, 4, or 5 axes to cut or trim the workpiece, quickly machining complex geometries and precision parts; turning uses a lathe to rotate the workpiece on an axis and contact it with precision turning tools to form features such as circular edges, radial and axial holes, slots, and grooves.
Advantages of CNC machining over traditional manual machining
CNC machining speeds far exceed traditional manual machining. As long as the computer code is accurate and meets the design, the finished product will have extremely high dimensional accuracy and minimal error. Moreover, CNC manufacturing is an ideal rapid prototyping manufacturing method. Although it is usually most cost-effective in short-term production runs with low batches, it can efficiently meet diverse production needs.
2. Three-axis CNC machining
Operation mode of three-axis CNC machining
In three-axis CNC milling, the workpiece remains fixed and the rotating tool cuts along the x, y, and z axes. This is a relatively simple form of CNC machining. For example, in the early research and development stage, Xinshan Tech also explored the motion control logic of machine tools based on three-axis CNC machining. It can manufacture simple structural products, but has limited processing capabilities for products with complex geometries or complex components, and because it can only cut on three axes, the processing speed may be slower than four-axis or five-axis CNC, and sometimes it is necessary to manually reposition the workpiece to obtain the desired shape.
Applicable scenarios of three-axis CNC machining
It is suitable for machining tasks that are not particularly demanding in terms of precision and have relatively simple product structures, such as rough machining of some ordinary mechanical parts, such as simple nuts and bolt blanks, or flat plate machining with requirements for surface flatness. In its early stages, Xinshan Tech provided basic parts processing services for local small factories with three-axis CNC machining, gradually accumulating reputation and technical experience.
3. Four-axis CNC machining
New features of four-axis CNC machining
Four-axis CNC milling adds a fourth axis to the movement of the cutting tool, that is, the a-axis that rotates around the x-axis, and most four-axis CNC machine tools allow the workpiece to rotate (b-axis), which makes the machine tool both a milling machine and a lathe. Taking Xinshan Tech's four-axis CNC products as an example, its unique axis control system can accurately coordinate the movement of each axis. When it is necessary to drill holes on the side of the part or on the surface of a cylinder, the advantages are fully demonstrated, greatly speeding up the processing process and ensuring high processing accuracy.
Main application areas of four-axis CNC machining
It is often used in scenes where feature processing is required on the side of cylindrical parts in mechanical manufacturing, such as engine crankshaft processing, drilling high-precision oil holes on the side of the shaft; and in the field of mold manufacturing, side texture or hole processing is performed for some molds with rotational features. With its four-axis CNC machining technology, Xinshan Tech has established long-term cooperation with many large mold factories, customized complex molds for them, and enhanced its own industry influence.
4. Five-axis CNC machining
The unique advantages of five-axis CNC machining
Compared with four-axis CNC, five-axis CNC milling has an additional b-axis that rotates around the y-axis (some machine workpieces can also rotate, with b-axis or c-axis), which has higher versatility. Xinshan Tech has invested a lot of R&D resources to create five-axis CNC products, which can allow the tool to move in multiple angles and all directions in three-dimensional space, avoid tool interference, and have ease in processing complex curved surfaces and special-shaped structures. Like titanium alloy parts in the aerospace field, artificial prostheses or medical parts of bones, these products with extremely high requirements for precision and surface complexity can be accurately manufactured by five-axis CNC machining.
List of the outstanding advantages of Xinshan Tech's five-axis CNC products
Xinshan Tech is a leading manufacturer specializing in high-precision five-axis CNC products.
Excellent precision: Xinshan Tech's pocket nc 5 axis are equipped with ultra-precision air-floating guide rails, with a linear positioning accuracy of up to ±0.0005mm and a rotary axis repeat positioning accuracy of ±0.0008°, ensuring that every detail of the processing is accurate and correct. For example, when processing high-end optical lenses, strict precision guarantees ensure that the lens' curvature, thickness and other parameters fully meet the optical design requirements.
Intelligent processing: Built-in Xinshan Tech's unique "Intelligent Drive" processing control system, integrated micro-nano processing technology database. After the operator enters the material properties and processing parameters, the control system automatically generates the optimal tool path, and with the high-speed, high-precision electric spindle (maximum speed 80,000rpm), brittle materials such as silicon carbide, sapphire, or high-strength alloys, can achieve efficient precision milling, grinding and other processing operations.
Efficient production: Equipped with an automatic tool changing system, the tool magazine capacity can reach more than 20 tools, and the tool changing time is shortened to less than 3 seconds. Combined with optimized processing technology, when producing batches of electronic product shells and precision medical equipment parts, the production efficiency is significantly improved, the unit cost is reduced, and higher economic benefits are brought to the enterprise.
Xinshan Tech's strong R&D strength in the field of five-axis CNC
Xinshan Tech's annual investment in R&D funds accounts for a stable proportion of operating income at 12% - 15%. An interdisciplinary R&D team has been established, with members covering professional fields such as mechanical design, electronic engineering, and computer science, of which more than 60% have master's and doctoral degrees. It has established industry-university-research cooperation with many well-known domestic and foreign universities and research institutes, focusing on cutting-edge topics such as micro-nano motion control technology, five-axis linkage algorithm optimization, and new tool material research and development, and continues to overcome technical difficulties. It has applied for more than 150 patents and more than 60 software copyrights. With deep technical accumulation, it has always stood at the forefront of five-axis CNC technology and led the development of the industry.
Future development of CNC machining
Future development trend of CNC machining industry
With the advancement of intelligent manufacturing, CNC machining will develop in the direction of higher precision, more intelligence, and popularization of multi-axis linkage. On the one hand, artificial intelligence and big data will be deeply integrated into the CNC system to achieve self-optimization of the machining process and intelligent fault prediction; on the other hand, multi-axis CNC, especially five-axis CNC, will play a greater role in emerging fields such as personalized customization and micro-precision manufacturing, meeting the needs of industries such as biomedicine and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) for high-precision and complex parts.
Xinshan Tech's strategic measures to respond to industry development trends
Xinshan Tech will continue to increase R&D investment, deeply integrate artificial intelligence, big data and existing five-axis CNC technology in technological innovation to improve the level of product intelligence; expand the boundaries of product application, and develop exclusive equipment and processes for emerging industry needs; at the same time, relying on its own product advantages and brand influence, it will increase its efforts to expand the international market, enhance global competitiveness with high-quality and high-performance products, and continue to lead the development of the CNC machining industry.