To grow a business we must often break out of our comfort zone and take on more challenging work. For some CNC shops this means making parts that are more difficult to machine such as complex and closer tolerance parts for aerospace, automotive, medical or other industries. Here are a few tips to help you get started milling these more challenging – and more profitable – parts.
- Study the part carefully and develop a strategy for machining. The goal is to make the part with the fewest setups, operations and human touches. You’ll also want to establish procedures that will eliminate or reduce any variances from part-to-part.
- Although Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) are helpful, the CAM files are only a starting point for developing your strategy. Often you can improve on the CAM procedures by making adjustments to better match your specific equipment and by applying your experience with similar parts.
- Consider the size and features of the part to determine the best approach. For example, ask yourself “What do these features tell me in terms of possible tool deflection or distortion?”
- Another critical factor is the material used. You may need to consider special tooling if you’re working with exotic alloys or other hard to machine metals. You’ll also want to think about the different kinds of tools required for various features, and the tool holding capacity of the machine tool.
- Once you have a good handle on the part features and what is required to achieve them, you can group similar operations together to reduce the number of times a part must be repositioned.
- In many cases the ability to competitively produce complex parts requires CNC machining centers with multiple axes and functions. 5-axis machining centers are often the best choice, because they enable users to machine many complex parts in one setup, and eliminate the need to move parts from one machine to another. Here’s a video of a 5-axis machine in action.
- Because machining complex parts is so complicated, the CNC machine you use must have the fundamental capabilities to maintain accuracies while performing diverse functions. Things to look for in a machine include: A rigid spindle and tool holder to eliminate the vibrations and cutter run-out that cause out-of-tolerance parts; the ability to maintain constant spindle speed, and a machine control that maintains consistent acceleration and deceleration within the desired machine tolerance.
Visit your Torrance Haas Factory Outlet to learn more about which CNC machines best suit your complex milling needs. Call (310) 381-0750, email: jphillips@haasfactoryoutlet.com, or visit www.haasfactoryoutlet.com.