5-Axis Machining & Milling Services
Astro Machine Works has over four decades of expertise in manufacturing machinery and precision parts, which includes providing our 5-axis CNC service for a wide range of regional and national customers. Our team is committed to finding solutions for many different manufacturing requirements.
With our 5-axis CNC machining services, we can produce parts in a multitude of shapes and sizes. Our Pennsylvania facility houses multiple vertical 5-axis machines for the precise milling and component machining to meet your project’s specific requirements.
WHAT IS 5-AXIS MACHINING & MILLING?
Milling is a process that involves the precise cutting and drilling of materials, facilitated by a rotating cylindrical tool. This tool, held securely in a spindle, comes in a diverse array of sizes and forms, ensuring versatility in machining operations.
5-axis machining is a revolutionary technique that introduces two supplemental rotary axes. One, twirling around the X axis, the second, revolving around the Y axis, and the third, rotating around the Z axis. These additional axes offer an enhanced combination of motion, which varies depending on the machine, giving rise to various configurations.
With 5-axis machining, the table or cutting tool can be tilted, creating the ability to avoid collision with the tool holder and allowing for better access to part geometry. This also ensures improved tool life and cycle time as it helps maintain cutting position and constant chip load. This type of machining offers a push toward single-setup machining, creating shorter lead times and increasing efficiency.
5-AXIS VS. 3-AXIS MACHINING
While 3-axis machining offers advantages, it also presents manufacturing limitations. These limitations are eliminated by 5-axis machining, which brings in the element of rotation for the A and B axes. This enables rapid production of intricate shapes with impeccable surface finishes. Some additional benefits to 5-axis machining services include:
- Shorter lead times. The enhanced capabilities of 5-axis machining results in decreased production times, which translate into shorter lead times for your production projects.
- Greater accuracy and tool life. 5-axis machining and milling offers a level of precision that 3-axis processes cannot replicate, which is crucial if your finished products must adhere to strict quality and performance specifications. 5-axis machining also eliminates the need to move the workpiece among multiple workstations, thereby reducing the risk of error.
- Use of shorter cutting tools. Producing high-quality 5-axis machined parts with the use of shorter cutters reduces vibration that frequently occurs when machining deep cavities with a 3-axis process. The use of a shorter cutting tool also allows for a higher cutting speed without putting excess pressure on the tool.
5-AXIS MACHINING SERVICES: INDUSTRIES & APPLICATIONS
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Our 5-axis milling shop in Pennsylvania supports many industries. 5-axis machining is ideal for applications across a variety of industries, including:
- Aerospace: The aerospace industry uses 5-axis CNC machines to create geometrically challenging and intricate components that often require smooth edges, contours, interior cuts, or other finishes. 5-axis machining eliminates the need for repositioning, ensuring higher accuracy.
- Automotive: With a need for a low-cost, high-volume production outlet, the automotive industry relies on 5-axis CNC machine manufacturers to produce consistent, high-quality components with precise tolerances. The industry also benefits from the versatility of CNC machining processes to create detailed pieces from a broad range of materials used in vehicle production.
- Energy: Components in the energy industry are exposed to extreme environments and often play a critical role in the safety and security of site conditions. 5-axis machining helps to ensure that these parts are manufactured precisely and finished to the exact specifications necessary to maintain safety and functionality.
- Industrial Sector: The industrial sector accounts for a multitude of industries not explicitly mentioned here, many of which rely on the versatility, efficiency, and precision of 5-axis milling machines to create complex, detailed components.
- Medical: 5-axis cutting machines aid in creating medical implants, devices, and other equipment that have to meet rigorous healthcare standards, allowing manufacturers to finish even the smallest of parts with extreme precision.