What Do You Need To Know About Precision Manufacturing?
What Do You Need To Know About Precision Manufacturing?
There’s no denying that technological advancements have changed our world for good. Every day we come across new gadgets, components, or parts that are designed to make our lives easy.
Speaking of technological development, have you seen the machinery we use? Or what parts do these machines have? No matter the industry type, it requires different machinery to operate. For example, the aerospace industry requires intricate parts and components to manufacture aircraft.
Most of these products are made with the help of precision manufacturing. This method is not just limited to the aerospace industry, but other industries use it too. It is primarily used by industries that are required to make parts with exact specifications. Unlike other manufacturing methods, precision manufacturing helps enhance accuracy.
If you are interested in digging deeper into the basics of precision manufacturing, this post is for you.
What Is Precision Manufacturing?
Precision manufacturing is nothing but the process of removing material from a block or sheet material to form different shapes. Manufacturers use this method to make various parts and components.
Back in the day, people used blades and hammers to make parts. But with precise manufacturing, the process has become quicker and easier. Since this is a computerized method and uses CNC (computer numerical control) machines, it doesn’t require human interference.
Speaking of which, you may have heard about Aerospace CNC Machining, which is used to make various aircraft parts and components. The advantage of using this method is that it allows you to make parts with exact specifications. It results in high accuracy, which is usually not possible with other manufacturing methods.
It’s not just the aerospace industry; precision manufacturing is popular in other industries too. For example, it is widely used in the medical field for making implants, orthotic devices, prostheses, etc.
Benefits Of Precision Manufacturing
With precision manufacturing gaining popularity at an alarming rate, it is worth learning the benefits. To help you understand, we have explained the benefits of precision manufacturing in the below pointers.
Reduced cost and tight tolerance
There’s a high demand for complex parts with high tolerance in industries. Precision CNC machining tools guarantee tolerances around +/- 0.0001” on turned parts and +/- 0.0005” on milled features. This should tell you why manufacturers prefer this method over others.
Getting these tolerances with traditional machining is not only hard but also very expensive. With precision manufacturing, you can cut down labor costs and produce complex parts without hassles. This makes it a better option than casting processes and injection molding.
Compatible with several materials
When it comes to machining operations, material selection matters as different materials pose different challenges. For instance, titanium has less machinability because of its high chemical reactivity, and low thermal conductivity. On the other hand, stainless steel is a better choice than titanium, but the quality is altered due to conventional machining techniques.
The good news is that you don’t have to deal with all these problems when using precision manufacturing. It is compatible with a variety of materials including tool steel, titanium, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, plastics, or copper alloy. These materials are easily handled by machining equipment. This is one reason Aerospace CNC Machining is a thing and used for making aircraft parts.
Fast production
Having a fast production method is undoubtedly a great thing for manufacturers. And that’s why they use precision manufacturing as it is one of the fastest methods out there. It is way different than traditional machining which requires human intervention.
In precision machining, you work with 3D CAD models, advanced machining equipment, and specialized software. With the help of these things, you can make custom parts for various applications.
Precision manufacturing makes it possible for manufacturers to produce parts in just days while other methods might take weeks or months. Also, it eliminates human error, so you know everything is fine and accurate. Companies specializing in custom manufacturing processes stick to precision manufacturing for this reason.
Easy prototyping and testing
Prototyping is an integral part of manufacturing processes as it helps product designers to check and test their products. They use prototypes to identify flaws and defects, so they can avoid them in the final product. Without prototypes, manufacturing industries are as good as crippled.
Let’s take the example of aerospace precision machining. They make prototypes before manufacturing the final parts. This way, they can make parts with complete accuracy.
However, testing prototypes requires a reliable and fast machining method. Some might consider conventional casting or injection molding to be good options, but it is not. For each new design, you will have to create a new mold, which is both expensive and time-consuming.
Precision manufacturing, on the other hand, offers rapid prototyping capabilities. All you have to do is alter the 3D CAD model, and the precision machining equipment will produce new designs. This process is quick and doesn’t cause delays.
Different Precision Machining Methods And Equipment
In precise aerospace manufacturing or other industries, manufacturers use different cutting tools to make the desired parts. Let’s take a look at a few of them in the lines below.
CNC Turning
This includes a rotating workspace, and a moving cutting tool, which helps remove the material from the workpiece. In this process, single-point cutting tools are a staple.
CNC Milling Machines
It is a subtractive type manufacturing method that makes use of rotary cutters. These cutting tools are designed to remove the material from the workpiece. The good thing is that you can adjust the speed, direction, pressure, and angle of these cutting tools. Also, CNC mills have multiple variants available including horizontal boring, floor, gantry, bed, C-frame, box, turret, ram milling machines, and planer style.
CNC Drill Presses
In this setup, the workpiece is fixed in a place while a rotating drill creates holes in it. The holes are created either for aesthetic or assembly purposes. The good thing is that you can use CNC drill presses to create different-sized holes. All you have to do is adjust the settings of the machine.
Precision Grinders
This is one of the important manufacturing processes that use abrasive grinders to create a flat and smooth surface on the machined parts. You can also use this method to achieve close-tolerance finishes on a final product.
Multi-axis CNC Machining
It includes a moving cutting tool that is capable of moving in multiple directions. It is primarily used for making complex parts or for custom manufacturing. It uses various cutting processes and tools like laser, waterjet, and milling.
Swiss Machining
It is an upgraded version of conventional lathes. It makes use of CNC lathes that are specially made in Switzerland for precise and cheap machining parts. In Swiss Machining, the headstock enables linear movement which is crucial for complex and precise machining options. Besides the moving headstock, it includes a sliding guide bush that keeps moving along the workpiece axis. It is meant to give support to the workpiece, making high-precision machining easy.
Precision manufacturing is a crucial process in many industries, including aerospace, medical, etc. It is a preferred manufacturing method because it offers excellent accuracy, efficiency, and quality. As we move forward, it is important to accept precision manufacturing in other industries, so we can get intricate designs with utmost precision.