The Function of 5-Axis Machining Center for Manufacturing Aviation Parts

Although when we talk about aerospace manufacturing, we usually immediately think of the engine or wing of the aircraft, but the aircraft is composed of millions of parts. For example, Boeing 747 is equipped with more than 6 million components. Obviously, not all parts are processed and produced by CNC. However, several of these materials are used for aircraft components.

Light metal
Two key characteristics determine the CNC processing materials used by aerospace companies. These characteristics are strength and weight. Although considered solid, metals such as steel are not ideal for most parts. This is because they are very heavy, resulting in lower fuel efficiency (and therefore more expensive) of the aircraft.

Therefore, the aerospace industry focuses on metals with high strength and light weight, such as titanium and aluminum alloys. Both metal materials used in CNC machining are easy to use. For example, titanium is about 30% stronger and 50% lighter than steel. It also has excellent high temperature and corrosion resistance. Therefore, it is an ideal choice for functional aircraft components and external components.

As for aluminum, it is lighter than titanium, but its strength is only about half that of titanium. However, this highly machinable metal is more cost-effective than titanium. It is also very suitable for various aircraft components.

High performance plastics
Although metal parts have more applications in the functional structure of aircraft, many internal parts come from polymer-based materials. These materials are much lighter than metals. They help produce parts, such as interior wall panels, ventilation ducts, aircraft doors, wiring ducts, bearings, etc. They are aviation grade plastics with light weight, high strength and meet the requirements of aerospace flame retardant.

5-axis machining produces solid, light and complex plastic parts for the aerospace industry. The manufacturing of these components includes materials such as PEEK and other high-performance polymers. Similar to processing metals, aerospace processing provides the high accuracy required for polymer based aerospace applications.

The aerospace industry is famous for its high quality requirements and industry standards. The fineness of aircraft applications also makes it crucial to produce high-quality parts. Aerospace CNC processing provides the solutions required by the industry. Weimeite pays attention to safety and risk management, and is ready to meet your aerospace manufacturing needs at any time.