Precision 5-Axis CNC Machining Technique for Automotive Industry

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Posted on Oct. 30th, 2018, | By Candy, WayKen Marketing Manager

The automotive industry plays a vital role in how we commute for our work and leisure. An essential part of this industry is CNC automotive. Without CNC in the automotive industry, the cars and vehicles that we see around, wouldn’t have looked the way they look now.

CNC Machining Take leads in the Automotive Industry

From die-casting different components to crafting beautiful single body frames, CNC machine tools are entirely responsible for a large number of different automotive parts. Automotive parts such as carburetor housing, components for suspensions, caps for bearings as well as the engine housing are all manufacturing using different CNC manufacturing techniques with state-of-the-art machines and tools. PMMA/Acrylic precision machining for headlights and other lights present on an automobile all marvels at the use of CNC. CNC is now the standard and the primary method in the manufacturing of many industrial-grade automotive parts.

CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) has played a significant role in rapid manufacturing and production as well as precise material production. CNC being a digital code for the processing of the object has many benefits than the ordinary machine tools that are unable to compete with CNC. CNC machine tools have the following characteristics;

  • High precision
  • Excellent product consistency
  • Multi-axis linkage
  • The high degree of automation
  • Low labor intensity
  • Short mechanical transmission chain – simple structure, high production efficiency
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Such characteristics are much favored in the batch production of different automobile effectively and rapidly. All these characteristics of CNC automotive have led our cars to be more superior and reliable to the vehicles that were there before the inception of CNC automotive.

1. Power

It is merely an engineering marvel that how much horsepower car manufacturing can pack inside a small engine these days. Around 2.5 decades ago, an engine of about 2-liter size could deliver a maximum of 100 horsepower as opposed to today’s’ engine which can provide a staggering 200 horsepower in the same specification. Why the difference between the two? The difference is due to the introduction of CNC which allows for the engines to be built with significantly higher tolerances and efficiency. CNC enables the manufacturers to pack an engine with more power in a relatively small place.

*Complex geometries inside a car engine – only possible due to CNC

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2.Reliability

There was a time when starting your engine on a cold morning or after some days of inactivity was a game of chance and luck. Back in the days without the CNC, automotive was unreliable. Today, with high precision manufacturing thanks to the CNC automotive, automotive are more reliable and dependable than ever before.

3.Time-efficient and rapid production

With CNC having the ability to produce small parts in extreme detail and carry out repetitive manufacturing with no hassle, it has made automobiles efficient and readily available in the market. Companies can now able to cater to the massive spike in the demands of cars by the customers due to the substantial implementation of CNC in the manufacturing process.

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*Prototype clay CNC manufacturing for a car model

5-Axis CNC Machining in the Automotive Industry

With sophisticated and precise requirements for the automotive industry, multiple axis manufacturing is a must to cater to the needs of the automotive part. To avoid various machine setups, 5-Axis CNC machining is essential. With multi-axis manufacturing, complex geometries can be manufactured with ease via different axis manufacturing with a single machine. 5-Axis CNC automotive machining allows for the machine to remain tangent to the workpiece and then cut in multiple axes rapidly. Though the initial setup cost of such a system is higher as opposed to the single-axis CNC setup, in the long term, it is beneficial with shorter turnaround times and high precision cut.

1.Automotive parts and CNC

CNC is now a widely practiced method for automotive manufacturing and is heavily implemented in some of the essential elements of different automotive. Some of them are;

2. Gearbox

Gearbox is a crucial transmission mechanism in an automobile. Gearbox makes sure that the power from your engine is properly and effectively delivered over to your wheels. Nowadays, all the gears and shafts in a gearbox are manufactured precisely by CNC machine tools. Different CNC techniques such as milling, turning and surface grinding all make sure that the shafts and gears inside the gearbox are reliable, are precise, and transmit the power in the most efficient way possible.

3.Drive axle

Drive axle is also an important transmission mechanism that delivers the power from the gearbox and engine to the wheels. The two primary hypoid gears in the central axle of the drive axle have to be machined with CNC to provide the highest level of precision. CNC machines also machine the bevel gears present in the differential to provide smooth ride and stability.

4.Headlights and backlights

With many top car manufacturers coming up with complicated headlight and backlight designs, no other method of production than CNC can be the best match. Having the ability to carve out complex shapes out of a solid block with no layer lines, manufacturers can manufacture complex shapes for head and tail lights which are clear and smooth for excellent transfer of light.

5.Verdict

CNC automotive has transformed the way we perceive cars and how they are manufactured in the first place. From mere number of vehicles for each model back in the 50s, car manufacturers are now able to make the same car to an indefinite amount due to the repetitive manufacturing natures of CNC machines. With CNC ineffective use, it has transformed the way in which global trade is manufacturing virtually anything to be offered to the mass public from some of the world’s most reputable car manufacturers. This is because the levels of perfection offered by the CNC manufacturing in the automotive industry are unparalleled and unmatched to any other manufacturing method.

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*CNC machined rim for a car

WayKen incorporates premium 5-Axis CNC manufacturing techniques with the state of the art CAM and CAD manufacturing software. At Wayken, we here offer prompt automotive prototyping solutions  to ensure that your automotive-related products and prototypes are manufactured to the utmost quality and precision promptly.

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