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What is five-axis machining?

A 5-axis CNC machine can use five different axes simultaneously. Three linear axes and two rotary axes. Their capabilities are more diverse than typical 3-axis CNC machines. 5-axis machining machines are configured in such a way that multiple setups can be eliminated, reducing the need for constant monitoring, increasing efficiency and enabling single-setup machining or "all-in-one machines."

What can you do with a 5-axis machining center?

5-axis machines are force multipliers for any machine shop. In the hands of a skilled operator, it can create complete parts without having to change any settings—essentially in one go—and greatly reduces downtime. The following sections illustrate the major industries that use CNC to machine components and how they benefit from 5-axis freedom of motion.

Aerospace industry

One of the main reasons machine tools are well suited for the aerospace industry is the limited amount of re-fixing required. Due to the complexity of typical aerospace components, a 3-axis or 4-axis CNC machine will require multiple re-fixing steps and re-orientation to allow the cutting head to machine hard-to-reach areas.

Aerospace components also feature organic shapes with compound curves, ideal for 5-axis machine tools. An example of a compound curve can be found in turbine blades, which are typically cast and machined by 5-axis machining centers to achieve the final desired shape and surface finish.

Automobile industry

The automotive industry is characterized by high output and high requirements for consistency. From the first to the thousandth, each component needs to be fitted to specific tolerances every time. Most components in the transportation industry are manufactured using low-cost, high-volume processes such as stamping, injection molding and casting. However, these cheap and fast techniques require advanced and high-precision tooling, which is an ideal application for 5-axis machining.

Medical industry

Like the aerospace industry, the medical industry has extremely strict requirements for quality. Certain medical components can have a direct and immediate impact on a person's health or survival if there are detrimental quality issues.

Some medical components have organic shapes machined from exotic materials to enable them to be implanted in patients. A 5-axis CNC controller can process both these types of materials as well as the organic shapes of such implants. In addition to implants, other medical related applications such as medical impellers and CT scanner components also require 5-axis.

Energy industry

The energy industry is the backbone of all other industries. It's huge and contains many different technologies. From coal-fired power stations to concentrated solar power systems and even more exotic technologies like fusion, there is an insatiable demand for advanced components that push the limits of engineering, materials science and manufacturing.

Due to these intensive requirements, machining systems that can reliably produce advanced components are required, and this is where 5-axis machinery comes into play. An example of the type of complex component emerging in industry is the plasma containment chamber in a stellarator fusion device. The shapes in this machine are so organic and complex that there is no way to make them other than using a 5-axis machine.

Industrial sector

The industrial sector includes many other industries not mentioned above, such as consumer goods manufacturing, mining, construction, etc. Due to the vast scope of the industrial sector there are many complex components to manufacture for which 5-axis machines are invaluable. General-purpose CNC machines account for the majority of jobs in the industry, with 5-axis machines playing ancillary roles in toolmaking, moldmaking, and specialized applications.

With the advancement of machine learning and artificial intelligence technology, the existing system will undergo more optimization and technology. Although advances in additive technology have made manufacturing more complex, the production process is still relatively slow. At least for now, nothing can match the speed and flexibility of a 5-axis machining solution.