With societal progress, mechanical industrial technology has advanced rapidly, especially with automation and precision machining enhancing production efficiency and accuracy.

The development of precision machining technology, both the market competition environment on the machine processing industry requirements, but also an important guarantee for the development of the national economy, has become an inevitable trend.

The author analyses the types of precision machining, processing technology and technical advantages, as well as the main factors affecting precision machining, and finally its development trend to be discussed.

Cnc machining

Types of precision machining and technical advantages

Generally speaking, according to the characteristics and technical principles of machining, can be divided into: composite processing, special processing, abrasive processing and tool cutting processing several kinds. With the continuous development of industrial technology, machining gradually to automation, modular direction, refined processing has become the mainstream, based on the applicability of parts and components and processing and forming mechanism of different requirements, we can be divided into precision machining:

Deformation processing, combined processing and removal of three main forms of processing.

One of the deformation processing is to rely on extrusion, traction, centrifugal force and other external forces, as well as raw material processing of molecular movement and other internal forces, to promote the shape of the material, volume, the overall performance of the change, the common processing technology are:

Precision discharging, precision forging, precision casting, precision rolling, cold extrusion and powder metallurgy, etc., of which the cold extrusion technology is particularly suitable for the processing of complex parts and components manufacturing, to enhance the utilization of raw materials is also a great significance of the utilisation rate can be as high as 90% or more, while the rigidity of moulded parts is also very high;

Combined processing, is through the physical and chemical methods of other materials attached, injected or welded to the surface of the parts, is a combination of processing methods, common types of welding, adhesion, plating and so on;

Removal processing is separation processing, is the parts or raw materials according to the forming requirements for cutting, grinding, planing, chiselling and punching, dividing, etc., common CNC machine tools automatic mechanical cutting and drilling processing or industrial robots laser cutting and drilling processing.

Precision machining on the processing equipment requirements are extremely high, the machine tool collection of drilling, milling, grinding, cutting, embossing and other functions, and the degree of automation is very high, faster than conventional machining speed of 4 to 6 times, and less demand for manpower, which can effectively save production costs, enhance the economic benefits of machining enterprises.

In short, compared with the traditional machining process, precision machining is more delicate, higher quality, more efficient, and its technical advantages are significant.

Machining parts

Main factors affecting precision machining

The quality of machining products both with the advanced degree of processing equipment, the quality of raw materials, processing technology personnel level and other factors and the production and processing environment. Precision machining is mostly for the core components, which has higher requirements for processing equipment, processing technology, operators, operating environment and raw materials, etc., which are specifically reflected in the following aspects:

1.Raw material quality

Material quality is the basis for ensuring the quality of precision machining products, precision machining needs to select good chemical properties, physical structure integrity, processing performance in line with the technical standards of high-quality raw materials, if the physical and chemical properties of the material does not meet the standards in the machining will be difficult to ensure that its machining accuracy, product performance, quality defects may occur.

2.Processing mechanism

Precision machining generally has two types, one is to improve on the traditional machining process, optimize the process structure, to achieve refinement; the second is a special machining technology.

Precision machining process based on traditional processing technology such as: precision abrasive belt cutting, diamond tool cutting, precision high-speed cutting, etc., special processing technology such as: laser cutting, electron beam processing, laser engraving, electrochemical processing, etc..

In addition, there are ultrasonic honing, magnetic polishing, electrolytic grinding and other advanced processes.

3.Quality Inspection

All machined parts must undergo quality testing, testing methods including offline testing, online testing or in-situ testing, the higher the level of testing technology, the higher the accuracy of the test, the better the quality control of parts and components, and the better its precision.

4.Processing equipment

Advanced processing equipment is an important basis for ensuring precision machining, the rigidity of the machine tool, precision, stability, degree of automation and other requirements are also very high. Common equipment includes diamond grinding wheels, cutting tools and cubic boron nitride tools.

5.Operating environment

Precision machining requirements for the operating environment is very strict, the operating site temperature and humidity, shock resistance, cleanliness, anti-electromagnetic interference and other factors will affect the processing quality, general precision machining needs to be carried out in a professional precision machining workshop.

Cnc machining

Development trend

Precision machining process is the inevitable product of the development of production technology, but also with the progress of science and technology is bound to progress, the new era under the background of industrial automation technology, artificial intelligence technology, nanotechnology, new energy technology, etc. appeared one after another and the development of the precision machining industry injected new vitality, and its degree of precision is higher, the main development trends are as follows:

1.High precision development trend

With the continuous prosperity of the industrial market, the industrial field of machining products of higher quality requirements, of which the machining accuracy is the most important one, because high-precision machining can not only enhance product performance, but also improve production efficiency, and can enhance the production capacity of the processing enterprise, to obtain a stronger market competitiveness.

On the one hand, the trend of precision gradually strengthened, the continuous development of machinery manufacturing industry to promote the progress of precision machining technology, precision machining accuracy began to move towards the direction of micron-level and sub-micron-level development, the future development will be presented as ordinary processing — precision machining —The future development will show the transition mode of ordinary processing – precision processing – ultra-precision processing, and its accuracy is also developed from 1μm to 0.01μm to 1nm, and even accurate to 0.1nm.

On the other hand, the process integration degree is higher, in the face of the current international and domestic competitive environment, machining enterprises and ready to manufacture enterprises pay more and more attention to improve production efficiency and enhance product quality, in precision machining, so the emergence of the ‘grinding instead of research’ or even ‘grinding instead of throwing The phenomenon of ‘grinding instead of research’ or even ‘grinding instead of throwing’, the use of a device to complete a variety of processing (such as turning, drilling, milling, grinding, finishing) is becoming more and more obvious trend.

2.Intelligent development trend

The current big data technology, artificial intelligence technology in the industrial field has been widely used, the traditional production process gradually transitioned to full automation and intelligent machining, further optimising the form of the process and improving the efficiency of production operations.

For example, intelligent numerical control machine tools (CNC), industrial robots laser welding and cutting are the development trend of precision machining.

These precision devices have been widely used in the aerospace manufacturing field, satellite communications field, shipping and shipbuilding industry, medical devices, intelligent automobile manufacturing field, etc., and have become a core part of the enterprise to cope with international market competition.

3.Development trend of customisation

Customisation will be one of the future development trends of mechanical parts processing, the future application of intelligent mechanical parts processing will be expanded to aerospace, shipping, robotics, rail transportation, electric power, new energy, agriculture and many other industries, many of which means that CNC parts processing needs to cope with the differentiation factors are also increasing for the development of customization requirements are also more and more obvious.

At the same time, customised precision machining is also the key to maximize customer satisfaction, improve the accuracy of machining services.

4.Large-scale and miniaturisation trends

Based on the development of certain emerging special industries, precision machining to meet the actual needs of various production and parts assembly, presenting large-scale precision machining and miniaturisation of precision machining synchronous development trend, such as the processing of large-scale optoelectronic devices in the field of aviation, aerospace, astronautics, etc., it is necessary to establish a large-scale ultra-precision machining equipment, in order to process the production requirements;

And processing of home appliances, micro-electronic machinery, optoelectronic information and other areas of micro devices, but the need to use micro ultra-precision machining platform.

According to the processing needs of flexible selection of appropriate precision machining equipment and technology is to ensure industrial product quality, maximise to meet the needs of the times the key to development.

5.Green development trend

The traditional crude industrial economic development model, resource consumption for economic development, environmental damage for efficiency, leading to increasingly serious ecological problems, threatening the harmonious development of man and nature.

With the awakening of ecological awareness of mankind, began to explore the economic development and ecological coordination of mutually beneficial model, and more advanced technology to replace the traditional processing and production methods, to achieve a reasonable and efficient use of resources is one of the best ways, so the ‘green processing and manufacturing’ theory came into being.

Nowadays, ecological and environmental protection has become a global problem, ‘green manufacturing’, ‘sustainable development’ is the focus of the entire industrial sector to consider, green machining manufacturing will become the future direction of development.

The introduction of the most advanced machining technology, the use of environmentally friendly new materials, clean new energy, processing new technologies can further reduce production pollution, reduce resource waste, energy saving and emission reduction, and promote the harmonious unity of economy and ecology.

Common green machining technologies and processes such as: MQL lubrication quasi-dry cutting technology, ion beam coating technology and environmental protection surface coating technology, water jet processing technology, air-cooled cutting technology.

Conclusion

Precision machining technology is the source power to promote the deepening development of the machinery manufacturing industry, is the core kinetic energy of the industry 4.0 era, the future of precision machining technology will continue to develop in the direction of high precision, intelligence, customisation, green.

Mechanical processing manufacturing industry economic subjects should recognise the development situation, accelerate the transformation of business management concepts, keep up with the trend of the times, and constantly improve their own precision machining technology, to produce more high-precision mechanical parts, so as to obtain a larger market production space.