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What is 5-axis CNC machining?

starrynight

Plastic
Joined
Nov 16, 2021
When we talk about 5-axis machining, we are talking about more advanced technology than the traditional 3-axis or 3 + 2 or 5-axis version that has been used for decades. This special mode is able to move in five different directions, allowing drivers to have a five-sided approach on the workpiece. Most CNC manufacturers define the movements of their machine based on the three points of the main axis: X, Y and Z (Z is the parallel to the tool spindle).

As a reference, the 3 axes can machine the piece in two directions (X and Y), while the 5 axes can rotate thanks to the two additional axes of rotation (A and B) to support the approach to the cut from all directions. This means that where the CNC 5-axis machining shines, complex shapes can be created within a single setup, which also reduces the machinist's time, increases production rates and enables more precise and superficially much better finished parts to be obtained.

About the axes
Let's go a little deeper into what the 5-axis actually entails in the CNC: First, the 5-axis are paths along which the instruments or parts can move at the same time. The most important are X, Y and Y and are part of the basic Cartesian coordinate system first proposed by the famous philosopher and mathematician René Descartes in 1500. The three lines, also called axis points, intersect at a central point (the origin).

The last two axes, A and B, are a little more difficult to visualize as they rotate around the main X and Y axes. These additional points enable 5-axis CNC machining to achieve an advanced level of operational optimization compared to other machining technologies.
Interesting: There is also an additional axis called the C that rotates around the Z axis but is not normally used in CNC machining processes.
 

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When we talk about 5-axis machining, we are talking about more advanced technology than the traditional 3-axis or 3 + 2 or 5-axis version that has been used for decades. This special mode is able to move in five different directions, allowing drivers to have a five-sided approach on the workpiece. Most CNC manufacturers define the movements of their machine based on the three points of the main axis: X, Y and Z (Z is the parallel to the tool spindle).

As a reference, the 3 axes can machine the piece in two directions (X and Y), while the 5 axes can rotate thanks to the two additional axes of rotation (A and B) to support the approach to the cut from all directions. This means that where the CNC 5-axis machining shines, complex shapes can be created within a single setup, which also reduces the machinist's time, increases production rates and enables more precise and superficially much better finished parts to be obtained.

About the axes
Let's go a little deeper into what the 5-axis actually entails in the CNC: First, the 5-axis are paths along which the instruments or parts can move at the same time. The most important are X, Y and Y and are part of the basic Cartesian coordinate system first proposed by the famous philosopher and mathematician René Descartes in 1500. The three lines, also called axis points, intersect at a central point (the origin).

The last two axes, A and B, are a little more difficult to visualize as they rotate around the main X and Y axes. These additional points enable 5-axis CNC machining to achieve an advanced level of operational optimization compared to other machining technologies.
Interesting: There is also an additional axis called the C that rotates around the Z axis but is not normally used in CNC machining processes.

wow, this is some riveting stuff! where have you been before? i feel so much smarter now
 








 
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