Nc machining center. What's the difference between axis 3 and axis 5?

What is the difference between three-axis, four-axis and five-axis machine tools in CNC machining centers?

Three-axis, four-axis and five-axis NC machining is also a term that we often hear in this industry. It sounds tall, but some users may not know what it is.

For these kinds of CNC machining, it is still necessary to know the general situation. CNC milling machines are classified according to the number of axes they operate. These movements determine the characteristics of the parts that can be manufactured, and also affect the production efficiency and accuracy. Generally speaking, the more degrees of freedom are available, the more complicated the geometry can be. What's the difference between three axes, four axes and five axes? What are their respective advantages? Which products are suitable for processing respectively?

1. Three-axis NC machining generally refers to three axes that move linearly in different directions, such as up and down, left and right, and back and forth. Three axes can only process one surface at a time, which is suitable for dry machining some disc parts. This is a limitation for many parts that need to process holes or grooves on multiple surfaces.

2. Four-axis NC machining is to add a rotating shaft to three axes, which generally rotates 360 in the horizontal plane, but it cannot rotate at high speed. Suitable for processing some box parts. Most four-axis CNC machine tools also allow the workpiece to rotate, the so-called B-axis, so that the machine can be used as both a milling machine and a lathe. If it is necessary to drill holes on the side of a part or on the curved surface of a cylinder, four-axis NC machining is the best choice, which greatly speeds up the machining speed and has the advantages of.

Three-axis and five-axis NC machining is to add a rotating shaft to the four axes, which generally rotates 360 degrees in the vertical plane, and the five axes can be fully machined, which can realize one-time clamping, reduce the clamping cost and reduce the scratches and bumps of products.