The advantages of five-axis machining are significant, and include saving time and money, among other things. But first, it’s important to know the design of a five-axis machine and how it works.
Just like a CNC machining center, a five-axis machine has three linear axes. However, five-axis machining centers have two additional rotary axes that can take one of two basic forms. One style uses rotary tables and the other style incorporates the rotary axes into the machine’s headstock and spindle.
In my research on five-axis machining, coincidentally I found five major benefits to this type of machining. First, and possibly most important, is the ability to machine complex shapes in a single setup, which saves time, cost and operator error.
Second, five-axis machining enables shorter cutting tools to be used since the head can be lowered towards the job and the cutter oriented towards the surface. As a result, higher cutting speed can be achieved, and the vibration of the tool is reduced.
Five-axis machining also offers the ability to machine extremely complex parts from solid that would otherwise have to be cast.
And this type of machining can also offer huge time savings in hole drilling. Drilling a series of holes with different compound angles is very time consuming. With a five-axis machine, the head can be oriented along the correct axis for each hole automatically, allowing drilling to be completed much more quickly.
Last, most manufacturers that specialize in making controls for five-axis machines can also provide a feature that makes it possible, even for a manual programmer, to program basic machining operations for angular surfaces.
Starting on Thursday August 8, 2024, PM will begin “gating” its premium content, asking all new website users to provide some information about themselves — name, title, employer, email address — before they are provided free access to the content.
We are doing this because the ways PM’s audience finds and accesses our content is changing. Google’s search algorithms, increasingly, make it difficult to connect PM’s content with the people who might make use of it. On top of that, generative AI like ChatGPT is serving up PM content to internet users without attributing that content to PM.
As a result, it has become increasingly important for PM evolve its audience development strategy and learn as much as possible about who is accessing our content, what content they are accessing and how they are accessing it.
With this audience development strategy, we hope to do two things:
First, we will be better able to deliver directly to our audience the editorial content that aligns with the machining materials, processes and technologies that interest them.
Second, we will be better able to connect the materials, equipment and services our advertisers supply with the audience that is most interested in them.
PM plays a distinctive role and has earned a place of esteem within the focused and specialized industry it serves. Large developments in the media landscape are forcing us to change the way we communicate with our audience. We are confident that our audience values the role PM plays in their professional lives and will join us in this effort to stay connected to them.
We thank you for your continued interest in and support of PM and welcome any questions you might have about the brand’s new content gating strategy.
