| Given the current state of the market, rarely has | | | | Further research into aerospace components has |
| it been more important for manufacturers to | | | | shown that the application of high pressure |
| focus on maximising the productivity and | | | | coolant offers significant benefits. Applying coolant |
| efficiency of every CNC machining process. This | | | | at just 70 bar, for instance, gives an average |
| of course applies to all industry sectors, but | | | | 20% increase in speed and 50% increase in tool |
| coupled with the trend for aircraft OEMs to seek | | | | life, using only components and features that are |
| greater value than ever from their suppliers in the | | | | standard on many machines. Ultra high pressures |
| race to achieve increased market share, the issue | | | | (up to 1,000 bar) are even more effective but |
| becomes even more pertinent to aerospace CNC | | | | additional fixturing is required. Correct nozzle |
| machining. With the priorities for airframes having | | | | positioning and sighting have considerable effects |
| to be primarily weight and safety, another | | | | on productivity, chip handling and the elimination of |
| growing trend is for aerospace designers to | | | | the peening process to provide clear cost savings, |
| produce plans that combine as many different | | | | particularly when machining critical aerospace |
| parts as is possible within single components. | | | | materials such as Ti6Al4V. With hard materials, |
| The only downside here is the inherent part | | | | heat tends to exit via the insert rather than the |
| complexity this creates, which in turn leads to a | | | | workpiece. With certain inserts this has limited |
| reliance on multiple machining operations. To | | | | effect when they are new, but creates an |
| combat this difficulty, the initial thrust of machining | | | | enormous problem as they wear. Hence the need |
| optimisation at many manufacturers in the | | | | to accurately predict tool life has never been |
| aerospace supply chain centres on the machine | | | | more vital. |
| tool itself. Here, machine tool manufacturers have | | | | Uncontrolled tool life can lead to large increases in |
| made great strides in recent years, bringing to | | | | surface tensile stresses, compressive sub-surface |
| market a number of machines that offer the | | | | layer size, depth of plastic deformation and strain |
| integration of multiple functions, including | | | | hardening, particularly at higher cutting speeds. |
| sub-processes (such as probing and balancing), | | | | Intermediate stage machining (ISM), which as the |
| allowing the workpiece to be completed on a | | | | source of the greatest production costs offers |
| single machine with as few set-ups and tool | | | | maximum scope for productivity improvements - |
| changes as possible. | | | | during ISM up to 80% of metal is removed when |
| Cost savings in aerospace CNC machining. | | | | turning heat resistant superalloys (HRSAs). |