Five-axis simultaneous machining technology is the trend in modern aviation part manufacturing.

With the continuous improvement of aircraft performance, the requirements for aircraft parts have become increasingly stringent. While meeting the prerequisites of strength and stiffness, aviation parts are designed to minimize weight and reduce assembly whenever possible. As a result, modern aviation parts exhibit several typical characteristics: complex structures, numerous large and thin-walled components, predominantly made of aluminum and titanium alloys, with extremely strict quality requirements, and produced in small batches with a wide variety of types.

The characteristics of aviation parts themselves determine their processing methods. Structural components with relatively simple shapes can be processed using three- or four-axis machines. However, due to the limitations in the relative position of the tool and the part, multiple clampings may be required to complete the processing of the part. Each additional clamping introduces a potential source of error, thereby affecting the final part accuracy and increasing processing time.

Similarly, constrained by the relative position of the tool and the part, programmers must be extremely cautious to avoid interference between the tool and the part, and it is often difficult to utilize the optimal cutting position of the tool, resulting in extremely low cutting efficiency.

For structural components with complex shapes, processing with three- or four-axis machines is simply not feasible. Five-axis simultaneous machining, with its two rotating axes, provides much greater flexibility in the relative position of the tool and the part, allowing for the entire part to be machined in a single clamping. The tool can approach the cutting surface at an ideal angle, achieving optimal cutting conditions. Five-axis simultaneous machining technology is the trend in modern aviation part manufacturing.

The control technologies for five-axis simultaneous machining, such as interpolation algorithms and coordinate transformations, have already matured significantly. The technical challenge of five-axis machining centers still lies in their structural design. Although, in theory, any machine tool with five-axis simultaneous capability can process structural components, blades, impellers, or blisks, there are significant differences in processing efficiency, processing accuracy, and even the number of clampings among different machine tools. There are many five-axis machining centers in the domestic mold industry, but those suitable for the mold industry are not necessarily suitable for the aviation manufacturing industry. Five-axis machining centers suitable for the aviation manufacturing industry should have high static and dynamic rigidity to withstand the cutting forces during heavy cutting. Long tool life stems from stable, low-vibration cutting – a key factor for low-cost processing. The structure of five-axis machining centers used in the aviation manufacturing industry should be tailored to the characteristics of aviation part processing technology.