High-speed machining in the aviation industry (3)

In order to process these long, thin and easily bendable parts (Crick visually describes them as "wet noodles"), Cincinnati has developed a special extrusion milling machine. The machine can process aluminum alloys and composite materials. The processing range is 13′×8′ (4×2.4m), the spindle speed is 24000rpm, and 12 tools with a diameter of 25mm are used for machining. The workpiece can be up to 40′. (12m).

“Free-cutting materials (such as aluminum alloys or composites) benefit the most when almost all processing methods and workpiece materials can benefit from high-speed machining,” says Haas processing manager Reilly. “Because of high speed, high feed Hard milling technology with small depth of cut, hardened die steel can also benefit from high-speed machining. Titanium alloy, as an increasingly important workpiece material in the aviation industry, is certainly one of the beneficiaries."

“If aluminum cutting machines are like F1 cars, titanium cutting machines are more like bulldozers,” says Dan Cooper, productivity solutions manager at MAG Maintenance Technologies. “They have very different spindle speeds, despite the principle of high-speed machining – - High rotational speed and small depth of cut are sometimes of interest for titanium alloys, especially thin-walled parts are preferably machined using high-speed machining principles. For example, a user's part thickness is 0.030" (0.76 mm) and height is 3" ( 76mm), such large height thin-walled parts cannot be roughed by old-fashioned traditional processes. Low-speed, large-depth cutting, and high-torque cutting will cause workpiece deformation and tool offset, especially for the processing of new 5553 titanium alloy parts."

Cooper pointed out that the combination of low thermal conductivity, high modulus of elasticity and high strength of titanium alloys makes it a difficult-to-cut material. "Although cutting torque and dynamic stiffness may not be important for composite and aluminum alloy processing, It is very important for titanium alloy processing. This will limit the processing speed of titanium alloy compared with aluminum alloy processing."

Cooper prefers to measure high speed machining with surface speed and feed rate instead of spindle speed. Surface speed is a function of spindle speed and tool diameter; feedrate is a function of spindle speed and tool density. The denser the teeth and the higher the surface velocity (SFM), the higher the feed rate, so the design of the tool is critical.

According to Cooper, MAG's new carbide tools can be machined at a surface speed of 390 fpm. “With a tool with a diameter of 25.4 mm and the largest number of sipe, we can only process at 1500 rpm and 2.5 m/min, which is quite high speed for titanium machining.”

High-speed machining technology has proven its advantages in aluminum alloy processing, and it is expected to do so when processing new, harder materials like titanium.

“Today, high-speed machining of aluminum alloys is becoming a standard process,” said Rudy Canchola, processing manager at Mazak's West End headquarters and aerospace technology center. For him, the biggest processing challenge at present is high-temperature alloys (such as 15-5 stainless steel, 5553 or 6Al4V titanium alloys), which are used more and more in the aviation industry. Recently, he plans to use a variety of tools on the Mazak machine for cutting tests (including titanium alloy machining tests on the Mazak VCN-510C vertical machining center). Canchola said, "We have proven that the speed of machining titanium alloys with solid carbide end mills can reach 500-600fpm. We think this is very good."

They also processed 15-5 stainless steel on the Mazak Vortex 815-II five-axis machining center with tools from Seco, Ingersoll, Kennameta and Sandvik. Cutting test. The test adopts the method of down milling, and the surface cutting speed reaches 400-600 fpm.

Canchola said, “Most of our machines have the ability to achieve this high surface feed rate. If the user needs to cut this material, we can provide them with the data obtained in these tests.”

When machining superalloys, the "forward-looking" function of the machine controller is not as important as when machining aluminum alloys because the cutting speed is not too high. The most important control function is to measure the load on the spindle and shafting and adjust accordingly. The Mazak machine is capable of receiving feedback electrical signals from the servo motor and adjusting the speed to match the cutting conditions and, if necessary, stopping the tool change.

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