In the 1950s, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology successfully developed the first CNC milling machine. In 1970, the first computer-controlled CNC machine tool (Computer Numerical Control, CNC for short) was demonstrated for the first time. CNC machine tools have the characteristics of high precision of processed products, high degree of automation, high production efficiency and low production cost. In the manufacturing industry, CNC machining is a very important link in all production technologies. Especially in the automotive or aerospace industry parts, the geometry is complex and the precision is extremely high, which highlights the advantages of CNC machining technology.

Advantages of CNC:

1. The number of tooling is greatly reduced, and complex tooling is not required to process parts with complex shapes. If you want to change the shape and size of the part, you only need to modify the part processing program, which is suitable for new product development and modification;

2. The processing quality is stable, the processing accuracy is high, and the repetition accuracy is high, which is suitable for the processing requirements of aircraft;

3. It can process complex profiles that are difficult to process by conventional methods, and even process some unobservable processing parts.

3-axis CNC machining: generally refers to three axes that move linearly in different directions, such as up and down, front and back, left and right. The three-axis can only process one surface at a time, which is suitable for processing some disc parts.

4-axis CNC machining: add a rotation axis to the three-axis, usually a 360° rotation in the horizontal plane. But it cannot rotate at high speed. It is suitable for processing some box parts.

5-axis CNC machining: There is one more rotation axis on top of the four-axis, usually a 360° rotation on the vertical surface. The five-axis can already be fully processed and one-time clamping can be realized, which can reduce the cost of clamping and reduce product scratches and bruises. It is suitable for processing some multi-station holes and planes, and parts with high processing accuracy requirements, especially parts with strict shape processing accuracy requirements.

Although 5-axis has outstanding advantages compared with 4-axis and 3-axis, not all products are suitable for five-axis processing, and those suitable for three-axis processing are not necessarily suitable for five-axis processing. Five-axis machining will not only increase the cost, but the effect is not necessarily good. Only by making reasonable arrangements and formulating suitable machine tools for the product can the value of the machine itself be brought into play.