Precision machining has been around for many years, since the industrial revolution. Nevertheless, this technology has only been able to produce the components to extraordinary standards of accuracy in recent years. We’ll chart the rise of precision machining in this article. Precision Machining-Contour Tool Inc has some nice tips on this.
For the time being, the industrial revolution has helped manufacturers to produce components at unprecedented levels of precision. The technology allowed the Victorians to manufacture sophisticated agricultural machinery, guns, ships, and machines. Nevertheless, the precision of their measuring instruments had limited them. Their quality eventually became more precise, so that precision machining could be done with a precision of several hundredths of an inch.
But where has the technology gone during the last few years? In this technology the meteoric rise is due to two major technologies: computers and lasers. Lasers can be used as incredibly accurate measuring tools, smaller than an atom, down to the most minute precision levels available. The other part of this technology is computers which can be used to control the lasers. Firstly, the computer is used to create the design using CAD software, which stands for Computer Aided Design. The finished design is transferred to a precise machining computer connected to a lathe and tasked with friction, drilling and laminating the component from a steel, carbon fiber or other material slab.
The machine cuts off metal to make the right shape, using a highly precise laser to calculate progress and to ensure proper part form. The end product is a beautifully formed piece of metal or synthetic material. That is really important in modern engineering. The design of vehicles and machinery such as aircraft, trucks and trains has become extremely excessive, meaning that each piece has to be designed to a very high degree of precision to ensure that once assembled, each piece functions properly.
What’s next for precise machining then? This technology is likely to be complemented by the 3D printing. Those two technologies will coexist and work together rather than being replaced. Some parts will have to be made with a 3D printer, particularly when complexity is needed. In the other side, other components would need to be manufactured cheaply, which is where precision machining can be used, as it provides a much lower cost of making goods based on current prices.
As a way of delivering a large volume of precision parts at low unit prices, such precise CNC machining technology has a long life ahead. More and more goods are likely to be produced with this machinery, particularly computers, phones and tablets, rather than the conventional moulded plastics which are prone to break. Companies such as Apple and HTC are leading the charge here, using extensively milled precision parts with all their flagship products that are incredibly durable, lightweight and high tech. This means that a technology that was previously reserved for heavy industry is finally available in all types of everyday products for the masses.
