The Key to Defense: Military Precision Parts
The defense industry relies on various different pieces of equipment, machinery, and naval and air assets in order to keep us all safe. To make sure this equipment and machinery runs properly and meet the highest safety standards, military precision parts are needed to manufacture these assets. Accordingly, you need a reputable manufacturer with access to the right machining processes. In this blog, we will review the processes used to manufacture military precision parts. Let’s dive in.
Machining Processes Military Precision Parts
CNC machining is a manufacturing process that utilizes a customer-written computer software program that is loaded into the CNC machine. This program then translates CAD drawings to a machine learning language that instructs the machine on what movements the cutting tool should make to create the product with the desired dimensions and any tight tolerances.
The CNC machining method is subtractive, meaning it removes parts of a material to create the desired part or product. There are a few different CNC machining processes including milling using vertical or horizontal mills, and turning using conventional lathes or Swiss lathes. CNC machining is generally used for projects that would be difficult to create manually and projects that are difficult to replicate, making it ideal for creating military precision parts.
Types of CNC Machines and How They Impact Performance
There are quite a few CNC machining processes, each of which creates different parts. CNC milling and lathing are two common processes, however, they are vastly different from one another.
3-Axis CNC Milling
During this process, the workpiece remains stationary as the cutting tools move along the X-, Y-, and Z-axes, shaping the workpiece as they move. 3-axis CNC machining is used to cut sharp edges, perform boring and tapping operations, mill slots, and drill holes. Generally, this process is used to create parts that are simple and do not require intricate details, such as mechanical parts.
4-Axis CNC Milling
Again, during 4-axis CNC milling, the workpiece is stationary and the tools move around it to remove material along the X-, Y-, Z-, and A-axes. This process is used to cut holes, cut along the arc, carve cut-outs on cylinders, and perform precision engraving, milling, and drilling.
5-Axis CNC Milling
This manufacturing process is precise and relatively quick as it does not require more than 2 setups of the part. 5-axis CNC milling can hit five sides of a part simultaneously through X-, Y-, Z-axis translation and A- and C-axis rotation. Due to the high level of precision, this process is primarily used in the medical, aerospace, military, and automotive industries.
Swiss Lathe
Lathes use rotational force to shape materials. The Swiss lathe uses a collet and guide busing to hold stock material in place as it is turned so the workpiece is less likely to vibrate during manufacturing. Swiss lathing creates thinner, more precise cuts making it ideal for machining intricate, small-diameter parts with tight tolerances.
CNC Lathe
CNC lathes have a turret that holds 12 or more tools, including live tooling for milling operations. The tools rely on software in the CNC machine to shape parts as the machine is rotated around the material. This is significantly more accurate than manual conventional lathes and is suitable for creating products with complex designs.
Garland Service Company Has Everything Needed to Machine Military Precision Parts
For decades, Garland Service Company has been trusted to machine critical tooling and parts for the production of military precision parts. With our ability to CNC machine precision parts through milling and lathing, we can provide all you need to create high-quality parts and products for military use.
In addition to creating precision parts, we also manufacture customer-designed tooling and PCBA tooling. By implementing automation and robotics to our manufacturing processes, we are able to provide you with high-quality parts and products at efficient speeds.
Contact our team today to get started.
