When you think of manufacturing components for the aerospace industry, ‘precision’ is likely the word that you most associate with the process. This blog aims to answer every question about high precision machining for the aerospace industry, including what it is, and why it is so important.
What is high precision machining?
High precision machining refers to the process of machining parts that are highly accurate and consistent to exact specifications. The part is machined to an accuracy down to the micrometre, meaning that these elements have a very small margin of error. The process itself involves removing material from a part through cutting using a CNC machine, to ensure that the finished component has the tightest tolerances and the smallest inaccuracy.
Why is precision and quality important to the industry in general?
Precision machining high quality parts improves accuracy and reliability, as the processes involved necessitate creating a component which follows stringent industry guidelines. Precision is so important, as a single part failure can mean the difference between life and death for certain industries, especially the aerospace, pharmaceutical, and medical industries. High precision machined parts can be customised to the specific requirements of the client, allowing the components to be produced repeatedly. This repeatability means that high precision machining offers manufacturers more consistency across what they produce, which in turn decreases costs, as fewer mistakes and wastages occur.
What are the advantages of high precision machining?
Precision machining components for the aerospace industry allow for very lightweight parts to be manufactured, whilst having those components also be strong. To do this, materials such as aluminium and titanium are used. High precision machining parts as a process is much faster than other machining processes for this industry, due to the digital design and prototyping through CAD, allowing for any potential errors to be identified before a part is physically manufactured. Further, the process allows for parts with highly complex geometries to be manufactured that are necessary to keep up with new innovations in the industry.
Why is quality so important to aerospace?
The main reason for the use of high precision machining in the aerospace industry is safety. Many of the components that are more cheaply manufactured are low quality and not able to withstand the extreme situations necessary for use in aerospace. Any machined parts for the industry must meet the AS9100 industry standard. Aerospace requires any component manufactured to have its dimensions have the tightest tolerances and the highest accuracy, ensuring that performance is consistent and preventing a potentially disastrous mid-flight part failure.
How can AML help with your high precision manufacturing requirements?
Technology based approached
High performance machining
Advanced Manufacturing
Aerospace remains a significant industry for both Global and UK manufacturing, with ever increasing trends towards lightweighting and innovative technologies supporting greener flying patterns. Precision machining of metallic components remains a foundation corner stone of the industry with ever more complex geometries and materials requiring innovative manufacturing solutions. AML Sheffield has continued to position itself in this market sector over the years continually improving its machining capabilities to meet these challenges, creating machined components that satisfy the AS9100 standard.
AML’s technology based approach as an advanced manufacturing supplier differentiates from other manufacturers due to its:
- In-house adaptive machining algorithms to achieve the tightest of tolerances
- Aerospace Material Specialisations – Titanium, Nickel Based Superalloys, Softer Alloys inc. Aluminium
- Established laboratory partners for process approval
- Extensive quality management system to meet the demands of the biggest in the industry
AML’s high performance machining services follow all industry standards and create the highest quality precision components. Contact AML today to access our engineering milling, and precision machining capabilities.
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