Machining in digitized production
Machining is a collective term for a number of subtractive manufacturing processes. Machining – also called metal cutting – removes excess material from the workpiece by turning, milling, drilling, or grinding. This gives the part a specific geometric shape.
Our human ancestors already made use of the cutting process. Their "machines" were their hands and stone tools, such as the hand axe, with which they scraped and drilled. The first metal tools were used in ancient times. They were used to work wood by filing, planing and turning. In the course of industrialization, various machining processes took over the main role in the production of components with special geometry.
Machining methods through the ages
Subtractive manufacturing processes continue to evolve and create new possibilities. In today's increasingly digitized manufacturing environment, CNC machines have become indispensable for machining, turning, milling and drilling blanks. However, the full potential of modern machine tool design is far from exhausted.
The trend towards fewer components and more complex products
Where once there were separate machine tools for each machining process, the technologies are increasingly merging. In subtractive manufacturing, CNC milling machines and CNC lathes are joined by complex turn/mill centers that provide highly efficient complete machining of components. High-speed milling improves the surface quality of components. The high-speed spindles specially developed and manufactured by DMG MORI, such as the speedMASTER 30 k, are particularly suitable for machining tools with small diameters. Modern ultrasonic technology is used when maximum machining precision is required. Even difficult-to-machine, brittle-hard materials such as glass, ceramics, hard metals and fiber composites can be efficiently processed. Grinding, cutting and non-cutting technologies such as laser ablation can also be easily integrated.
The abundance of manufacturing processes and the versatility of machines have meant that workpieces have changed as much as the manufacturing technology. The trend is clear: the number of components used in a product is decreasing and the final product is becoming more and more complex.
High Precision Machining with µPrecision by DMG MORI
Machining and additive manufacturing: The best of both worlds
Layer by layer to the finished part - with advanced 3D printing. Additive processes, such as prototyping with 3D printed plastics, are becoming increasingly popular in the machine tool industry. Additive manufacturing of metal parts is also possible with professional metal 3D printers. Although innovative 3D printing applications will probably never replace machining, the process is seen as a valuable addition to modern value chains. Additive manufacturing is ushering in a new era of CNC machining.
DMG MORI offers a powerful portfolio of CNC metal cutting machines and additive manufacturing processes. Professional metal 3D printers, such as the LASERTEC SLM series machines for powder bed manufacturing and the LASERTEC DED models that print with a powder nozzle, represent innovative manufacturing technologies from the global full-liner. The machine tool manufacturer's LASERTEC DED hybrid series goes one step further and produces 3D printed components in finished part quality. It combines additive manufacturing and 5-axis simultaneous milling in one workspace for maximum design flexibility. With more than 50 machine series, suitable automation solutions and an extensive range of digital products, DMG MORI is a pioneer in helping customers to achieve future-proof manufacturing.