Can Any Machine Shop Make Aerospace Components?

By Author: Rudy Silva
Total Articles: 776
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Manufacturing aerospace components is not easy. It requires the right technology and the necessary skills. Depending on the application and the materials used, the process for manufacturing aircraft parts vary.

One common method is the CNC machining part. In this method, the material used to make the aerospace parts is plastic. The CNC machine is used to cut out a piece of material from the entire work piece. Many kinds of CNC machines are used.

In CNC turning, the part is revolved around a lathe and is cut by a device that moves along. In CNC milling, the rotating cutter does the job of cutting the piece. There is also the Jig boring, which is a type of high-precision vertical milling. If pulling or pushing a cutter is involved, broaching is what you call the process. The broach is a linear cutting tool having many teeth.

All the machines today are controlled by a computer which feeds on a tape fit for a specific part. This machine saves time and makes possible swift machining of shapes that are complex and previously done by forging, casting and assemblage of many parts.

The Sheet metal spinning ...
... is another process of manufacturing aerospace components. Sheet metal spinning is already called ancient. Its counterpart today is flow turning. In flow turning, the work piece, such as a flat disc, is forced by rollers controlled by computer to shape around a mandrel.

A mandrel is a revolving die located on the center of the rollers. With this method, it is possible to produce shapes like conical or cylindrical with no joint.

In aerospace grinding, the cutting of parts is initiated by millions of very hard particles which are projected in a microscope from the surface of a drum or a wheel. There is also called electrolytic grinding which has the wheel powered by electricity. Here, the work piece is submerged into a container filled with electrolyte.

The revolving wheel does not make contact with the work piece, but definitely eradicates the small particles by electrochemical reaction. Then, the revolving wheel takes out the by-products which hinder the reaction.

Aerospace pressings are among the traditional techniques of shaping aircraft parts. In this process, the parts are shaped from sheet metal. To do this, the high-strength metals such as the ones used in gas turbines are pressed at high temperature. During this time, the metal warps, springs back, twists or deforms, and thus, handwork is needed to make the appropriate shape.

One type of isothermal presswork that is done is using heated dies of ceramic and of metal as they continuously produce correct stress-free shapes. There is also the process of hot blow forming to achieve better by products. Here, the sheet metal is forced into a die at high argon pressure using microprocessor control to keep the proper strain-rate. The argon is among the inert gases that never reacts with metals even in their melted state.

Certainly, with today's modern technology, it is possible to create shapes that best fit aerospace components.

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