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Project Background
At the end of last year, we received an order from a domestic aerospace research institute to machine a set of lightweight satellite structural parts, totaling 8 pieces. The material used was TC4 titanium alloy, with most of the tolerances required to be within ±0.008mm. Due to the weight reduction requirement, many of the parts had a wall thickness of only 1.5mm, making the machining process extremely difficult.
Customer's Challenges
The customer had previously approached another supplier and had test machined two pieces. However, due to deformation issues, the success rate was only 25%, and the delivery time was delayed. By the time they came to us, the project timeline was already tight, and they required delivery of all 8 pieces within 10 days.
Our Solution
Upon receiving the drawings, our engineering team first conducted a machining process simulation and discovered that deformation was mainly due to stress release in the thin-walled structures. We adjusted the machining sequence:
- Roughing: Left extra material to prevent early deformation.
- Stress-relieving: Used special techniques to eliminate stress.
- Semi-finishing and Finishing: Ensured high precision in final dimensions.
We also adopted step-by-step toolpaths with small cutting increments to avoid stress deformation. Given the complex curved surfaces, we employed 5-axis machining in a single setup to process all surfaces, ensuring positional accuracy while reducing machining time.