In order to meet the user's requirements for production efficiency and processing accuracy, researchers and equipment manufacturers are trying to break through the limitations of traditional milling, drilling, turning, grinding and other processing methods. Along with the continuous improvement and improvement of traditional processing technologies, various novel cutting technologies and processing methods are also emerging. Here are some of the modern processing technologies that have been successfully applied, and many new processing methods are under research and development.

Laser cutting

Since lasers were first introduced in the 1960s, their types, sizes, and applications have continued to expand. Current research and development of laser technology and equipment focuses on: 1 improving user friendliness and ease of operation; 2 easy maintenance; 3 improving “plug and play” capabilities; 4 reducing the size of equipment for medical and electronics applications; Accuracy; 6 Adapts niche production and mass production flexibility.
For more than two decades, laser processing technology has become an important part of sheet metal processing. The ever-increasing laser power has greatly increased productivity. In addition, laser processing equipment also has many different design features.
Trumpf, a world-renowned manufacturer of laser processing equipment, attaches great importance to the versatility of laser processing equipment, and has always provided users with two-dimensional and three-dimensional laser cutting systems. Since laser processing is extremely flexible, it can well solve the dilemma faced by many corporate managers - whether it is a "niche market" for single-piece and small-batch processing or is it mass production? Trumpf's 3D laser machining system can be easily customized to any of the two types of machining described above. In the mass-produced automotive industry, this system is used for the precise cutting of automobile bodies, with clean cuts and without the HAZ problem. The use of laser cutting capabilities can simplify the manufacturing process for the same model car body. For example, a laser machining system can cut out the position of a car's steering wheel in the final production process, whether it is on the left or right side of the body. With a laser cut off the roof, you can turn a car into a convertible. By adding a few weldments, the car can be turned into a pickup. This can reduce the number of body stamping dies and operators, greatly increasing productivity, that is, laser machining systems can be manufactured flexibly without tools.
Trumpf can also provide laser cutting machines and laser benders for the processing plant, making it easier to manufacture box-like structural components. First, the metal plate is cut with a laser cutting machine, and then the laser bending machine is used to shape the workpiece. The latest technological advancement is the addition of a laser welding station in the sheet metal processing plant.
Another application of 3D laser cutting systems in the automotive industry is the cutting of high strength steels. In order to increase the strength of automotive parts and reduce their weight, automakers are increasingly using more tough metal materials. However, the problem is that these materials are very difficult to cut, resulting in a sharp increase in the wear rate of the tool, so that the conventional machining process cannot be used to achieve economical processing.
Trumpf lasers can easily and quickly achieve complex cutting without subsequent secondary machining. One of the major issues that needs to be addressed in the development of such laser processing systems is the accumulation of errors, including errors in the workpiece, errors in the laser system, and errors in the workpiece holding system. The workpiece clamping problem further complicates matters. Since there is no hole on the workpiece that can be used for safe and reliable clamping, a special fixture needs to be designed to ensure that the workpiece does not cause any deformation during processing.
A CO2 laser processing system with a five-axis motion manipulator has been put into use. Laser power of 3000 to 6000 W can be selected depending on the type and thickness of the workpiece material. In order to achieve the required processing speed for automotive production, this laser processing system integrates a rotary workpiece clamping system that allows the laser to operate stably.

Laser assisted processing

Laser-assisted processing is a processing technology that people have been studying for a long time, and now the technology has begun to move out of the laboratory and put into practical use. During processing, the laser beam is projected onto the workpiece by means of an optical fiber or other beam-transmitting device, just in front of the tool. The heat generated by the laser softens the workpiece and makes it easy to cut. This method can be used for the machining of difficult-to-machine materials such as Inconel, Waspaloy, or ceramics. For example, laser-assisted machine tools can cut ceramic materials as easily as cutting butter, and can obtain high-quality machined surfaces (surface roughness up to Ra 0.5 μm or better).
In laser-assisted machining, conventional CBN tools or ceramic tools can be used, and tool life can be greatly extended because the workpiece material becomes easy to cut.
Since the laser beam used for heating is tightly focused, the range of heating is limited to around the actual cutting area. Heat will be carried away by the chips, so the physical properties of the material will not be changed by heating. During cutting, the power of the laser can be adjusted to match the contour of the workpiece being cut. Laser heating generally uses semiconductor lasers or CO2 lasers with power levels of 200-500 W.
There are two problems that need to be solved in the promotion and application of laser assisted processing. One is the technical problem, that is, how to determine the cutting parameters (including laser power and focus, cutting feed rate, cutting speed, etc.) at the beginning of processing. The other is the recognition problem, that is, how to make people understand the working principle and usage of laser-assisted processing, and make them believe that applying this technology can bring many benefits.

Water jet/EDM compound processing

MC Machinery Systems has introduced a unique method of processing, they will be two kinds of non-conventional cutting process - waterjet (waterjet, commonly known as "high-pressure water jet" or "waterjet" - translation) and EDM Grouped together as an independent manufacturing unit. This Mitsubishi water jet system is specially designed for machining with EDM and has a composite machining function. The idea of ​​this machine is to first perform rough machining with water jets and remove the blank allowance, and then move the workpiece to the EDM for final finishing. Experiments show that this compound processing system can reduce all processing steps by 28%.
Now it has been able to provide 2- to 5-axis series water jet processing system. All machine tools are powered by a 60 hp (45 kW) motor, which can provide high-pressure water with a pressure of 60,000 psi (420 MPa) for processing.
Most water jet equipment manufacturers have realized that when processing manufacturers fully appreciate the multifunctional advantages of this technology, they will form an ever-expanding demand market. There is still a need to further improve the advanced nature of the water jet control system, especially the machining state diagnostics of the machine tool, including the monitoring of the pump performance and the necessity of maintenance. With the further improvement of machine reliability and working water pressure, multi-cutting head machining is becoming increasingly popular. Currently, 60,000 psi water pressure has become more common in the entire water jet processing field, and related technologies using higher water pressures are being developed. For this reason, it is necessary to study the effect of increasing the water pressure on the cutting speed and the machine performance as well as the processing cost. In addition, the ease of maintenance that can reduce processing aid time is also important for the development of new models, while improving the surface finish of water jet cutting means that there is no need for secondary finishing of the workpiece surface.
With the development of ultra-high pressure water jet technology, the process water pressure will continue to increase beyond the current level. Other changes include: As more understanding of the impact of ultra-high water pressure on the performance and life of existing machine components, people will continue to improve the design of these components. For example, Jet Edge recently introduced a redesigned ultra-high pressure booster pump based on the iP60-50 booster pump. This booster pump is smaller and easier to servo control, while also extending the working life of machine components (such as seals and check valves), which can be used without sacrificing the performance of the water jet system. Save on processing costs.
Although water jet processing is a relatively new cutting technology, it is now considered a "mainstream" process and is rapidly expanding into the traditional metal cutting market. More importantly, water jet and abrasive water jet machining is breaking through the traditional metal cutting processing field and has begun to enter other processing fields, including cutting of building materials (such as stone, tiles, etc.) and soft materials (such as gaskets, fabrics, etc.) ) And food. With the development of water jet technology, the processing water pressure will continue to increase, so that more cutting heads can be installed on each work bench, and the production efficiency will also be greatly improved.
In the near future, it will be possible to integrate more motion control on the cutting head, so that the machine tool has greater processing flexibility, which can complete the cutting work that now requires multiple machines or multiple installations. It can be foreseen that the market demand for multi-tasking processing systems that integrate water jets, abrasive jet cutting heads, and other cutting processes such as plasma and lasers will increase. In addition, using the STEP technology programming language to upgrade the software development platform is also worth the wait.

Processing of vermicular cast iron (CGI)

Some advanced processing techniques come from improvements to existing processing technologies. For example, engineers at Makino face the technical challenges of processing vermicular cast iron (CGI) and must revolutionize the traditional process.
Although vermicular graphite cast iron has many advantages in theory, it needs to overcome a large number of technical problems to manufacture it into a practical product. The main pressure is how to make the processing of vermicular cast iron easier, especially for the machining of diesel engine blocks. The wear characteristics of vermicular cast iron is its main advantage over other types of cast iron materials, and it is also the main reason for its difficult processing.
In order to simplify the processing of vermicular cast iron, Makino engineers worked with the tool engineers of Sandvik Coromant to optimize and improve the traditional diesel engine milling process, and added a cylinder based on its Flush Fine finishing process. Kong Jingjing technology. This new processing method allows engine manufacturers to process vermicular cast iron at cutting speeds close to that of grey cast iron.
Combining process planning with precise machine tools, spiral feed paths, and precise control of honing feeds, extremely tight dimensional tolerances can be achieved, resulting in high surface quality so that no further machining is required before honing finishing. The application of new technology is very likely to completely cancel the semi-finishing process, and all tools and machine tools used in the process will also be saved. The carbide cutting tools used for cutting are specifically designed and manufactured using Sandvik's dense tooth cutter technology.

Low temperature liquid nitrogen cooling auxiliary processing

The application of -195°C liquid nitrogen as a coolant to conventional turning operations can effectively reduce the cutting zone temperature and improve the processing conditions. The use of cryogenic liquid nitrogen cooling has many advantages compared to the use of water-based, oil-based, or synthetic coolants, especially when processing hard materials and as a means to extend tool life. This kind of processing method has already begun to put into commercial application nowadays.
Hardinge introduced this new low-temperature hard turning process called "Icefly" for Quest CNC turning centers. By introducing liquid nitrogen into the cutting zone for cooling, the ceramic blade can be made stronger and durable, which can shorten the cutting time and extend the tool life. This process is very suitable for the machining of difficult-to-machine materials (such as hardened steel, wear-resistant alloys, carbide workpieces, etc.).
The Icefly cryogenic cooling system was originally developed by Air Products, and now Hardinge has refined and refined it based on actual processing needs. During turning, the system can spray a liquid nitrogen jet at -195°C directly onto the insert, which increases the hardness of the insert, significantly reducing the heat softening effect of the hard turning cutting heat on the insert. A sharply decreasing temperature gradient between the knife/chip interface and the blade body also contributes to heat dissipation in the cutting zone. In addition, the effective cooling can maintain the integrity of the cutting edge of the blade, prevent "tailing" phenomenon and form a thermo-compression layer on the surface of the workpiece, which can improve the quality and finish of the machined surface. Hard turning is usually done with CBN and PCBN inserts, but for many processes they are considered too expensive. By applying cryogenic liquid nitrogen cooling technology, more inexpensive ceramic blades can be used in hard turning operations.
In dry hard turning or wet hard turning with water (oil) based coolant, CBN and PCBN ceramic inserts are prone to uneven wear and chipping. Cryogenic liquid nitrogen cooling enhances the fracture toughness of the insert and allows the ceramic insert to exhibit more predictable rake face progressive wear patterns while doubling the cutting speed. This predictable uniform wear of the rake face also makes it possible to use alumina ceramic inserts for demanding finishing operations.
Liquid nitrogen can be stored in a small dedicated cylinder next to the processing machine, or it can be stored in a larger container and used to feed multiple machines at the same time. The design of the fluid supply system is similar to the traditional coolant system. A flexible liquid nitrogen transfer tube is connected to the turret of the lathe through a swivel joint. Liquid nitrogen is supplied to the nozzle clamped on the tool, and the spray nozzle directs liquid nitrogen toward the tip of the insert.
The cryogenic liquid nitrogen cooling system can be used for turning hardened steels, hard composites and powder metallurgy workpieces. Since nitrogen as an inert gas evaporates when it comes into contact with the blade, it does not produce any residue, which is particularly advantageous for porous powder metallurgy workpieces. In the past, such workpieces often require cleaning after processing to remove the workpieces. Residual coolant.
Nitrogen is a safe, non-flammable, non-corrosive gas that quickly evaporates and re-enters the air without any contamination of the workpiece, swarf, machine tools, or residues that are harmful to the operator, thus eliminating any processing costs at all. .
An equipment supplier encountered great difficulties in processing a hard alloy workpiece. The 11% cobalt-containing workpiece has a length of about 216 mm and a diameter of 70 mm. It used to be rough ground and then ground. It took only 4 hours to grind only. Hardinge decided to use the Icefly system to hard-work the workpiece. As a result, only a single cutting edge of the insert would be able to complete a pass of approximately 6 times the length of the workpiece (1219 mm). The cutting speed can reach about 24m/min. Each pass takes only about 4 minutes. In order to remove the 0.015mm margin, 3 passes are required. That is, the entire hard turning processing time is about 12 to 15 minutes. It takes only 4 hours for rough grinding, and then it needs to be ground again.

Focused ion beam processing

The National Institute of Science and Technology is researching and developing a variety of advanced machining and cutting technologies. Among them, the focused ion beam (FIB) milling technology has an extremely important influence in the nano/micron processing field. This technology can use the focused ion beam to "cut" the surface of the workpiece to produce micro-profiles and micropores. The ion beam focused on the workpiece can be as small as 6 nm in diameter and can be controlled with submicron resolution. The FIB can be used to remove the workpiece material in a "sputtering" manner with almost no limitation on the type of material. In industrial applications, FIB technology is used in semiconductor manufacturing to diagnose and repair integrated circuits. In addition, researchers are using this technology to prepare three-dimensional nanostructures.
Engineers at the National Institute of Technology's manufacturing measurement division are exploring the use of FIB technology as a means of adding subtle features to the workpiece. FIB can process micropores as small as 10nm with material removal rates ranging from minutes to hours. At present, the low material removal rate is one of the main disadvantages of the FIB process. With this level of removal rate, the redeposition of sputtered material is a big problem. Engineers envisage that the near-net shape of the workpiece can be first machined through a conventional process, and then micro-scale and sub-micron-scale microstructures can be added to the workpiece using FIB.
FIB processing technology is not a mainstream processing technology, but it has practical value beyond its academic significance in the manufacture of fine structures.

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