4-axis milling shares similarities with 3-axis machining, where a cutting tool shapes and profiles a piece by removing material. However, 4-axis machining introduces milling on an additional axis. A 4-axis CNC machine operates on the X, Y, and Z axes like its 3-axis counterpart, but it also adds rotation around the X-axis, known as the A-axis, as the fourth axis in the machining process. Typically, the workpiece rotates to facilitate cutting around the B-axis.
This method proves valuable when creating holes and cut-outs on the side of a piece or around a cylinder, offering efficient results driven by precise computer numerical inputs.
Conventional CNC or manual milling machines usually feature three axes: X, Y, and Z. In a standard setup, X represents left to right, Y denotes front to back, and Z indicates up and down. While the bed on some machines may move, programming or manual operation assumes the bed and the product are stationary, with only the cutter in motion.
A 3-axis VMC (Vertical Machining Center), for instance, can mill slots, drill holes, and work on the face of a part, with the cutter maintaining a vertical orientation. With the addition of a fourth axis, typically rotating around the X-axis, operations expand to include holes and slots on the front and back of products.
At Shakthi Sree Automation Solutions, our capabilities extend further, enabling cutter rotation around the part. Here, the product remains stationary while the cutter rotates around the X-axis, introducing the A-axis. To address the need for holes and slots on the sides of products, another axis of rotation is introduced. This complexity arises when the A-axis is at zero, positioning the fifth axis perpendicular to the Z-axis, with the cutter again in a vertical orientation. While seemingly intricate, this setup allows for versatile machining, even with a rotating spindle.