Comparison of 3-axis machining and 4-axis machining

2019-11-20 16:22


Milling   is an important technology for CNC precision machining and has been applied tomedical, aerospace, optical and other mechanical parts. Milling uses a rotarytool to remove material from the workpiece by feeding the workpiece at an anglerelative to the tool axis. The axis of the milling machine determines the typeof workpiece and the position that can be done on the workpiece. Here, let'stake a look at the cnc 3 axis, cnc 4 axis machining methods, their differences,and which machining method to choose for your part.

What is the cnc 3 axis machining?

The cnc3 axis milling is a practice of rotating boring, which is the process ofmilling on the X and Y axes. In cnc 3 axis machining, the workpiece remainsstationary while the cutting tool moves along three axes to mill the part. cnc 3axis machining is still one of the most widely used techniques formanufacturing machine parts and can be used for automatic/interactiveoperation, milling, drilling and cutting sharp edges. Since cnc 3 axismachining is performed on only 3 axis, it is relatively simple, and materialscan be removed from the front, rear, left, right, up and down, and up and downdirections.

Althoughthis is the most basic machining process, cnc 3 axis machining may be ideal foryour machining project, depending on your production scale, workpiecerequirements, accuracy and finish limits, materials used and clampingcapabilities.

Whatis cnc 4 axis machining?

cnc 4 axismilling involves the same process as three-axis machining, in which a cuttingtool is used to remove material from the workpiece to produce the desired shapeand contour. However, in four-axis machining, milling is performed on anadditional shaft. The 4-axis CNC machine runs on the X, Y and Z axes like a3-axis machine, but it also includes rotation around the X-axis (called theA-axis). This is the cnc 4 axis we added during the machining process. In mostcases, the workpiece will rotate to allow cutting around the B axis.


cnc 4 axis milling is useful when you need to punch or cut holes in the sidesor cylinders of the workpiece. They can provide fast and efficient work basedon the computer's digital input to get accurate results.