Lesson 1Key process steps: setup, roughing, finishing, inspection, deburring, cleaningThis part breaks down the CNC work into important steps like preparing the machine, rough cutting, semi-finish cutting, final finishing, removing rough edges, cleaning, and checking quality, explaining what each step aims to do, what goes in, what comes out, and usual tools or papers used at every point.
Preparing materials and jobs before setupSetting up the machine and checking holdersRough cutting to remove big piecesSemi-finishing to shape featuresFinal finishing, edges, and smooth qualityRemoving burrs, cleaning, and last checksLesson 2Data to gather before redesign: volumes, batch size, order variability, supplier lead times, floor space and workforce capabilitiesHere we list the work data needed before changing the process, like how much is demanded, sizes of batches, changes in orders, time from suppliers, space on the floor, number of workers, their skills, and work shifts, to make sure improvements are possible in real life.
How much is needed and types of productsBatch sizes, grouping, and switching timesChanges in orders and demand patternsTime from suppliers and their trustSpace available and layout limitsWorker skills, shifts, and ability to changeLesson 3Typical workflow for precision aluminum housings from billet to finished partThis part follows the full work flow for making precise aluminum housings, starting from getting the raw metal block, through planning programs, setting up, rough cutting, finishing, checking, and sending out, pointing out how information moves, handovers between people, and usual papers used.
Specs for raw metal and first checksComputer planning and process stepsSetup, holding, and starting pointsRough cutting plans and tool choicesFinish cuts and checks during workLast checks, packing, and sendingLesson 4Typical part assumptions: sizes, wall thicknesses, tolerances, surface finish requirementsThis part explains usual features of aluminum housings, like overall sizes, thickness of walls, allowed measurement errors, flatness and position needs, targets for smooth surfaces, and how these ideas affect choosing processes and seeing risks.
Common sizes and shapes of housingsWall thickness and strength limitsSize and shape error allowancesFlatness, straightness, and positionsSmoothness levels and looksImportant parts and reference pointsLesson 5Quality issues and failure modes: geometric tolerance stack-up, surface integrity, burrs, residual stress, coolant contaminationHere we review common quality problems in CNC aluminum housings, like errors building up in measurements, shape and position mistakes, surface damage, rough edges forming, leftover stresses, and dirt from coolants that can cause redoing work, throwing away parts, or failures later.
Size errors and building up allowancesShape, position, and wobble problemsSurface strength, shakes, and tool marksRough edges forming, removing, and missesLeftover stress, bending, and warpingCoolant dirt and clean risksLesson 6Root causes of high cost and lead time: machine utilization, cycle inefficiencies, long setups, tool life, material removal ratesThis part finds the main reasons for high costs and long waits, like machines not used well, much time not cutting, bad tool paths, long setup times, careful cutting speeds, tool breaking early, and uneven ways to remove material.
Machine use and low efficiency scoresCutting time vs waiting time partsSetup time, changes, and quick methodsTool life limits and sudden breaksMaterial removal speed and chip sizePlanning, lines, and wait lossesLesson 7Primary manufacturing metrics to collect: cycle time, takt, throughput, scrap, first-pass yield, cost-per-partThis part defines main measures for making CNC housings, like time per cycle, needed speed, output amount, waste parts, reworks, success on first try, cost for each part, and how well capacity is used, and shows how to check and understand each one.
Parts of cycle time and how to measureNeeded time, demand, and balanceOutput, work in progress, and block pointsWaste, redo, and fault typesFirst success rate and total outputCost per part and what drives itLesson 8Common machine types, tooling, fixturing, coolant and chip managementThis part looks at usual CNC machine types, tools, holders, coolant systems, and ways to handle chips for aluminum housings, connecting choices of equipment to strength, accuracy, heat control, uptime, and easy upkeep.
3-axis vs 5-axis machine choicesSpindles, holders, and tools for aluminumHolding work, clamps, and special setupsCoolant kinds, flow, and cleaningRemoving chips, belts, and storageUpkeep and trust in working
