Carbon fiber material has largely replaced aluminum in the aerospace industry. Industry leaders, Airbus and Boeing, prefer carbon fiber because it’s stronger than steel and half the weight. Using carbon fiber material also can save a company a tremendous amount of money in labor costs. Carbon fiber cloth can be manufactured to cover large areas removing the need for riveted seams, and connection hardware, which are much more labor intensive, thus adding to the manufacturing cost.
However, having the right material is only part of the equation - being able to process these materials correctly is essential to manufacturing success. Machining composites can be challenging, due to variations in the fiber reinforcement material and the types of matrix resin used. Managing different tools, feed rates, and spindle speeds is required to maintain the integrity of the material during the fabrication process. Use of the incorrect tool can result in damaging, splintering or delaminating of the composite material, causing the layers to separate.
Diversified Machine Systems’ 3 axis and 5 axis CNC machining centers are ideally suited for use in composites manufacturing because of their renowned precision, structural integrity and flexibility. Our machines can be customized to exacting specifications and parameters, in order to meet any set of production requirements including the machining, trimming and drilling of composites commonly used in aerospace applications.
DMS Machining Centers Optional Features include:
- Pressurized Lube Air/Oil Systems (helps to drastically reduce bearing failure)
- Controller Upgrades
- Custom Z Axis Height Options
- Advanced Dust Collection Systems
- Custom Tool Change Racks
At DMS, our mission is to simplify the complex.
Learn more about the use of composite materials in the Aerospace and Transportation industries.
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