CNC process breakthrough for aerospace difficult-to-machine materials
CNC machining of titanium alloys (Ti6Al4V), Inconel 718 and superalloys has been a difficult point in the industry. The main problems include high cutting temperature, fast tool wear, work hardening and poor surface integrity. The main breakthroughs in 2026 come from two aspects: low temperature cooling technology and adaptive cutting parameters. Liquid nitrogen assisted cutting (spraying -196C liquid nitrogen directly into the cutting zone) can reduce the cutting temperature by more than 70% and improve the tool life by 2-3 times. At the same time, adaptive feed adjustment based on vibration monitoring can effectively suppress the common chatter of difficult-to-machine materials. Another important advance is the development of high-performance coated tools, such as TiAlN + MoS2 composite coating, which can reduce the coefficient of friction to less than 0.15. The actual machining data shows that after the above combination technology, the cutting speed of titanium alloy can be increased from 40m/min to 80m/min, and the metal removal rate can be doubled. For aero-engine blades, casings and structural parts, these breakthroughs mean shorter lead times and lower costs. In addition, the hybrid process of electrochemical machining and CNC has also begun to be applied to aircraft accident machining materials for machining cooling holes and special-shaped grooves.
