In the world of manufacturing, precision machining is the backbone of producing high-quality, functional components for industries ranging from automation machinery to aerospace and medical devices. For businesses seeking custom machining solutions, understanding the core terminology of precision machining is the first step to effective communication with your machining partner and ensuring your project meets exact specifications.
At Bomei Precision Machining, we specialize in delivering tailored precision machining services for a wide range of components. To help you navigate the technical language of our industry, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to the most essential precision machining terms, organized by key categories for easy reference.
1. Core Machining Processes
These terms describe the fundamental techniques used to shape and form raw materials into finished parts— the building blocks of precision manufacturing.
- CNC Machining: Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining is an automated manufacturing process where pre-programmed computer software controls the movement of machining tools (e.g., lathes, mills, routers). It enables high precision, repeatability, and efficiency for both simple and complex parts, and is the cornerstone of Bomei’s service offerings.
- Turning: A subtractive manufacturing process where a cutting tool removes material from a rotating workpiece, typically used to create cylindrical parts like shafts, bushings, and pins. CNC turning is ideal for producing parts with high coaxiality requirements.
- Milling: A process that uses a rotating multi-point cutter to remove material from a stationary workpiece, capable of creating flat surfaces, slots, holes, and complex 3D geometries. 3-axis and 5-axis CNC milling are common for precision components in automation machinery.
- Wire EDM: Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (Wire EDM) is a non-contact process that uses a thin metal wire as an electrode to erode material from the workpiece via electrical discharges. It’s perfect for intricate shapes, hard materials, and parts that require no mechanical stress during machining.
- Swiss Screw Machining: A high-precision turning process designed for small, complex parts with tight tolerances, commonly used for miniature components in measuring instruments and medical devices.
2. Precision & Tolerance Terminology
Precision is the heart of machining, and these terms define the accuracy and consistency of finished parts—critical for components that must fit and function perfectly.
- Tolerance Control: The allowable variation in a part’s dimension, form, or position from the design specification. Tighter tolerances (e.g., ±0.001 mm) require more advanced equipment and skilled craftsmanship, a specialty of Bomei’s precision machining service.
- Coaxiality: A geometric tolerance that ensures multiple cylindrical features of a part share the same central axis, essential for shaft and bushing parts in rotating machinery.
- Flatness: A tolerance that specifies how much a surface can deviate from a perfect flat plane, critical for disc parts like flanges and mounting plates.
- Concentricity: The condition where the center of a circular feature (e.g., a hole or outer diameter) aligns with the center of another feature, vital for parts that require precise fitting with other components.
- Surface Finish (Ra): A measurement of the roughness of a part’s surface, expressed in micrometers (μm). Lower Ra values (e.g., 0.2 μm) indicate a smoother surface, which improves wear resistance and fit. Bomei achieves surface finishes tailored to each part’s functional requirements.
3. Material & Surface Treatment Terms
The choice of material and post-machining treatment directly impacts a part’s performance, durability, and appearance.
- Workpiece Material: The raw material used to produce a part, including metals (aluminum alloy, stainless steel, titanium, Inconel) and engineering plastics (POM, ABS, nylon). Bomei supports a wide range of materials to meet diverse industry needs.
- Heat Treatment: A process that alters the physical and mechanical properties of a material (e.g., hardness, toughness) through heating and cooling. Common treatments include quenching, tempering, and annealing, used to enhance the wear resistance of shaft and gear parts.
- Anodizing: An electrolytic process that creates a protective oxide layer on aluminum parts, improving corrosion resistance and adding a decorative finish.
- Powder Spraying: A surface coating process where dry powder is electrostatically applied to a part and cured in an oven, providing a durable, uniform finish for housing and frame parts.
- Electroplating: A process that deposits a thin layer of metal (e.g., nickel, chrome) onto a part’s surface, enhancing corrosion resistance, conductivity, or wear resistance.
4. Quality Control & Production Terms
These terms describe the processes and standards that ensure consistent quality across all production runs.
- ISO 9001: An international quality management standard that sets requirements for consistent product and service quality. Bomei is ISO 9001:2015 certified, demonstrating our commitment to rigorous quality control.
- CMM Inspection: Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) inspection is a precision measurement method that verifies a part’s dimensions and geometries against design specifications, used for final quality checks at Bomei.
- First-Article Inspection (FAI): A detailed inspection of the first part produced in a batch to confirm that the machining process meets design requirements before full-scale production begins.
- Prototype Production: The manufacturing of a small number of parts to validate a design before mass production, a service Bomei offers with fast turnaround times for early-stage project development.
- Small Batch Production: The manufacturing of a limited quantity of parts (typically 50–500 pieces) for low-volume applications or product testing, balancing precision and cost-effectiveness.
Why This Terminology Matters for Your Project
Understanding these precision machining terms empowers you to clearly communicate your project requirements, evaluate potential machining partners, and ensure your parts meet the performance and quality standards your application demands. At Bomei Precision Machining, our team is always available to explain technical terms, answer your questions, and translate your design specifications into high-quality machined parts.
Whether you’re a seasoned manufacturing professional or new to precision machining, we’re here to simplify the process and deliver results. Contact Bomei today to discuss your project, and let our expertise in CNC machined parts, tolerance control, and surface finish bring your design to life.
8619169854258
+86-769-89308850
