I. Manufacturing Process
This product is an integrated aluminum alloy base for industrial equipment. It has a complex, irregular structure containing multiple positioning posts, mounting cavities, and precision holes. It requires a balance between structural rigidity and assembly accuracy. The core process utilizes a forged blank + five-axis CNC machining + surface protection treatment. The specific process is as follows:
1. Raw Material Selection: 6061-T6 aluminum alloy is selected (high overall strength, excellent machinability, suitable for the stress requirements of industrial equipment); for heavy-duty applications, 7075-T6 aerospace aluminum alloy can be selected, using forged aluminum blanks (eliminating internal porosity and improving structural density).
2. Blank Pretreatment: The forged aluminum blank undergoes solution treatment and aging (530℃ solution treatment + 175℃ artificial aging) to eliminate internal stress; after being cut to length by a CNC saw, rough datum machining is performed by plane milling to ensure subsequent clamping accuracy.
3. Five-Axis CNC Precision Machining:
◦ Utilizing a five-axis CNC machining center, cavity milling, locating pin forming, hole drilling/boring, and thread machining are completed in a single setup, ensuring coaxiality and perpendicularity during multi-station machining.
◦ A combination of precision milling and grinding is used on mounting surfaces; gun drilling and reaming are employed for deep/blind holes to improve hole wall finish.
◦ Vacuum fixtures and support pins are used for thin-walled and cantilevered sections to prevent machining deformation; pallet-type fixtures are used for automated loading and unloading in mass production.
4. Surface Treatment:
◦ Natural Passivation: A chromium-plating/chromium-free passivation process is used to form a 5-8μm protective layer, enhancing corrosion resistance (resisting oil and coolant corrosion in industrial environments);
◦ Hard Anodizing: Key moving/mating surfaces undergo 15-20μm hard anodizing, achieving a hardness ≥HV400, enhancing wear resistance;
◦ Threaded Hole Protection: Plastic protective plugs are installed in the threaded holes after machining to prevent chips and impurities from entering during subsequent processes.
5. Inspection and Trial Assembly: Full-dimensional inspection using a coordinate measuring machine is conducted to specifically verify the coaxiality of the positioning columns and the cavity contour; assembly and trial fitting with the equipment module are performed to test installation gaps and positioning accuracy.
II. Machining Accuracy
This base is a core load-bearing component of the industrial equipment. Its accuracy must match the precision transmission and positioning requirements of the equipment. Key specifications are as follows:
1. Dimensional Accuracy:
◦ Positioning pin diameter tolerance: h6 grade (0/-0.011mm), ensuring a clearance fit with the equipment module;
◦ Mounting hole position accuracy: ≤0.02mm, threaded hole accuracy is 6H grade, suitable for high-precision bolt connections;
◦ Cavity internal dimensional tolerance: ±0.03mm, meeting the installation clearance requirements of internal components;
◦ Overall external contour tolerance: ±0.05mm, adapting to the installation space of the entire equipment.
2. Geometric Tolerances:
◦ Flatness of mounting surfaces: ≤0.02mm/100mm, reducing assembly clearance of equipment modules;
◦ Perpendicularity of the locating post axis to the mating surface: ≤0.01mm, ensuring vertical accuracy of module installation;
◦ Cavity contour: ≤0.03mm, ensuring fit with internal components;
◦ Coaxiality of multiple sets of holes: ≤0.02mm, ensuring smooth assembly of pipes/shafts.
3. Surface Finishes:
◦ Roughness of mounting surfaces: Ra0.4~0.8μm, reducing frictional resistance of mating surfaces;
◦ Roughness of the inner wall of the cavity: Ra1.6μm, preventing scratches to internal components;
◦ Roughness of non-mating surfaces: Ra3.2~6.3μm, meeting basic usage and protection requirements.
III. Industry Applications
These industrial equipment aluminum alloy precision bases, with their high rigidity, high precision, and lightweight characteristics, are widely used in industrial fields such as automation equipment and precision instruments. Core applications include:
1. Automated Production Equipment:
◦ Tooling fixture bases for 3C product assembly lines, chip carrier bases for semiconductor packaging equipment, with high-precision machining to meet the assembly needs of microelectronic products;
◦ End effector bases for industrial robots, positioning bases for conveyor systems, with lightweight design improving equipment motion response speed.
2. Precision Testing Instruments:
◦ Worktable bases for image measuring instruments, optical path positioning bases for laser testing equipment, with high flatness and coaxiality ensuring testing accuracy;
◦ Sample clamping bases for material testing machines, with high-strength aluminum alloy adaptable to the mechanical testing stress requirements of various materials.
3. New Energy Equipment:
◦ Cell positioning bases for lithium battery production equipment and platform bases for photovoltaic module testing equipment, with corrosion-resistant treatment to adapt to the chemical environment of battery/photovoltaic production;
◦ Core module mounting bases for charging piles, combining structural rigidity and electromagnetic shielding.
4. Medical Equipment:
◦ Detector mounting bases for medical imaging equipment and sample rack positioning bases for biochemical analyzers, high-precision machining to meet the accuracy requirements of medical testing;
◦ Transmission mechanism bases for rehabilitation equipment, combining lightweight design with high rigidity to ensure patient safety and flexibility.
