5-Axis CNC Machining

Five-axis machining lets us reach five faces of a part in one clamping. For impellers, turbine blades, orthopaedic implants and any part with a compound-curved surface, that means no re-fixturing error, no datum transfer between operations, and tolerances that hold across features on opposite sides of the component.

Capabilities

Machining centres	2 × simultaneous 5-axis
Working envelope	Ø 650 × 500 mm
Standard tolerance	±0.01 mm (±0.005 mm on request)
Surface finish	Ra 0.8 µm as machined, Ra 0.4 µm on request
Materials	Aluminium, stainless steel, titanium, brass, copper, engineering plastics
Programming	CAM with full 5-axis toolpath simulation and collision check
Inspection	CMM with 20 ±1 °C temperature control, full dimensional report
Lead time	10–20 working days, prototypes from 5 days

Typical parts

Impellers and turbine wheels
Orthopaedic implants and bone plates
Aerospace brackets and structural parts
Optical housings with angled bores
Moulds, electrodes and prototype tooling
Complex manifolds and fluid blocks

Why it matters

One setup, five faces

Every re-clamping introduces a fresh datum error. Machining five faces in one setup removes that error entirely — features on opposite sides of the part stay related to each other within a single tolerance chain.

Compound curves cut correctly

Impeller blades, turbine wheels and orthopaedic implants have surfaces that curve in two directions at once. The tool tilts to stay normal to the surface, so scallop height stays even and you get a real finish instead of a staircase.

Shorter tools, better finish

Tilting the head lets a short cutter reach a deep pocket. Shorter tools deflect less, so walls stay straight, chatter disappears and thin floors hold their thickness.

Simulation before steel

Every 5-axis programme runs through a full machine simulation with collision and near-miss detection before it reaches the shop floor. Expensive parts are not where you discover a toolpath mistake.

Frequently asked questions

When is 5-axis worth the extra cost?

When the part needs features on more than three faces, when surfaces curve in two directions at once, or when the tolerance chain spans opposite sides of the component. If a part can be done accurately in two 3-axis setups, we will tell you that instead — 5-axis is not automatically better.

Is it true 5-axis or 3+2 positional?

Both, depending on what the geometry needs. True simultaneous 5-axis is used for blades and free-form surfaces; 3+2 positional is used when you simply need to reach an angled face with a rigid, short tool. We state which approach a part needs on the quotation.

What file do you need for a 5-axis quote?

A 3D solid model (STEP or IGES) is best — 5-axis toolpaths are generated from the solid, not from a 2D drawing. Send the STEP file plus a PDF drawing that marks the critical tolerances and surface finishes. We return a manufacturability review and a firm price within 24 working hours.

Can you machine titanium and Inconel on 5-axis?

Yes. We run Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-4V ELI routinely for medical and aerospace parts, and we machine stainless 17-4PH and 316L. For nickel-based superalloys, tell us the grade on the enquiry — cutting parameters and tooling are quoted case by case.