What Is the Difference Between a Cnc Milling Machine and a Machining Center? (2024)

What is the difference between aCNC Milling machine and a machining center? In fact, this problem is not only confusing to lay people, but many people in the industry are also confused.

Simply put, the machining center is an upgraded version of the CNC milling machine. If the CNC milling machine is likened to a steel saint, then the machining center is at the level of the golden saint.

In fact, there are three main differences between these two types of processing equipment:

01 The biggest difference is whether to bring a tool magazine

Ordinary CNC milling machines also have CNC operating systems (such as FANUC Japan, Siemens Germany, Central China or Guangshu etc.), as well as three feed axes and a rotating spindle. Their machining mode geometry is exactly the same, and also Basically the same processing capacity can be achieved.

The biggest difference between them is to see if the equipment is equipped with a tool magazine. The machining center is actually a CNC milling machine with a tool magazine. The machining center can realize one job of clamping and complete the work of multiple machining processes, such as milling and drilling. Tapping and so on, because it can realize automatic tool replacement, and in the continuous processing of multiple processes, the operator does not need manual intervention, as long as the program is prepared, the tool and the corresponding parameters can be configured. Already. However, the CNC milling machine is not the same. The CNC milling machine can also achieve multiple clamping processes at one time. The difference is that during the process conversion process, the tool must be changed manually, so the machining process is discontinuous, and it is interrupted at multiple levels. Execution, such processing is slightly inferior to the machining center in terms of processing quality and processing efficiency.

Therefore, when you see a piece of equipment in the future, you can judge whether it is a CNC milling machine or a cnc machining centerwith a tool magazine. This is a gold standard. .

02 Is it fully protected

In fact, this is not absolute for many equipments. Many CNC milling machines have gradually begun to make full-protection processing modes. Of course, there are also many old-style CNC milling machines that still use open processing methods or semi-protection processing. In a certain way, this is still different from the current machining center. Of course, this difference is not absolute (restatement).

In fact, this has a lot to do with the development of the equipment. In the initial stage of numerical control of processing equipment, in fact, many manufacturers do not pay much attention to appearance design and safety protection. They basically stay on the demand for functions, so many numerical control Milling machines have been made into an open form, or a good one is a semi-open form. Although this CNC milling machine does not have too many defects in function, it still exists in terms of processing safety and processing environment. Great shortcomings, for example, high-temperature iron filings generated during processing will splash on the human body and cause harm to the human body. The coolant used to cool the tool during the processing will also splash on the operator, soiling the operator's clothes, etc. Therefore, despite the development of production equipment, especially the invasion of high-end equipment from abroad, the design and manufacturing of processing equipment in China has also made strides towards a more humane, more beautiful, and more artistic road.

This is a process, and any progress requires a process. Product technology and product art are the unified requirements for industrial products in the future and the only way for the future development of industrial products.

What Is the Difference Between a Cnc Milling Machine and a Machining Center? (1)

Cnc Machining Center

03 Whether with automatic chip conveyor

This judgment standard is the same as the previous one. It is not an absolute judgment standard. It is also a mobile standard judged based on the development of processing equipment. The reason is also because of the hindsight function of the previous equipment in research and development. As a result of trade-offs, many new CNC milling machines, full protection and automatic chip conveyors are basically standard, and there is not much difference from the machining center.

But for those old-fashioned CNC milling machines, this evaluation criterion is still useful. After all, a device that does not even do a good job of protection does not dare to demand any automatic chip removal. Actually, the practitioners in the machinery industry should thank This era is the era that provides the technology and capabilities that liberate our hands, allowing us to more easily and efficiently engage in our own work, and with the comprehensive development of Industry 4.0, this liberation of labor is also accelerating madly It will even lead to the elimination of many labors or labor methods, and we must always be prepared.

04 Last

Based on the above reasons, if you want to choose a piece of equipment, of course, it is better to choose a machining center, at least in terms of processing efficiency is much higher, the processing range is also much larger, especially with the fourth axis of the rotary table, It's just an artifact.

If you want to learn a processing equipment, you should also learn the operation of the machining center. At least it is more complicated in programming, and it is also more complicated in the design of the fixture and the preparation of the processing technology. After all, it is a test that requires complex processing. Technology and ability, of course, this is also a guarantee of processing quality.

What Is the Difference Between a Cnc Milling Machine and a Machining Center? (2024)
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