VMC machining refers to machining operations that utilize vertical machining centers (VMCs), which, as the name suggests, have vertically oriented machine tools. These machines are primarily utilized to turn raw blocks of metal, such as aluminum or steel, into machined components. They can be used to perform a variety of machining operations, including, but not limited to, the following: cutting, drilling, tapping, countersinking, chamfering, carving, and engraving. This versatility, combined with their relatively low cost, has made them a highly common machine shop tool.

Advantages of VMC Machining

Compared to horizontal machining centers, vertical machining centers offer a number of advantages, such as:

• Simpler structure. The simple structure of VMCs makes it easy to clamp the workpiece in the necessary position.
• Better cooling efficiency. Gravity works with the VMC design. Coolant sprayed at the top of the machine tool and workpiece trickles down to cover the rest of the target.
• Easier setup and operation. VMCs have a wide field of vision, enabling operators to observe the operations and, if needed, make modifications to resolve any issues.
• Smaller space requirements. The vertical design takes up less floor space than a horizontal design.
• Higher accuracy. VMCs can produce complex shapes and structures with a high degree of accuracy.

Applications of VMC Machining

Vertical machining centers can be used to manufacture parts and products for a wide range of industries and applications. However, they are primarily used for high-precision, high-accuracy, and mass-production projects, including those involving the following machined components:

• Complex curved parts. Examples of parts with complex curves include cams, impellers, and propellers. While these parts are difficult to manufacture with precision and accuracy using conventional machining methods, a multi-axis VMC with CNC technology can produce them easily and quickly.
• Special or irregularly shaped parts. Examples of parts with irregular or special shapes include brackets and bases. These components often have highly complex designs, which are hard to produce using other manufacturing methods but easy to produce using VMCs with automatic machining capabilities.
• Military parts. The military industry is subjected to a variety of standards that dictate how a part can be designed and built. The accuracy and precision of VMCs ensure the machined components produced fully meet the necessary application and industry specifications.

CNC machines are electro-mechanical devices that manipulate machine shop tools using computer programming inputs. The name “CNC” actually stands for Computer Numerical Control. It represents one of two standard methods (3D printing technology like SLA, SLS/SLM, and FDM being the other) to generate prototypes from a digital software file. Engineering and prototyping companies can use CNC machines to mill and process various materials, including wood, metals, and plastics.

The first CNC machines were developed in the 1940s and 1950s and relied on a common telecommunication data storage technology known as “punched tape” or “perforated paper tape.” Punched tape technology is long obsolete as the data medium quickly transitioned to analog and then digital computer processing in the 1950s and 1960s. As new technologies and improved digital processing power get introduced, CNC machines continue to improve their efficiency.

How it Works

In general, machining is a way to transform a stock piece of material such as a block of plastic and arrive at a finished product (typically a prototype part) utilizing a controlled material removal process. Similar to another prototype development technology, FDM (3D printing), CNC relies on digital instructions from a Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) or Computer-Aided Design (CAD) file like Solidworks 3D. While the CAM or CAD does not run the CNC machine itself, they provide the roadmap for the CNC to fabricate the designs. The CNC machine interprets the design as instructions for cutting prototype parts.

The ability to program computer devices to control machine tools rapidly advances shop productivity by automating the highly technical and labor-intensive processes. Automated cuts improve both the speed and the accuracy with which prototype parts can be created – especially when the material is critical (such as is the case with polypropylene).

Frequently machining processes require the use of multiple tools to make the desired cuts (e.g., different sized drill bits). CNC machines commonly combine tools into common units or cells from which the machine can draw. Basic machines move in one or two axes, while advanced machines move laterally in the x, y-axis, longitudinally in the z-axis, and often rotationally about one or more axes. Multi-axis machines are capable of flipping parts over automatically, allowing you to remove material that was previously “underneath.” This eliminates the need for workers to flip the prototype stock material and enables you to cut all sides without the need for manual intervention. Entirely automated cuts are generally more accurate than what is possible with manual inputs. That said, sometimes finishing work like etching is better accomplished by hand and simple cuts that would require extensive design work to program the machine for automation