TUOFA CNC Rapid Manufacturing Enhances Hard Metal Machining Capabilities

TUOFA CNC Machining has unveiled a Rapid Manufacturing line specifically designed for hard-metal parts, targeting sectors such as aerospace, energy, medical, robotics, and electric vehicles. This initiative is set to significantly decrease lead times for projects utilizing challenging alloys, thanks to advancements in capacity, control, and consistency.

The enhanced capabilities focus on three key areas: materials, processes, and equipment. TUOFA now excels in machining hard CNC materials, including titanium alloys, nickel superalloys like Inconel 718 and Hastelloy, hardened stainless steels such as 17-4 PH and 15-5 PH, tool steels including H13 and D2, and cobalt-chrome. Additionally, the company offers CNC engineering plastic machining services, broadening its material expertise.

Process improvements include 5-axis and multi-axis CNC milling, high-precision turning, single-setup turn-mill operations, wire and sinker EDM, and post-heat-treat finishing techniques like hard turning and grinding. These processes are supported by a comprehensive equipment base, featuring conventional and CNC lathes and mills, Swiss-type automatics, grinders, drill-tap units, laser cutters, stamping presses ranging from 15 t to 130 t, and a newly installed 5-axis cell equipped with through-spindle coolant and in-machine probing.

Applications for TUOFA's enhanced services are divided into structural components, such as turbine housings and robotic brackets requiring fatigue strength and tight geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), and functional or wear components like valve seats and gears that operate in high-temperature or abrasive environments. Quality control measures are rigorous, incorporating CMM, optical, and white-light scanning to achieve tolerances as tight as ±0.005 mm and surface finishes to Ra 0.2 µm, with full lot traceability for regulated sectors.

Andy, General Manager at TUOFA, emphasized the company's commitment to overcoming the challenges posed by hard metals, stating, "Hard metals slow many projects; they can't slow ours. This line keeps schedules on track while meeting the mechanical requirements these alloys were chosen for." Looking ahead, TUOFA plans to invest in additional 5-axis capacity, expanded superfinish grinding, and NADCAP-aligned process controls to further enhance its offerings.

For more information on TUOFA's capabilities, visit https://www.tuofa-cncmachining.com.