Manufacturing Process

1. 1Blank preparation. 6061 or 7075 aluminium plate is sawn to an oversize block with 2-3 mm allowance on every face, stress-relieved where required, and stamped with a heat-number trace code.
2. 2Five-axis machining, the core operation. The part is a large-radius curved body with a hollow section and two coaxial bores that must stay concentric in both directions. Because the flange faces at the two ends are not parallel to any single machine axis, the geometry can only be cut reliably with a five-axis machining centre holding the workpiece in one clamping and milling with linked rotary and linear motion. Rough milling peels off the bulk of the allowance with a large-diameter cutter; the semi-finish pass equalises stock on the curved wall; the finish pass generates the arc contour, the mounting register and the bolt holes. Holding the part once removes the re-datum errors that would otherwise come from flipping the workpiece between three-axis operations.
3. 3Deburring and cleaning. Sharp edges are broken by hand and with a nylon abrasive brush, bores are cross-brushed, and the part is ultrasonically degreased in a two-stage bath before drying.
4. 4Surface treatment (optional). Sandblasting for a uniform matte grain, Type II colour anodizing, or hard Type III anodizing at 25-40 microns for wear resistance on sliding and clamping faces; polishing is available where a decorative finish is required.
5. 5Full dimensional inspection. Form and position tolerances, bore concentricity and flange flatness are verified on a coordinate measuring machine; the inspection report, material certificate and finish-thickness readings ship with the parts.

Process Difficulty Control

Applications

• Collaborative robots (cobots) - the primary use, as the elbow joint link in 3C assembly, screw fastening and connector insertion cells
• Industrial robot arms - lightweight six-axis manipulators for pick-and-place, sorting and machine tending workstations
• Automated inspection equipment - swing arms that carry a camera module and tilt it to the required viewing angle
• Medical automation - light-load transfer linkages in laboratory and clinical handling equipment
• Intelligent logistics and warehousing robots - light-load picking manipulators and shuttle arms
• Laboratory automation and teaching platforms - research robot arms and educational motion rigs

Key Features

Specifications

Customisation Service

Send a STEP, IGES or DWG file with the tolerance callouts, the required finish and the annual quantity. We return a machining feasibility review within two working days, covering datum strategy, thin-wall risk, suggested material grade and an item price for sampling and for series production. Design changes to the arc radius, bore layout, flange pattern and tapped hole positions are all supported; we can also propose a lightening pocket layout to reduce arm inertia without cutting stiffness.