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Process · Thin Wall

Thin wall machining.
Aerospace skins.
Lightweight CNC.

Thin-wall machining — CNC of parts with walls < 2 mm. Aerospace skins, ribs, lattice structures. Vibration management, fixturing, slow cuts.

01 · Key principles

Key principles.

Vibration management

Critical

Thin walls vibrate during cutting. Vibration causes chatter, poor finish, dimensional issues.

Fixture support

Internal

Internal supports during machining. Removed after.

Cutting parameters

Slow, light

Slow speeds, light depths of cut, fine pitches. Multiple passes.

Tool selection

Sharp, small

Small-diameter, sharp tools. Reduce cutting forces.

Stress relief

During &amp; after

Stress in material released during machining. Plan for distortion.

Aerospace applications

Skins, ribs

F-22 skins, satellite structures, drone components.

FAQ

Minimum wall thickness?

Aluminum 0.5-0.8 mm achievable. Steel 0.8-1 mm. Practical limit varies.

Why does thin-wall cost more?

Specialty fixturing, slower speeds, multi-pass cutting, vibration management. 2-3× standard CNC time.

Failure modes?

Chatter (poor finish), distortion (wall warping), breakage (handling damage).

Stress relief options?

Pre-machining stress relief. Multi-stage machining (rough, stress relief, finish).

Aerospace tolerance?

±0.025 mm achievable on thin-wall parts with proper process control.

Common materials?

Aluminum 6061/7075. Titanium grade 2/5. Stainless 17-4 PH. Each per application.

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