Electronic casing: The path to CNC custom machining and design innovation

Electronic products are ubiquitous in modern life, and the quality and design of its shell directly affect the performance and user experience of the product. CNC custom machining has an important position in the manufacture of electronic products shell, and the following cases explain its necessity and advantages.

CNC machining can complete the machining of the entire shell in a single clip, thus ensuring the consistency of machining accuracy. For example, in the manufacturing of mobile phone shells, CNC machining can ensure the dimensional accuracy and surface quality of mobile phone shells, and improve the beauty and durability of products. According to statistics, the dimensional accuracy of the mobile phone shell processed by CNC can be controlled within ±0.01mm, and the surface roughness can reach Ra0.8μm. This allows the phone shell to work more closely with the internal electronic components, improving the overall performance of the product.

CNC machining automation, can quickly complete multiple shell processing, improve production efficiency. Taking the manufacturing of aluminum chassis as an example, the traditional processing method is usually manual operation, which is prone to errors and low production efficiency. CNC machining is precisely controlled by computers, which can achieve accurate cutting and molding of materials, greatly shortening the production cycle. According to the data, the production efficiency of CNC machining aluminum chassis is more than 30% higher than that of traditional processing methods.

CNC machining can adapt to a variety of different shapes and complexity of the shell processing. Whether it is the shell of electronic products such as mobile phones, tablets or laptops, CNC machining can meet its high precision and high quality requirements. For example, five-axis linkage machining technology can use the five axes of CNC machine tools for linkage machining to achieve complex shapes and high-precision machining, which is especially suitable for the processing of complex structural parts such as mobile phone shells.

CNC machining uses automated production lines to reduce production costs while ensuring product quality and consistency. On the one hand, CNC machining can greatly improve the utilization rate of aluminum and reduce the waste of materials. On the other hand, CNC machining can achieve batch quantitative production, ensuring the quality and stability of the product. For example, in the manufacturing of aluminum alloy shells, CNC machining can improve the added value of products, meet the needs of high precision and high quality, and improve the market competitiveness of products.

Modeling and programming are the key starting points of CNC custom machining of electronic product shell. Its importance is self-evident, which directly determines the accuracy and efficiency of subsequent processing. The process setting needs to be precisely planned according to the complexity of the product structure, and for complex electronic product housings, more processes may be required to achieve fine machining. Tool selection is also crucial, and different machining parts and materials require different types of tools to ensure the cutting effect and processing quality. For example, when processing metal shells with high hardness, it is necessary to choose a tool with high hardness and wear resistance. The design of the clamping method should consider the shape and size of the product to ensure that the product is stable and does not shift during processing. Part of the complex structure of the electronic product housing may require a specially designed fixture to ensure the accuracy and consistency of the processing. Experienced programmers can reasonably set processing parameters according to product requirements, avoid multiple trials and errors, and reduce processing costs.

Roughing is the first step in the processing of the electronic product shell. After positioning, the inner cavity structure is roughed out, the positioning column combined with the fixture is roughed out, and most of the external redundant materials are milled out, laying the foundation for the subsequent fine processing. Semi-roughing further refines the machining accuracy and prepares for semi-finishing. Semi-finishing is a more refined processing of the key parts of the product, such as the edge and corner of the electronic product shell. Finishing is the key link of the whole machining process, including finishing the surface arc, the inner cavity structure, the side and so on. For example, in the processing of the mobile phone shell, the fine milling of the inner cavity can make the installation of the internal electronic components more tight, and the fine milling of the appearance arc improves the feel and beauty of the mobile phone. Antenna slot milling is an important process in the processing of electronic product shell. The signal problem of the all-metal shell needs to be solved by milling out the antenna slot, while maintaining the necessary connection points to ensure the strength and integrity of the fuselage.

In order to improve the overall productivity, the purchase of advanced equipment is an important step. At the same time, with the process optimization scheme can give full play to the performance of the equipment. Fixture design is an important aspect of process optimization, the appropriate fixture can improve the stability of the product in the process of processing, reduce the processing error. For example, for electronic product shells with complex shapes, special vacuum clamps can be designed to ensure that the product can maintain a stable position in each processing process. Program optimization is also the key to improve production efficiency, through reasonable planning of tool path, optimization of cutting parameters, etc., can shorten the processing time. In addition, processing quality and efficiency can be improved through process improvements, such as the use of high-speed cutting technology, heat treatment and cooling technology. The purchase of advanced CNC equipment can improve the processing accuracy and speed, but only combined with a reasonable process optimization program, in order to give full play to the advantages of the equipment, to achieve efficient and high-quality processing of electronic product shells.

Electronic product shell design innovation is very important to enhance product competitiveness. The following will discuss the methods and directions of electronic product shell design innovation from different aspects.

Huawei's new patent brings a new breakthrough in the design of electronic device enclosures. It adopts plate-like conductive sheet and special shell structure, which successfully reduces the volume and mass of the equipment. For example, Huawei's new patent makes the thickness of the electronic device shell greatly reduced, and the overall quality is lighter, which brings the user a portable experience. This innovative technology not only solves the problem of increasing the size and quality of the electronic device due to the excessive thickness of the electronic device shell, but also indicates that the future electronic device design will be more inclined to "thin and light design". In this era of the pursuit of portability, thin and light shell design will undoubtedly become a major competitive advantage of electronic products.

The TCI power supply series uses an innovative hybrid housing design and partial packaging to provide new ideas for electronic product housing design. This design addresses the growing customer demand for fanless designs that eliminate the limitations of conducted-cooling power supplies and maximize their potential. For example, the innovative hybrid housing design of the TCI Power supply series ensures the best heat transfer between the metal housing and any baseplate/housing, and its special potting-sealing compounds provide the same heat transfer effect for each component. Compared to conventional power supplies, the TCI power supply series achieves a higher power level in the same form factor and can provide 80% to 100% of the rated maximum output power when used in conductive cooling environments, truly realizing the ideal fanless application environment.

1. Innovative design: Innovation is the core of the appearance design of electronic products. Breaking with traditional design thinking and using unique materials, structures or color combinations can make products stand out from many competitors. For example, the use of new environmentally friendly materials to make electronic product shells can not only reflect the innovation of the product, but also meet the needs of consumers for environmental protection.
2. Humanized design: From the user's point of view, consider the use scenario and user needs of the product, optimize the size, weight and key layout of the product, so that the product is easier to operate and comfortable to use. For example, the design of ergonomic electronic product shell, so that users in the process of use more comfortable.
3. Emotional design: Integrate cultural elements, storylines or emotional colors to create emotional resonance between products and consumers. For example, the design of electronic product shells with retro style meets the needs of consumers for nostalgic feelings.
4. Sustainable design: With the increase of environmental awareness, sustainability has become an important consideration in the design of electronic products. Use environmentally friendly materials and production processes to reduce the impact of products on the environment. For example, the use of renewable materials to make electronic product casings reduces material waste and reduces energy consumption.

The innovative methods of appearance design of electronic products also include pattern reconstruction and texture reconstruction. Pattern reconstruction is to design patterns on the front of the product to create personalized and artistic effects and improve the added value of the design. For example, a unique pattern is designed on the shell of an electronic product to attract consumers' attention. Texture reconstruction allows consumers to experience different visual and tactile sensations and emotional experiences through the selection of different materials. At the same time, the application of digital innovation in the manufacture of electronic product shells also provides more possibilities for custom design. For example, 3D printing technology can be used to quickly manufacture complex shapes and custom-designed shells to meet the individual needs of different consumers. Additive manufacturing technology can produce parts with complex shapes and structures, bringing more room for innovation in the design of electronic product enclosures. Robotics in intelligent manufacturing technology can automate production processes, reduce manual intervention, and improve product quality and production efficiency. Digital twin technology can create a product digital twin, optimize the manufacturing process by simulating and analyzing the production process, improve production efficiency and product quality.

The case of electronic products has shown broad prospects in CNC custom machining and design innovation.

From the perspective of CNC custom machining, with the continuous progress of science and technology, processing accuracy will be further improved. At present, CNC machining has been able to achieve high-precision manufacturing, but in the future, it is expected to achieve higher levels of accuracy, such as dimensional accuracy control in a smaller range and lower surface roughness. This will make the electronic product shell more refined and more closely matched with the internal electronic components, improving the overall performance and reliability of the product.

At the same time, the processing efficiency will continue to improve. The continuous emergence of new processing technologies and equipment will further shorten the processing cycle. For example, the development of high-speed cutting technology will make the processing speed faster, while ensuring the quality of the processing. Intelligent processing systems will also gradually spread, through automated programming and optimization of tool paths and other ways to improve production efficiency.

In terms of material application, it will be more diversified. In addition to traditional metal materials such as aluminum, magnesium alloy, etc., new materials such as carbon fiber composite materials, high-strength plastics, etc., will also gradually be applied to the manufacture of electronic product shells. These materials have the advantages of light weight, high strength and corrosion resistance, and can meet the needs of different electronic products.

In terms of design innovation, the wide application of eco-friendly materials will become a future trend. With the enhancement of environmental awareness, consumers' demand for environmentally friendly products continues to increase. The shell of electronic products will use more environmentally friendly materials such as degradable materials and recyclable materials to reduce the impact on the environment.

Intelligent and personalized design will also be more prominent. With the development of artificial intelligence technology, electronic product shells may integrate more intelligent sensing devices to achieve interaction with users. For example, the color and shape of the shell can be automatically adjusted according to the user's habits and environmental changes. Personalized customization will become the norm, and consumers can customize unique electronic product shells according to their own preferences and needs.

The multi-functional design will be further developed. The electronic product shell will not only be a shell to protect the internal components, but also integrate more functions, such as wireless charging, waterproof and dustproof, earthquake resistance and drop resistance. At the same time, the shell design will also pay more attention to ergonomics and improve the user's comfort.

In short, electronic product enclosures have great potential for development in CNC custom machining and design innovation. This will not only bring more innovation and development opportunities for the electronic product industry, but also bring more quality product experience to consumers.