How to make laser radar housing for CNC aluminum alloy processing? CNC machining of aluminum alloy shell process analysis of automotive LiDAR parts

Are you looking for CNC aluminum alloy processing when choosing a laser radar shell processing factory? Yes, but  CNC aluminum alloy processing capability alone is far  enough Many structural engineers' first reaction when looking for a factory is to search for "CNC machining of aluminum alloy shells". They find a bunch of factories that can make aluminum shells  send pictures for inquiry. However, when the prototype comes back, the heat dissipation teeth are as thin as a blade that deforms with just one clip, the optical window position  bearing position are different, the axis calibration data is floating,  the anodized ten pieces have three colors - it looks like an aluminum box, but it is actually a precision part with four layers of constraints: heat dissipation, reference, appearance,  sealing stacked together. This article helps you clarify: what are the difficulties in processing automotive LiDAR shells, what should be considered when choosing a factory,  whether the CNC aluminum alloy processing capability is sufficient.

1、 Why do the four fold constraints of the car LiDAR housing fight against each other?

Thin walls  dense teeth are required for heat dissipation - the shorter the thermal conduction path, the better. However, thin walls are the most severely affected area for CNC aluminum alloy processing deformation,  the thinner the teeth, the more severe the vibration; The assembly benchmark requires precise optical window position, bearing position,  hole system position, preferably completed in one clamping operation - complex shapes can force repeated flipping, with one additional benchmark error per flipping; The appearance requires a uniform surface  consistent edges  corners - all of which fall on thin-walled parts,  the processing stress  oxide film thickness will quietly change the size; Sealing requires high flatness of the mating surface  stable size of the sealing ring groove, which adds difficulty to thin-walled CNC machining.

Four requirements point to different process directions, no one can expect to score full marks at the same time. The practical approach is to first distinguish between primary  secondary: the optical window position, bearing position,  sealing surface are functional dimensions that cannot be allowed,  tolerances  clamping schemes are designed around them; The heat dissipation teeth  appearance surface are the "process supplement" parts, which are covered by structural  surface treatment schemes. Distinguishing this layer is the basis for selecting materials, clamping,  testing later on.

2、 Heat dissipation: Half of the material selection is determined,  half is controlled by CNC machining

There are three commonly used materials for the housing of automotive LiDAR:

Two key points for CNC machining of aluminum alloy shell:

Flatness of bonding: The bonding surface between the heat dissipation surface  the heating element has poor flatness,  the contact surface is filled with thermal pads, which increases the thermal resistance. No matter how large the heat dissipation margin is, it is useless. Rough machining to relieve stress, precision machining with small cutting depth,  uniform clamping force - conventional but easiest to eliminate

Thin walled tooth deformation control: leaving rounded corners at the tooth root  exceeding the material limit in tooth height; After rough machining, stress is removed before precision machining. Precision machining involves small cutting depth, high-speed small feed,  clamping support near the machining site

After mass production, it is much more cost-effective to use die-casting integrated molding for dense heat dissipation teeth than to process the entire piece of CNC aluminum alloy. The typical use of the die casting+CNC composite process for radar structural components is to achieve complex thin-walled forming of die cast pipes, CNC pipe flatness  fitting accuracy,  connect the two processes on a single line in the factory.

3、 Assembly benchmark: Five axis one-time clamping is the key to accuracy

The most expensive size on the shell is the position relationship between the optical window installation position  the shaft  bearing positions. If the coaxiality  positional deviation exceed the tolerance,  the optical axis  mechanical rotation axis are  aligned, point cloud calibration will result in system deviation.

This type of size is most afraid of multiple clamping: flipping over  re aligning, each time bringing in errors,  the cumulative deviation cannot be determined  which process.

The mature practice for precision machining of aluminum alloys is standardized:

·In the drawing stage, the design, processing,  testing benchmarks are set as the same set of surfaces  hole systems

·The five axis linkage machining center on the processing end completes multi-faceted features in one clamping, minimizing the conversion pressure of the reference

·Three coordinate measurement along the same reference frame is necessary for the data to correspond to the assembly status

One sentence: If the benchmark is converted less once, there will be one less round of batch disputes.

4、 Appearance  sealing: The pits are outside the drawings

The most common issue with CNC machining of aluminum alloy shells is the appearance: oxidation color difference, uneven sandblasting patterns, uneven chamfer sizes,  visible knife marks - which do  affect functionality, but are problems during acceptance inspection.

There is a detail that many people have suffered : there are pores inside the die cast aluminum,  anodizing is prone to bubbling  color difference. So for shells with high appearance requirements, either the exterior surface is oxidized with CNC parts,  the die-casting is directly sprayed with powder  paint. When selecting materials  determining the process, think carefully  don't wait for the blank to come out before remedying.

On this side of the seal, the sharp edge  only cuts the hands  seals, but also concentrates the current during oxidation  hanging, which in turn exacerbates color difference. The requirements of "one sentence on the drawing" such as burr cleaning  chamfer consistency are precisely the areas  batch delivery has widened the gap between Shenzhen CNC processing plants.

5、 Comparison of Factory Selection: Ordinary Aluminum Shell Processing Factory vs Huiwen Intelligent Manufacturing

6、 5 things to confirm before sending pictures

1. Let's talk about batch  appearance first - sampling in small batches, processing pure CNC aluminum alloy with fast response; Medium to large batch die-casting+CNC composite is more economical

2. Clearly mark the reference system - which set of surfaces  holes should be used as the reference for optical window positions, bearing positions,  sealing surfaces,  do  let the factory guess on its own

3. Write the sealing grade  the drawing - specify the requirements for IP grade, sealing ring groove tolerance,  mating surface flatness

4. Surface treatment  materials are determined together - die-casting parts should be carefully anodized,  the appearance surface should either be left for CNC oxidation  directly sprayed with powder  paint

5. Advance agreement on the testing report - which should be measured in three coordinates, sampled,  fully inspected for coaxiality, position,  flatness,  should be determined before placing an order

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How to determine whether to use die-casting  pure CNC aluminum alloy processing for the housing of car LiDAR? Check the batch size  appearance. For small batches of samples with anodized appearance, CNC response is fast  the surface is stable; For medium to large quantities, heat dissipation teeth,  complex shapes that require integrated molding, die casting  key surface CNC finishing are more economical.

Q: What is the coaxiality of the optical window position considered qualified? There is no unified value, it depends on the calibration tolerance of the optical system. The focus of procurement is  on the factory's verbal commitment to a certain number, but on how it ensures: whether the benchmark is uniform, whether it is clamped at once,  whether the three coordinates can produce reports based on the same benchmark.

Q: The flatness of the heat dissipation surface of the CNC machining of the aluminum alloy shell is slightly poor. Can the thickened thermal pad be repaired? Can make up for some, but the thicker the thermal pad, the greater the thermal resistance,  even if the margin is tight, it will still overheat. Flatness must be maintained at the precision machining end of aluminum alloy - rough machining to relieve stress, precision machining with small cutting depth,  uniform clamping force.

Q: How to avoid vibration  deformation during the machining of thin-walled dense teeth in laser radar shells? The idea is to combine structure  craftsmanship: leaving rounded corners at the tooth root  exceeding the material limit in tooth height; After rough machining, stress is removed before precision machining, with small cutting depth  high-speed small feed for precision machining. Dense teeth are mass-produced through die-casting  integrated molding, which saves material  ensures stable shape compared to whole piece CNC cutting.

Q: What types of intelligent driving  robot parts can Huiwen Zhizao produce? CNC aluminum alloy machined parts such as automotive LiDAR housings, as well as other precision hardware components such as humanoid robots  quadrupeds, can be undertaken  single piece sampling to medium to large quantities. Software, algorithms,  controls are led by the customer, while Huiwen does hardware collaboration  does  manufacture complete machines.

Summary

The four constraints of automotive LiDAR shell processing are essentially the division of functions  processes: heat dissipation relies on thin-walled teeth  fitting flatness, reference relies on five axis one-time clamping  unified reference, appearance relies on selecting materials with the ideal surface at the front,  sealing relies on the size of the mating surface to maintain. Suggestions for factory selection in the field of CNC machining in Shenzhen: Priority should be given to selecting factories that can connect die-casting  CNC finishing within the factory - the benchmark does  cross factories, responsibilities are constantly graded,  consistency in mass production is guaranteed. Welcome to provide drawing consultation. We can provide 2D drawings, 3D models,  technical requirements to obtain DFM process evaluation  itemized quotations.