Mill-turn machining vs. 5-axis machining: Which technology should the manufacturing industry choose in 2025?

In the wave of "digital and intelligent manufacturing" in 2025, mill-turning composite machining and five-axis machining have become core technology options for high-end manufacturing. Both break through the limitations of traditional machining, but the differences in their technological paths have led to selection dilemmas for enterprises.

This article, combining industry data from 2025, leading case studies, and parameter comparisons, provides enterprises with clear selection references from three dimensions: core capabilities, scenario adaptability, and cost-return.

I. Core Competency Showdown: Technological Essence vs. Parameter Value

1. Mill-turn machining center: The efficiency king of "one-stop machining"

The core advantage of mill-turn machining centers lies in multi-process integration. Through a 9-axis 5-linkage or 12-axis full-linkage design, turning, milling, drilling, and other machining processes are integrated into a single machine, completed in a single setup. Traditional machining introduces 0.01-0.03mm of error with each additional setup, while mill-turn machining centers can control the cumulative error to within 0.005mm.

Taking the Kede CNC KTX1250TC as an example, when machining crankshafts for internal combustion engines, the number of clamping operations is reduced from 6 to 1, the machining time per piece is reduced from 120 minutes to 45 minutes, equipment utilization rate increases from 55% to 85%, and the finished product qualification rate rises from 92% to 99.2%. Its "intelligent process scheduling system" can also achieve parallel machining with dual spindles, further shortening the cycle time.

However, the barriers to entry for mill-turn machining are significant: firstly, it requires high operational skills, demanding expertise in both milling and turning processes and multi-axis interference avoidance, with a shortage of over 120,000 skilled workers in this field in China; secondly, maintenance is complex. For example, the Mazak INTEGREX i-200HS's eight automatic attachment heads require in-depth maintenance by professional engineers every 300 hours, resulting in maintenance costs 25%-30% higher than traditional lathes.

2. Five-axis machining: A precision benchmark for "complex curved surfaces"

Five-axis machining's competitive advantage lies in its high degrees of freedom and micron-level precision. Through X/Y/Z three-axis linear motion plus A/C (or B/C) axis rotation, it achieves five degrees of freedom, easily machining complex structures such as turbine blades and artificial joints.

By 2025, mainstream five-axis machining centers will achieve a positioning accuracy of ±0.0015mm and a repeatability of ±0.0008mm. Taking the DMG MORI CTX beta 1250TC as an example, when machining aTC4 titanium alloy crankshaft, the dynamic precision compensation system corrects for thermal deformation, controlling the form and position tolerances within 0.003mm, reducing the scrap rate from 18% to 3.2%. The Mazak Variaxis i-700, when machining turbine disks, achieves a contour error of only 0.002mm, equivalent to 1/40th the diameter of a human hair.

The breakthrough in five-axis machining by 2025 lies in AI programming. Programming complex parts that previously took 4-8 hours can now be completed in 1-2 hours with equipment equipped with the Huazhong 10 system, reducing tool wear by 15%. However, five-axis machining has significant limitations: the workshop needs to maintain a constant temperature of ±2℃ and humidity of 40%-60%, with vibration controlled within 0.01mm/s; environmental modifications require 150,000-300,000 yuan. Entry-level equipment costs 1.8 million yuan, while high-end aerospace-grade equipment exceeds 8 million yuan, far surpassing comparable milling and turning composite equipment (1.2-3 million yuan).

II. Scenario Adaptation Guide: Industry Cases and Selection Logic

1. Automobile Manufacturing: The Main Battleground for Milling and Turning Machining

The core requirements of automobile manufacturing are high cycle time, low cost, and medium precision. Rotating parts such as engine blocks and crankshafts are produced in batches of 500-5000 pieces per month, with a precision of 0.01-0.05mm, making them suitable for mill-turning composite technology.

Changan Automobile introduced 10 Mazak INTEGREX i-200HS lathes to process valve seat rings for hybrid engines. The traditional process required 3 machines and a cycle time of 85 seconds per piece. With the milling and turning process, the cycle time is reduced to 58 seconds per piece in a single setup, increasing annual production capacity from 120,000 pieces to 196,000 pieces, reducing logistics costs by 40%, and saving over 2 million yuan annually. Geely Automobile uses the Kede KTX1250TC lathe to process crankshafts. The dual-spindle + dual-turret design enables parallel roughing and finishing, reducing the time per piece from 90 minutes to 38 minutes, and decreasing the coaxiality error from 0.02mm to 0.008mm.

Suitable scenarios: Rotating automotive parts, batch size ≥ 500 pieces/month, precision 0.01-0.05mm, requiring control over the number of equipment and floor space.

2. Aerospace: The High Ground of Five-Axis Machining

The aerospace industry demands ultra-high precision, complex curved surfaces, and small batch production. Turbine blades, casings, and other components utilize titanium alloys and high-temperature alloys with a precision of ≤0.005mm, making five-axis machining the only option.

Beiyi Machine Tool's XHAμ24-MTR25 milling machine for turbine blades utilizes a double-swivel milling head for contour cutting. Combined with a 20,000 rpm spindle and ultra-fine grain cutting tools, it achieves a surface roughness Ra of less than 0.4 μm. A chatter monitoring system reduces tool breakage rate in high-temperature alloy machining from 15% to 2%. Huizhuan Technology's MBR6030C-5AXIS milling machine for UAV composite skin achieves low-temperature cutting with a temperature control of ≤50℃, edge chipping ≤0.1mm, 40% efficiency improvement, and 35% reduction in labor costs.

Suitable for: High-precision, irregularly shaped aerospace parts, batch size ≤ 50 pieces/month, made of difficult-to-machine alloys or composite materials.

3. Manufacturing of small and medium-sized parts: Balancing cost-effectiveness

Small and medium-sized factories require a variety of products in small to medium batches, balancing precision and efficiency, with a monthly output of 100-300 units. They also experience frequent product changeovers and need to select products based on their specific needs.

domestic engine parts factory used a Heck VMX42SR five-axis lathe to machine camshafts. With a quick changeover system (1.8 seconds tool change) and parametric programming, changeover time was reduced from 2 hours to 15 minutes, increasing efficiency by 28% and achieving a payback period of 14 months. A medical parts factory in Guangdong used an Okuma MULTUS U3000 milling and turning machine to machine artificial joints, completing multiple processes in one operation. An online measurement system increased the pass rate from 95% to 99.5%, saving the cost of two inspectors.

Suitable for: Small to medium batch production of various types of parts, with a precision of 0.008-0.02mm, and more than 8 model changes per month.

III. Selection Decision Framework: Finding the Optimal Solution in 3 Steps

1. Clearly define the priority of requirements.

Prioritizing efficiency and cost (mass production in automobiles): Choose a milling-turning compound machining center, focusing on the number of clamping operations, process integration, and the parallel operation capability of dual spindles. For monthly crankshaft production of 500 or more units, costs can be reduced by 20%-30%.

Precision-critical surface machining (aerospace irregular parts): Select five-axis machining, verify positioning accuracy, swing angle range, spindle parameters, and precision compensation function to ensure compliance with tolerance requirements of ≤0.005mm.

Prioritize flexibility (for small and medium-sized factories with multiple product varieties): Compare parameters; for mill-turn machining, consider attachment head switching speed and tool magazine capacity; for five-axis machining, consider programming ease and changeover efficiency. Prioritize five-axis machining if monthly changeovers exceed 8.

2. Assess the suitability conditions

Adaptation Dimensions

Milling and turning technology requirements

Five-axis machining technology requirements

Operator skills

Dual skills in milling and turning + multi-axis interference avoidance, 2+ years of experience.

5-axis programming (Mastercam/UG) + path optimization, 3+ years of experience

Workshop environment

Dustproof ≤10mg/m³, constant temperature ±5℃, load-bearing capacity ≥500kg/m²

Constant temperature ±2℃, constant humidity 40%-60%, vibration ≤0.01mm/s, dustproof ISO 8573-1 Class 2

Maintenance capabilities

Familiar with dual-spindle synchronization/accessory head calibration, 1 dedicated engineer.

Professional maintenance of CNC systems (Siemens 840D SL, etc.) is available; signing an annual maintenance agreement with the manufacturer is recommended.

Supporting resources

Composite cutting tools cost 20%-30% more.

High-precision cutting tools + online measurement probes increase costs by 40%-50%.

3. Calculate the total lifecycle cost.

Initial investment: For mill-turn machining centers, the cost is 20%-40% lower than comparable 5-axis machines. For machining 500mm parts, a mill-turn machining center costs 1.5-2.5 million RMB, while a 5-axis machine costs 2-3.5 million RMB. Adding additional functions increases the price by 15%-20% for mill-turn machining centers and 25%-30% for 5-axis machines.

Operating costs: The cost of machining a single part using a mill-turn composite machining center is 15%-20% lower than traditional machining. While the cost of a single part is 10%-15% higher for five-axis machining due to higher tooling and maintenance costs, it can save over 30% on rework costs in high-precision scenarios.

Payback period: For mass production in the automotive industry, a mill-turn machining center is chosen, with a payback period of 12-18 months; for small-batch production in the aerospace industry, a five-axis machining center is chosen, with a payback period of 24-36 months; small and medium-sized factories choose according to their needs, with payback periods mostly between 14-24 months.

Conclusion

In 2025, mill-turning and five-axis machining are not mutually exclusive; the former upgrades towards multi-axis precision, while the latter optimizes for flexibility. Enterprises should focus on their core needs when selecting technologies: choose "mill-turning" for high-efficiency batch production, and "five-axis" for precision and complexity. Only by aligning with their own production realities can enterprises maximize the value of these technologies.