5-Axis CNC
Machined Impellers

Yes — HXC specialises in 5-axis simultaneous impeller machining. Twisted blades (where the blade angle changes continuously from hub to tip) are machined in continuous 5-axis simultaneous interpolation — the only method that accurately follows the twist without step marks. We programme all blade surfaces including leading edge, trailing edge, pressure side, suction side, and hub fillet in a single CAM operation.

Blade-to-blade profile consistency is controlled by: (1) Single-setup machining — all blades machined from the same datum without re-indexing; (2) In-process probing — the first blade is scanned after semi-finish and the offset corrected before finishing all blades; (3) CMM blade scan — every impeller is measured at 5+ cross-sections per blade, comparing actual profile to nominal. Blade-to-blade variation ≤ 0.02 mm is standard.

Minimum inter-blade passage: 4 mm with standard ball-nose tooling. For narrower passages (2–3 mm), we use tapered ball-nose tools and optimised tilt angles. Passages below 2 mm may require EDM finishing — which HXC can arrange. Passage width must accommodate tool diameter plus a safe clearance margin; we check this during DFM.

Al 6061/7075: standard for HVAC, automotive, and light pump impellers. SUS304/316L: food, chemical, and marine impellers. Ti Grade 5: aerospace compressor impellers. Inconel 718/625: high-temperature gas turbine impellers. Bronze C95500: marine and seawater pump impellers. PEEK/Delrin: low-load, chemical-resistant impellers.

Standard: Ra 0.8 µm on all flow surfaces (blade faces, hub, and shroud). For high-efficiency turbomachinery: Ra 0.4 µm with additional polishing passes. For hygienic (food/pharma) impellers: Ra 0.4 µm or better, crevice-free, passivated. Surface finish is measured by contact profilometer on representative blade sections.

Yes — HXC machines balance correction pads (boss areas for material removal) into impeller designs that will be dynamically balanced after machining. We also ensure blade mass symmetry during machining to minimise initial imbalance. Dynamic balancing to ISO 1940-1 G6.3 is available as a service after machining.

Prototype impeller (new CAM programme, first article): 7–10 days. Small batch (5–20 pcs): 12–18 days. Production batch (50+ pcs): 16–24 days. Nickel superalloy (Inconel) impellers: add 3–5 days for slower cutting parameters.

Every impeller is inspected by CMM or optical surface scan: blade profile at multiple cross-sections, leading/trailing edge position, hub radius, and balance pad dimensions. The inspection report includes blade-to-blade variation, profile deviation from nominal, and surface finish at representative points. Provided with every order.