The process steps for machining aluminum alloy using cutting tools are as follows:

1.Rough Milling of Inner Cavity

The inner cavity of the mobile phone shell is roughly milled, shaping the cavity  machining the positioning column in combination with the fixture. This step is crucial for the accuracy of subsequent processes.

2.Milling the Antenna Slot

Since aluminum can shield  weaken the radio frequency signal of the mobile phone, it is essential to mill antenna slots to allow signal passage. This is one of the most challenging steps. The antenna slot must be milled evenly while maintaining necessary connection points to ensure the strength  overall integrity of the metal shell.

3.Finish Milling of the Arc Surface

The 3D contour of the aluminum alloy body is shaped by milling the arc surface using a CNC machining center. This is typically the most time-consuming process in the production sequence.

4.Finish Milling the Side

After milling the 3D arc surface of the metal shell, there remains excess material at the edges. Finish milling of the sides is then performed to refine the shape, revealing the preliminary form of the metal shell.

5.Polishing

While high-speed precision CNC machines achieve a finish between A1  A2 levels, additional polishing is required to reach an A0 level finish, which provides a mirror-like effect necessary for subsequent processing stages.

6.Highlighting

This process, also known as "highlight drilling," involves using ultra-high-speed CNC machines to cut corners  create a polished highlight effect.

7.Finish Milling of Inner Cavity

After multiple processing steps, the aluminum alloy shell is nearly complete. The positioning columns  other redundant materials used for clamping are removed, leaving the metal shell fully refined  clean.

8.Milling Conductive Pathways

Anodized aluminum alloy shells have reduced conductivity. To ensure good grounding, localized anodized films are removed to expose the metal. This step, called milling conductive pathways, is another CNC operation designed to enhance electrical conductivity.

9.Final Polishing

Polishing involves reducing the surface roughness of the workpiece using mechanical, chemical,  electrochemical methods to achieve a smooth, bright finish. Mechanical polishing with high-speed precision CNC machines is conducted to eliminate tool marks  prepare the surface for subsequent sandblasting.