High-precision component manufacturing involves the processing of high-precision mechanical parts. By applying systematic and integrated theories and technologies, it achieves organic combination and optimization of material feeding, processing, detection, and handling based on the structure and requirements of the workpiece. Production is carried out under precise machining conditions, aiming to realize the concept of “small machine tools processing small parts.” This approach distinguishes itself from conventional mechanical part manufacturing methods and technologies. It will become an extremely effective processing method for high-precision components made of non-silicon materials (such as metals, ceramics, etc.), fundamentally addressing issues in the machining of precision instrument parts. It offers advantages such as high accuracy, low energy consumption, flexible production, and high efficiency. Reducing the scale of both the manufacturing system and the precision components not only saves energy but also conserves manufacturing space and resources, aligning with energy-saving and environmentally friendly production models. It represents one of the development directions of green manufacturing.
With advancements in aerospace, defense, microelectronics, modern medicine, and bioengineering technologies, there is an increasingly urgent demand for precision and ultra-precision mechanical parts (with feature sizes ranging from micrometers to millimeters). High-precision mechanical parts and micro-devices are characterized by特异化 structural shapes, diversified materials, and high-precision dimensions and surface quality. Requirements for functional performance, material properties, structural integrity, and reliability are also becoming increasingly stringent.
Currently, major precision machinery manufacturers are primarily located in Western developed countries and certain economically advanced developing countries and regions (such as Singapore). The customer base is also mainly concentrated in these regions.
High-precision components are used in testing equipment across various industries—scientific instruments. Domestically, they are primarily applied in the instrumentation sector of scientific instruments.
Compared to conventional machinery manufacturing, precision machinery manufacturing involves higher technological content (in both design and production), sophisticated processing equipment, higher added value, and typically features small-batch, differentiated sales.
Precision machinery manufacturing technology is hailed as one of the top ten key technologies of the 20th century and a major development focus of the 21st century, receiving significant attention from countries worldwide. Developed regions such as Japan, the European Union, South Korea, and the United States have invested substantial human, material, and financial resources in the research and development of high-precision mechanical components. Japan, from 1991 to 2010, implemented a high-precision machining development plan led by its National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) (with an investment of 85 billion yen). This was followed by support for regional R&D alliances to promote ultra-high-precision mechanical component processing plans, aiming to develop various ultra-precision micro-machining equipment, molding machines, and precision micro-part products. The European Union has integrated the R&D resources of its member states since 2004, investing over 3 billion euros between 2004 and 2010 to achieve significant technological and application breakthroughs in the shortest possible time. Since 2006, the United States has held large-scale international seminars annually and invested considerable resources in technological R&D. Its think tanks, such as WTEC and the National Science Foundation (NSF), jointly funded an investigation in 2002 to survey 47 high-precision mechanical component manufacturing technology R&D institutions worldwide, assessing the current status and trends of international research in this field.
High-precision machinery manufacturing technology in China began to develop in the late 1980s and early 1990s and has since become one of the country’s fastest-growing industries. High-precision machinery manufacturing products are widely used in military and civilian fields such as national defense, healthcare, aerospace, and electronics.