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Views: 355 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2018-05-09 Origin: Site
While CNC routers are traditionally associated with cutting wood, plastics, and soft materials, they can also be incredibly effective when it comes to cutting aluminum. However, working with aluminum presents its own set of challenges, especially when compared to other materials. Aluminum requires very specific cutting conditions due to its stickiness, hardness, and heat sensitivity. Getting the feeds and speeds right is critical, as straying from the optimal settings can result in poor surface finish quality or even broken tools.
Whether you're new to CNC aluminum cutting or a seasoned machinist, following the right steps can ensure clean, precise cuts and extended tool life. Below are six essential tips to help you achieve CNC router aluminum cutting success:
Patience is key when machining aluminum. While it might be tempting to speed through the job, faster cutting speeds can lead to poor quality finishes, tool wear, and even tool breakage.
Why? Aluminum has a smaller “sweet spot” for optimal feeds and speeds compared to wood or plastics. If you move too quickly, you risk exceeding this sweet spot, causing excessive heat buildup and poor chip evacuation.
Tip: Focus on consistent, steady material removal rather than rushing through the job. Slow down the overall material removal rate rather than just reducing the feeds and speeds.
Using a feed rate calculator is essential, especially when you're working with aluminum. This tool helps determine the correct cutting speeds and feed rates for your specific material, bit, and machine setup.
Why? Cutting aluminum requires precision in both speed and feed rate. With a feed rate calculator, you can fine-tune the settings to avoid breaking bits or compromising surface quality.
Tip: As you're nearing the edge of your machine's performance limits, double-check your calculations and adjust accordingly. Taking the time to calculate the optimal rates ensures a more efficient and effective cutting process.
The most important thing you can do during aluminum cutting is ensuring the chips are cleared from the cutting area. Recutting chips can cause router bit breakage, damage to the material, and poor cut quality.
Why? Aluminum chips tend to stick to the cutting tool and pile up at the cutting zone. If the chips aren’t cleared efficiently, they can interfere with the cutting process and cause damage to both the machine and the material.
Tip: Regularly verify that your vacuum system or dust collector is effectively removing chips from even the deepest cuts. Don’t rely solely on the system's claims—perform your own checks to ensure chips are being cleared effectively.
When working with aluminum, the depth of your cuts and the presence of slots can significantly impact the cutting process. Deep cuts and slots create challenges for chip evacuation, which can lead to tool wear or breakage.
Why? The deeper you cut, especially in a slot, the harder it is for the chips to escape the cutting zone. As a result, the material can overheat or the bit can become clogged.
Tip: Make multiple, shallower passes rather than attempting to cut all the way through in one pass. This approach allows better chip clearance, reduces the risk of overheating, and leads to a smoother surface finish.
Aluminum has a stickiness factor, meaning it has a tendency to adhere to the cutting tool. This can result in poor cut quality and unnecessary wear on the bit. To prevent this, lubrication is crucial.
Why? Adequate lubrication helps to reduce friction, keeping the aluminum chips from sticking to the tool and causing heat buildup, which could damage both the tool and the material.
Tip: Mist lubrication is an effective way to keep your cutter cool while also reducing friction during the machining process. This lubrication reduces the likelihood of chips sticking to the cutting edges, and helps ensure smooth cuts with high-quality results.
Aluminum produces larger chips compared to wood or plastics, which can clog multi-flute bits. For efficient cutting, you should use fewer flutes—typically 3 or fewer flutes for aluminum.
Why? With fewer flutes, the tool has more space between cutting edges, which allows larger chips to escape and prevents them from getting stuck in the flutes. More flutes mean tighter spaces and an increased risk of chip clogging, which can cause tool breakage.
Tip: When cutting aluminum, avoid using 4-flute bits. Opt for 2 or 3-flute tools with wider cutting widths. This will give the chips more room to escape and help avoid bit jams and unnecessary wear.
