Aluminum CNC Machining

Aluminum is soft, lightweight, tractable, malleable, and durable metal. Its appearance is silver or dull grey and depends on the roughness of the surface. It lacks magnetic properties and its non-flammable. The aluminum metal melts at 640 degrees, and it’s light with a density of 2.68. It is a good conductor of electricity though not of the same standard as copper on specific cross-section area and is widely used in CNC Automotive like ATV, Aerospace and medical industries.

The ultimate choice of the type of aluminum grade you intend to use depends on your machining projects , which allow you to rank each grade according to its characteristic, from the most important to the least. By doing so, you get to choose the aluminum of specific properties and shape as per your needs.

The following are some types with essential facts about Aluminum grade;

• Aluminum 6061: This grade has superb mechanical properties, excellent weldability. Its topical properties make it one of the most extruded grade. This is because of its good toughness, medium and high strength, excellent corrosion resistance on harsh condition, cool anodization, and bending workability. Aluminum 6061 is commonly used for 5 axis CNC machining.

• Aluminum 7075: It’s also popular even though not like the 6061. This grade is known for its exceptional fatigue strength. This aluminum grade is not suitable for welding; it’s costly. Hence, it is better for tough parts, such as fuselages, bicycle parts, rock climbing kits, and aircraft wings. This alloy also better in corrosion resistance.

• Aluminum 2024: The alloy is predominantly used in military and aerospace sector. This is because of its mechanical properties, like great weariness resistance, and high strength. The aluminum 2024 is terrible in corrosion resistance and not weldable.

Aluminum machined prototype are commonly produced according to a variety of alloys. The most used alloy is the 6061-T6, this caters for electronics, transportation, aerospace, military industries among others.

Aluminum alloys are low in density but high in strength. Often CNC aluminum prototype machining has the vast tolerance to control even 0.01MM. The CNC machine can manufacture unique and quality aluminum prototypes. CNC milling is just the perfect choice, the advantages are in the machining process, and that is the high precision and milling aluminum.

The technology of CNC machined aluminum has produced CNC parts and components that aid in a wide range of services (Turning, milling and grinding). Today, well machined CNC aluminum parts are growing in popularity in the engineering sector.

The following are some of the CNC machined aluminum parts:

• Front panels

• Dowels Pins

• EMI-Housings

• Spline Shafts

• Medical Devices

• Lighting Fixtures

On the 5-axis machining, the CNC moves while cutting in five angles of the axes simultaneously. This machining process is fast, reliable on designing complex parts, as work is approached in multiple directions.

The 5-axis machining has been adopted widely because of the following:

• The set-up is a single one, and this reduces the lead time and better the efficiency

• It allows better geometry due to its ability to avoid collision with the tool holder tilting the table or the cutting tool.

• Can use shorter tools that are more rigid, some with high spindle speeds rate which is achieved by reducing the load cutting tool.

• Pieces don’t pass through different workstation hence errors are reduced, accuracy maintained, and quality is guaranteed.

As we conclude,CNC machined aluminum process (milling, drilling, and turning) that unfinished piece of aluminum is taken through until it becomes a complete product. It’s an arduous process that requires experience, accuracy, and powerful machinery. Moreover, these are because of the different aluminum alloy used.

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