T4 is ideal for machining, but T6 is a close second. The harder this material is, the easier it is to machine. You should still be careful with exiting the material on very heavy cuts there’s a bit of a risk of chipping. It’s probably the hands-down most common stuff you’ll find in a machine shop. Keep your tool sharp and you’ll have no problem getting a bright mirror finish. Make sure your tools are razor sharp for this stuff and you have great lubrication, or your surface finish will be galled and you’ll risk blowing up your tool. It’s not horrible, but you do need to watch out for gumminess. You might also find it in marine applications, since it’s got excellent corrosion resistance. This is really soft stuff, and it’s usually used for forming applications. Your best bet is to cut it in the T351 condition or annealed. Overall, though, this is great stuff to work with. No point in having a great finish if it’s all corroded. The corrosion of 2024 is actually really poor, so be careful about leaving it in thin coolant or parts tumblers. The chips generally come out nice, they aren’t too stringy (but everything is relative).Īnother thing to watch for is corrosion. You might need to adjust your toolpaths to soften the exits to prevent this. An example of a possible problem area is when doing full-diameter slotting. It machines great, but there is one thing you need to watch for: It can chip at the end of heavy cuts with the tool breaks out. This has a great strength to weight ratio, so you’ll see it in applications where it’s under tension. The corrosion resistance is terrible, so it usually needs to be anodized, but seriously you won’t find an easier material to work with. This is pretty well the most machinable out of all the aluminum grades. Here’s a list of some common types of aluminum and some notes on machinability: 2011 A key here is to understand what you’re working with. Some cut like a dream, others are so gummy that clogged broken tools become a nightmare. Not all aluminum grades have the same machinability. Let’s get into how you can kill it on the floor. This is especially problematic when you’re trying to machine clean looking pockets. So even though it cuts like butter, it won’t for long if the aluminum sticks to the tool and you end up doing friction stir welding instead of machining.īeyond keeping friction to a minimum, chatter can be a beast when you’re pushing the machine. The main challenge with machining aluminum effectively is simply getting the maximum material removal rates without blowing something up.Īluminum can melt and fuse to the tool if there’s too much heat.
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