What You Should Know About CNC Aluminum Machining?

Published by Worthy Hardware at March 17, 2022

Table of Content

■ Common Aluminum Alloys for the Aluminum Machining Process

■ Aluminum CNC machining processes

■ Benefits offered by CNC Machined Aluminum Parts

■ Things about CNC Machined Aluminium you must know.

■ How to avoid deformation in CNC Aluminum Machining?

■ Applications of CNC Aluminum Machining

■ Conclusion

Common Aluminum Alloys for the Aluminum Machining Process

1:Aluminum 6061

Alu 6061 is the most popular aluminum alloy and preferred alloy for most manufacturing sectors due to its specific characteristics and significant benefits. It has natural corrosion resistance, excellent machinability, and good qualities of aluminum.

It has a wide range of corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. It has good workability and can fabricate by applying various techniques during the machining process.

2:Aluminum 6082

It has high strength and excellent corrosion resistance and is commonly used for CNC aluminum machining. 6082 is a suitable and essential industrial material, makings aluminum 6082 the best choice for engineers who require more strength and high tensile strength. It is suitable for various applications and is used to manufacture towers and bridges

3: Aluminum 6063

Aluminum 6063 is suitable for architectural, trimming, and aerospace applications. It has low cost, excellent corrosion resistance, exceptional finishing, and high mechanical properties.

Aluminum 6063 can also use for the applications of aluminum extrusion. aluminum extrusion use has increased in product designing and can design to fit this process for various industries. It can be heat-treated and welded.

4:Aluminum 7075

It is used to manufacture toolings, aircraft parts, and sports equipment and becomes brittle during the manufacturing process. It is strong, ductile, tough has high heat tolerance and for high-performance projects, manufacturers and engineers choose aluminum 7075.

Some common applications of aluminum 7075 are fuse parts, missile parts, and aircraft fitting parts. It has a high strength to weight ratio and can compare with soft steel. You can use it for high-stress applications, and it proves somewhat more expensive than other manufacturing processes. One drawback of this material is less resistance and ductility than other metals.

5:Aluminum 2024

It is suitable for aerospace applications and mostly used for applications that require strength to weight ratio and excellent fatigue resistance. Aluminum 2024 has high strength and average machinability.

It is not easy to weld and has poor corrosion resistance. It can use on a large scale in manufacturing aircraft parts, especially fuselage structure and wing. It is susceptible to heat and thermal shock you can use to qualify liquid to penetrate the normal temperature range.

6:Aluminum 5052

The fatigue strength of aluminum 5052 is high than other grades and has excellent workability and resistance. It can use in marine applications due to the salt water resistance of aluminum 5052. aluminum 5052 is the highest strength alloy and is workable, strong, and has high fatigue strength.

7:Aluminum 3003

Aluminum 3003 is one of the nearest pure aluminum alloys having manganese. It is the best choice to make cooking equipment and household accessories. It is a medium-strength alloy and has good mechanical properties than other CNC machining aluminum. It has good weldability and resistance to atmospheric corrosion.

Aluminum CNC machining processes

There are various types of aluminum CNC machine processes and some of these methods are discussed here:

1: Facing

CNC machines create a flat cross-section area on the workpiece surface by applying face milling or face turning in this method.

2: Pocketing method

It is also known as the pocket milling process, and pocketing is referred to as a form of CNC milling. You can machine a hollow pocket in part.

3: CNC Drilling Process

In this process, a multi-point cutting tool moves in a straight line to drill and afterward to create a hole. It is a procedure of manufacturing a hole in a workpiece.

4: CNC Milling Process

CNC milling can be used on a large scale to produce machining aluminum parts. These operations can involve the multi-point cutting rotation along an axis and the workpiece can stay fixed along its axis. You can achieve the cutting process and removal of a material by the feed motion of the workpiece or cutting tools, or it can be a result of both actions.

5: CNC Turning

During the operations of CNC turning the workpiece can rotate and the single point cutting tool remains stationary along its axis. It is depending on the machine either the cutting tool can carry out feed motion or the workpiece can carry out feed motion to achieve removal of material.

Benefits offered by CNC Machined Aluminum Parts

Some benefits of CNC machining are as under:

The advanced features of CNC machining make it the most suitable choice than other machines to manufacture, rapid prototyping, for cutting aluminum.

You can make CNC machining aluminum parts having higher accuracy and productivity.

The CNC machining process is different from other manufacturing procedures such as die-casting and investment casting and you can produce plastic and metal parts. It can cut aluminum and hard metals molten material are effectively used in the process of CNC machining of aluminum parts.

The CNC machining process can use a CNC router and desktop CNC mills to fulfill the demand for aluminum parts owing to the high strength to weight ratio. Aluminum material has high strength, makings it a good option for the aerospace and automotive sectors.

it is easy to convert and change aluminum into the desired shape according to the requirements and specifications of the customer's need. The material has the ability to withstand various processes such as punching, drilling, and folding in the process of CNC machining.

It does not lose its properties during the manufacturing process and is easy to the machine during the aluminum CNC machining process. It needs less energy as compared to other lightweight metals and materials such as titanium, steel, and magnesium.

The specific characteristics make aluminum a preferred choice for machining aluminum and have been used for many years for the fabrications of different materials. Aluminum grade such as 6063 is an ideal choice for manufacturing sectors.

Aluminum can withstand temperature variations and cutting heat, welding temperature can not affect its characteristics. Therefore it is preferred in the most manufacturing sector.

The aluminum grade is easy to customize and can fulfill customers' requirements. The machining aluminum can enhance the finish to your desired specifications and an easy to plate with any recommended color such as blue, green, black, or whatever you choose for your parts, it is easy to customize according to your choice.

Some aluminum grades can be effectively penetrated while using cutting tools and they are easy to recycle This recycling is helpful to decrease the material loss in the process of chipping, and it can improve the uses of aluminum machining for industrial applications.

Aluminum is relatively less prone to corrosion as compared to other metals and you can use optocouplers for any type of 3D tools or printers. It can also eliminate signal noise to protect from any damage. The grade 6061 has great capabilities for corrosion resistance so widely used for such activities and applications more exposed to corrosive elements.

CNC aluminum machining has excellent electrical conductivity and is used mostly for electrical conductivity. Aluminum provides better electrical conductivity as compared to other metals such as steel.

Anodisation can increase the corrosion resistance and wear resistance of a material, and it is easy to achieve for the CNC aluminum machining parts. The process of anodization can make east to add color to CNC machined aluminum parts.

Things about CNC Machined Aluminium you must know.

1: CNC Aluminum Prototype

CNC aluminum machined prototypes can produce according to different kinds of aluminum alloys. CNC aluminum prototype has vast tolerance and has low density. You can manufacture high-quality and unique aluminum prototypes by using a CNC machine.

The perfect choice for an aluminum prototype is CNC milling with high precision and milling aluminum. One of the most used alloys is 6061 and is used for transportation, aerospace, and electronics.

Aluminum CNC prototyping is one effective method to handle pre-production testing of parts and verification of complex designs. It can prove helpful to solve problems and for the fast production of CNC aluminum prototyping. It is an accurate, cheap, and efficient method to perform in-house.

It can provide the best results and review and analyze your selected design to fulfill your EDM, welding, and wire EDM process requirements. This method can ensure superior quality prototype production without disturbing your budget.

2: CNC Machined Aluminum Parts and Components

CNC (computer numerical control) machined components such as aluminum CNC parts can prove effective for various services such as grinding, milling, and turning services and produce high precision aluminum parts and components. There is a dire need for aluminum machined parts for the manufacturing sector. Some CNC machined aluminum parts are as follow:

Spline shaft
Dowels pins
Medical devices
Machinery
Dial and scales
EMI-housings
Lighting fixture

3:Choose the Right Aluminum Materials for your Job

CNC machining is one of the best CNC machine manufacturing processes and is an essential sector in the industry. CNC machining can perform by various machines and machine runs on various axes such as x-axes, y-axes, and z-axes. It can machine a wide range of materials such as plastic, metals, and aluminum.

Choosing the suitable aluminum materials for aluminum CNC machining is difficult if you are in touch with a certified and qualified CNC machine manufacturer. They can guide you in your preferred material, even in your complex projects, from the start to the last step.

You should choose a conductive, strong, and corrosion-resistant material such as aluminum 2024, 7075, and 6082 are good aluminum grades for high-performance applications. While aluminum alloy 6061 is used for all-purpose applications. You should contact a CNC machining company having technical experience and commitment to excellence.

4: Anodizing for CNC Machined Aluminum Parts

It is a finishing process to enhance the overall appearance of CNC machining parts and can offer strong corrosion resistance. There are three types of aluminum anodizing we are discussing here:

Chromic acid belongs to type 1 and can provide a thin coating. This coating is thin but durable and used for assemblies and welded parts. Type 1 is non-conductive like all anodizing surfaces.

Sulfuric acid is type 2 of aluminum anodizing and is more complex than type 1. It can use for flashlight handles, motorcycle parts, hydraulic valve bodies, and carabineer hooks. Type 2 provides an extraordinary finish to aluminum parts.

Type 3 is one of the hardest and thickest types of aluminum anodizing. It can use for a wide range of applications. Some main applications are in the military, marine industry, automotive, and aerospace industries.

5:5-axis CNC Milling Aluminum

A CNC can move on the 5-axis machining while cutting in five axes angles at the same time. It is a reliable and fast method to design complex parts.

Some significant advantages of 5-axis milling aluminum are:

It can improve overall parts quality and provide outstanding surface finish and high accuracy to your parts.

An error can reduce and guarantee high quality and accuracy as pieces can not pass through different workstations.

It can use short and rigid tools with a high spindle speed rate which can be achieved if reduce the cutting tool load.

The 5-axis milling aluminum allows better geometry due to the ability to avoid the collision.

It reduces lead time and can improve efficiency due to a single setup.

It can increase machining productivity and save setup time because the aluminum CNC machine can operate 5 sides of a part with a single machine setup.

You can achieve higher feed rates and spindle speeds on a CNC router by decreasing the cutting tool load. You can use shorter and more rigid tools on aluminum machines.

It can reduce fixturing cost, time, and error as the workpiece is not moved through various workstations.

It can improve cycle time and tool life due to tilting the table/tool. It can maintain constant chip load and optimum cutting position.

How to avoid deformation in CNC Aluminum Machining?

The aluminum alloy contains low hardness and high thermal expansion and can deform during the machining process of a thin part. Some steps are helpful to avoid the deformation of the material. These steps are as below:

Symmetrical machining is necessary to avoid extreme heat concentration. You can reduce the rate of thermal deformation to create dissipation of heat.

An appropriate cutting tool significantly influences the cutting parameter, reduces the number of cutting, and maintains efficiency. You can set this issue by reducing the cutting force or increasing the machine speed.

The cavity wall of aluminum alloy can twist due to the force distribution. You can process all cavities in the same period to sort out this problem.

The milling cutter uses parts and a cavity, but it can lead to expansion and deformation. The best solution is pre-drilling by applying a big tool and putting the mill and milling cutter.

Applications of CNC Aluminum Machining

There are a lot of parts and components you can make by using CNC aluminum machining and aluminum parts are used in every sector such as industrial equipment, automotive, aerospace, and computer electronics. Some major applications of aluminum machining are as under:

Housing & Calipers
Fixtures & Consoles
Enclosures & Knobs
Consumer electronics
Brackets

Conclusion

CNC Aluminum machining is one of the best methods for product manufacturing. It is due to the specific and rare characteristics of aluminum. It can enhance the properties and features of materials used for the manufacturing process if choosing the suitable aluminum grade to manufacture CNC aluminum machining parts is necessary.

Worthy Hardware can handle all types of projects no matter they are related to 5-axis CNC milling aluminum, 3-axis CNC milling aluminum, aluminum parts, or whatsoever. You can get complex CNC machines parts and high precision aluminum parts. We offer advanced 5-axis Milling aluminum to enhance the range of various aluminum parts and provide you with excellent surface finish and tight tolerance to satisfy the fabrication and production challenges of a new era.

Worthy Hardware is a CNC manufacturing and sheet metal fabrication company,including CNC machining services,CNC milling services, CNC turning services, laser cutting services and stamping services.Call us +86-76989919645 or email us [email protected] for more discounts for your projects.