Machining soft aluminum, 6061-O

• Jul 9, 2019

• #2

itsmoked

Electrical

Feb 18, 2005

19,114

I frequently use a CNC router on 6061. I have no way to use coolant with its wooden deck. I use TiAlN coated mills at 21,000RPM and wax. I've never had a problem.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

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• Jul 9, 2019

• #3

berkshire

New member

Jun 8, 2005

4,429

Compressed air and wax solution directed right on the cutter from at least two directions , with 6061-0 this stuff is like machining lead, you have to keep the cutter sharp and clean. The minute the metal builds on the cutter, it is all over bar the shouting. I find that a relatively high cutter speed with a low feed rate works well. The feeds and speeds will depend a lot on your machine. Good luck with this.
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

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• Jul 11, 2019

• #4

chez311

Automotive

Mar 24, 2015

1,426

Addition of a vortex tube/cold air gun for your compressed air might be worth investigating.

https://www.vortexair.biz/product-category/cooling/cold-air-guns/

https://www.abanaki.com/news/abanak...-for-reducing-coolant-costs-in-machine-shops/

 

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• Aug 3, 2019

• #5

enginesrus

Mechanical

Aug 30, 2003

1,017

High rpm is not your friend with gummy aluminum. High rpm means heat and lots of friction, sorry but sometimes you have to cut aluminum like its a chunk of hard steel and using high speed steel cutting tools. I'm from the days of no carbide end mills and only cemented carbide face mills.

 

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• Aug 4, 2019

• #6

itsmoked

Electrical

Feb 18, 2005

19,114

oooOOOoo a dinosaur!

I kid.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

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• Aug 4, 2019

• #7

Ron

Structural

Sep 24, 1999

16,336

freeze it first


A Great Place For Engineers to Help Engineers

Follow me there.....

 

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• Dec 9, 2019

• #8

Tim Moss

Mechanical

May 14, 2019

6

You need a machine with LFV technology (Citizen) which allows chipping of any material.

I have a Citizen L32 with it on and is a godsend on problematic materials.

Link

 

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• Dec 10, 2019

• #9

3DDave

Aerospace

May 23, 2013

11,297

Interesting:

https://www.mmsonline.com/blog/post/whats-low-frequency-vibration-turning

 

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• Feb 1, 2020

• #10

Spannbacken

Industrial

Feb 1, 2020

1

Dry machining is not easy with 6060.

Milling should work dry, but you should not make big steps so that the chip spaces do not stick together.

Drilling will probably only work with chip breakers or very small excavations.

Cut threads dry or form threads; you can forget that. Perhaps thread milling would be an option.

Turning only with PCD tools, little infeed and high feed.

All in all, if it is somehow feasible, I would prefer cooling.

Greetings from Germany
Sven
Spannbacken

 

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• Apr 29, 2020

• #11

bentwings2

Mechanical

Aug 29, 2006

47

We a saw wax o our carbide table saw blade and the radial arm carbide blade for cutting all aluminum. The router carbide gets it too. The router we make roughigbcuts then do a climb cut finishing. This leaves a nice smooth finish. The saw wax is like a beeswax. It melts slightly as the material and cutter warms up. It coats the tool like oil on water so it lasts quite a while. Mainly you have to watch for cutter clearance getting clogged up. The circular blades have to br cleaned carefully with a needle nose pliers.

 

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• Jul 3, 2020

• #12

Tenbellys

Mechanical

Jul 3, 2020

3

I’d use paraffin as a lube and polished carbide inserts

 

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