Grades and Operations of Aluminum Machining Parts

A CNC machine has established itself as the standard equipment utilized globally in subtractive manufacturing. It is utilized for creating prototypes or manufacturing complete items. The CNC machine is a flexible tool and can slice through various materials. One of the frequently utilized materials in the CNC production of intricate machine components is aluminum  metal.

Aluminum possesses numerous characteristics that make it well-suited for CNC milling. It is light in weight and very flexible, which makes machining it easy and quite fast. Additionally, it is resistant to corrosion and does not oxidize, which enhances its durability. It is non-combustible and resistant to magnetism, rendering it quite unreactive and secure for use in diverse applications. Aluminum is extensively utilized in the production of machine components for the medical, aerospace, and automotive sectors. 

The majority of machine components in these sectors must be created according to a uniform standard that is compliant with industrial regulations. Since these components are produced in large batches, emphasis on precision in CNC milling processes such as drilling and cutting is really high . In this article, we will explore in detail how to achieve accurate CNC machining of aluminum to create a product that meets premium quality standards.

Commonly Used Aluminum Grades for Machined Components

Aluminum comes in different grades, so understanding each aluminum grade is the way to achieve success in aluminum machining of various components. We will explain each aluminum grade to prevent you from making an expensive error and ending up with an inferior final product. 

Aluminum 7075

For components that are used in extreme environments involving significant temperature variations and impact durability, a stronger variety of aluminum is utilized. The 7075 aluminum grade is an ideal choice because of its remarkable fatigue strength. This grade is more expensive than Aluminum 6061.

Additionally, it is less flexible than 6061 and does not readily melt, rendering it inappropriate for welding. It is utilized to create substantial metal components that have simple shapes and demand strength, such as fuselages, airplane wings, and bicycle components. These components must be corrosion-resistant and durable, and this kind of aluminum is ideal. 

Aluminum 6061

Aluminum 6061 is a well-known grade of aluminum that is appropriate for numerous standard work projects and is extensively utilized. It is strong, possesses medium to high durability, resists corrosion in harsh and humid environments, and remains bendable and flexible without sacrificing quality. It is highly appropriate for welding. This type of aluminum grade is used in 5-axis CNC machining.

Aluminum 2024

The aluminum grade most frequently utilized in the military and aerospace industries is Aluminum 2024. This specialty of this grade is its rock solid strength and wear resistance, but unfortunately, it is not ideal for welding. 

Operations of Aluminum Machining in Parts Manufacture

Turning

Turning in the machining of aluminum alloys and metal production is among the most frequent processes related to machining operations. It employs a cutting instrument and a spinning workpiece. In this process, cutting tools eliminate the external material or layer of the workpiece as it spins. The outcome is a decrease in the diameter to achieve the desired size.

Drilling

Drilling is a crucial material machining process in the production of aluminum. If you've witnessed a drill in operation, you can appreciate how essential this technique is in aluminum molding and production.

The drilling range entails cutting, similar to many others but in a more distinctive way. The device creates holes in solid materials with a circular cross-section pattern while eliminating material, shaping the machined aluminum components into their intended form and component. Although turning is one of the most frequently machined methods for processing aluminum, drilling is undoubtedly the most common.

Drilling is performed using a drilling machine that includes essential components necessary for completing the matching procedures. A typical drilling tool designed for aluminum machining fundamentally consists of a base, pillar, arm, worktable, drill head, feed mechanism, spindle, drill jigs, chuck, electric motor, and pulley or gears.

Milling

Milling is a form of machining aluminum that employs a tool with multiple cutting edges applied to parts, similar to a rock climbing machine. The cutters operate in a rotating fashion, and as they move into a workpiece, they eliminate materials from the specified surface area.

A benefit of milling in machined aluminum is that it can move in different directions, thus broadening its uses in the production of machined aluminum components. When a machine component needs a specific design or pattern, milling is among the most frequently utilized techniques to create the parts as required.

Deep Hole Drilling

Deep hole drilling is a crucial semi-invasive method for strain relief in mechanics. The method requires drilling a reference hole in the component and precisely measuring its diameter before and after the release of stress by trepanning around it in a coaxial manner.

The variation in the measured diameters prior to and following stress release allows for the computation of the original residual stresses through elasticity theory.

One advantage of deep hole drilling is its adaptability and rapid production turnaround. With this operation  the production of a high-quality item can be achieved in a shorter turnaround time. Deep hole drilling is a common engineering practice extensively utilized in multiple industries, such as automotive components and the aerospace sector. It is mainly used in the renewable energy sector as well as in both small and large machined operations.

Surface Finishing

Various shapes, sizes, and patterns are needed to achieve a specific level of roughness when processing materials overall. The same holds true for aluminum machines.

No matter what method is employed, it relies on the necessity for some finishing to even out the rough edges. Although aluminum CNC machining techniques can produce a clean surface, finishing is still necessary for the product obtained immediately after the machining process. The surface finishes of the product require improvement to enhance its suitability across various ranges. 

In metal machining, there exists a type of aluminum machining that emphasizes surface finishing to reduce resistance and refine rough edges. 

Surface finishing involves modifying the surface of a metal, particularly after the machining of alloys is completed. The main emphasis of surface finishing is removing, adding, or reshaping the aluminum alloy. The product surface can be altered in three aspects, namely: surface roughness, waviness, and lay.

Conclusion

Mastery in the CNC machining of aluminium parts encompasses knowledge in material, appropriate tooling, best practices, and effective challenge meets. As technology develops, so will CNC machine tool capabilities advances to a new point in precision and efficiency of aluminium processing. A skilled machinist, a novice in this type of work: it can use such concepts to develop quality parts required for much-needed application.