Machining 5N Aluminum?

Anybody ever work with this gummy stuff? Any tips or tricks?

What operations are you trying? Tapping will be worst, I'd think. I'd try some alcohol as a coolant, but try not to breathe the vapor.

If your customer requires super-cleanliness for the final parts, find out from them what coolants/lubricants are acceptable.

Turning, facing, drilling, boring, threading. Tried some with a brazed carbide tool today, it's ugly! Ordering some HHS now. I had it spinning @1140 RPM, part is about 1" dia. Figured faster the better for this stuff, but maybe slow would be better?

Pure Al is like machining bubble gum, so dead-sharp high shear tooling, small DOC, and a good lubricant are your friends. Look for insert tooling for finish cuts on Al, they should have the clearances and geometry to work in your favor.

Beware of trying to hold the work in a chuck, collets are probably safer due to better distribution of contact loads (hope you're using collets now). Threading will be better with inserts meant for Al or hand ground HSS with good shear angles and a fine finish grind (inserts would be my first choice.

Sharp drills, sharp boring tools - did I mention sharp? If you have freedom of using whatever lubricants you can get a good, no sulfur oil - some chemicals in addition to sulfur will attack Al, so make sure it's Al-safe.

Good luck...

How about diamond?
Aka PCD
mark

i'm thinking i might try lost PLA casting to near finish size.

no704 said:

Anybody ever work with this gummy stuff? Any tips or tricks?

Click to expand...

Use PCD diamond inserts if you can, for drilling I would suggest cobalt drills or polished. Tapping go for thread forming non coated bright finish. Use lube! Microsol 690xt is what we use in the cnc machines. PCD diamond we run about 2800SFM carbide about 1500 cobalt drills 300SFM taps 150SFM


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