Machining alloys is what most metal cutting industry shops do. Fabrication, drilling, cutting, milling, bending, and punching operations will all end up encountering problems in the process of machining alloys.
Rough finish, bending of materials, poor product texture, and machine aspects like wear, tear, and blade dulling or breakage.
These issues cause slow production output and incur unwanted cost — to both materials and equipment.
Aluminum alloys are a commonly used lightweight metallic materials that are easy to shape. Aluminium alloys are material that offers high machine ability as opposed to titanium or magnesium.
Factors to consider when machining alloys include tool life, chip removal, removal rate, chip form, and machine-tool power. Selection of the right blade is another consideration.
Blade life is measured by endurance. It is useful to be armed with the right information when comparison shopping for saw blades based on the types of materials being cut. Power consumption and abrasive attributes need to be taken into consideration as well.
Chip form and removal is important when machining alloys. Materials that produce fine, powdery chips or long, stringy chips mean low machine ability rates.
Materials that produce uniformly curled chips offer a high machine ability rating. Chips must be removed or directed away from the material being cut in order to prevent clogging and to avoid material or blade damage.
Machine-tool power is the ease of material cut — the ease with which the blade saws through materials — indicating a good machine ability rating.
Minimal cost per part machined relates to force and power consumption, and the overhead cost of a machine’s capacity. In order to help achieve this, make sure that the blade is rigid and has a finely ground edge. This will help minimize build-up and keep the blade performing at a desired rate and with the desired start to finish end result.
- Keep the cutting edge sharp at all times
- Avoid excessive cutting pressure
- Lower feed rates for thin materials
- Using a coolant feed system is recommended
Alloys have great uses and most metal industries rely on them. Understanding their unique properties and implementing the proven techniques for improved performance will provide for greater success in any cutting procedure.
