Cnc Cutting Aluminum Sheet

For the heavy duty cnc milling machines at work my go to was a 1 diameter solid carbide roughing endmill.

Cnc cutting aluminum sheet.

Though it is possible to cut aluminum using cnc routers it does not happen in the simple and straightforward way as cutting wood. A user needs to know certain tips for cutting aluminum with a cnc router safely and smoothly. We ll go through the setup of a couple sheets and go cut some parts. You re going to want to use some kind of lubrication for aluminum.

Aluminum is typically very light and your existing vacuum should be sufficient if your finished parts are fairly good size. Majority of cnc routers use two or three flute carbide endmills for cutting aluminum. Due to the bit sticky nature of aluminum the cnc router is the best tool for cutting it without making any mess. Generally a cnc router is a computer controlled machine used for cutting wood and plastic which are comparatively softer than metals.

Use cnc router bits. The hobbyist s guide lubrication. If the layout looks generously spaced it is. Just because a cnc router is able to cut aluminum it does not mean that you can hog out major aerospace parts such as wing spars.

Let s jump into cam in fusion 360. I ve been cutting in a counterclockwise direction with the spindle going clockwise. Each of these sheet weighs about one hundred and thirty pounds and unfortunately all had cupping and some had a twist too. Use of a solid carbide endmill with two flutes and the smallest diameter you can run will give you a fairly clean edge and will minimize the potential for part movement.

Therefore you need cutters particularly made for cutting aluminum. Do not rush the process. Question i m trying to cut sheets of aluminum that are 025 thickness. Sheet aluminum is actually very easy to cut on a cnc.

I believe that is called conventional cutting. Now it is also used to cut weak metals like aluminum. So use the tips given below if you are planning to use your cnc router for cutting aluminum. A cnc router uses various specialized cutters that do not need to be used for cutting aluminum such as compression cutters and downcut spirals.

Cutting sheet aluminum on the cnc advice on bits cut directions and lubricating coolant for machining aluminum. Don t be in a hurry a cnc router can cut aluminum but it isn t the ideal tool for hogging out big aerospace parts. Use a feeds and speeds calculator look you re going to approaching the limits of what your machine can do in all. Cutting aluminum with a cnc router.

Here are some valuable lessons we ve learned from ou. The first time that i make some real parts out of aluminum on my mpcnc.