Best way to machine aluminum?

[bm1983]

the plate to machine is 1.0 think. it covers most of the machine table so i can put 2 clamps on each end and a couple across the front. There are 15 or so pockets roughly 3''x5'' with 1/2 rads, dowels, and drilled holes.

im more concerned about the pockets. What ideas can you guys give me to get the material out of there in a hurry.. drill out the center then use a 1/2 3flute carbide endmill with multi pass option, working from the center out? or would contouring the entire pocket with ramp option be more realistic?

[Dave.L]

Depending on the tool and the grade of material, and your spindle RPM.....You should be able to run max RPM, 12000 at about 200-300 IPM (depending on depth cuts).

 

You could drill a start hole, or could drill out the corners, but you don't need to. Pocket cycle with helical entry would do it.

[Jim at Gentex]

The new Surface HST toolpaths in X4 are perfect for hogging pockets!

 

Mill Toolpaths> Surface High Speed>

 

You may need to tinker with the parameters a bit, but once you get it right this toolpath rips.

 

Good luck.

[3R!< W3NG3R]

If they are 2D pockets, use dynamic pocket and do it to final depth (- finishing of coarse)

 

There was a thread about this not long age. Search for it as it has lots of good info.

[Jimmy Wakeford from Barefoot CNC]

+1 to dynamic mill full depth. I am abit conservitive on step over, 30% of tool.

[neurosis]

I vote for Dynamic Mill @ full depth too.

[Jim at Gentex]

+1 on the Dynamic Mill too.

 

I do mostly 5-axis surface milling, so I rarely ever look at the 2D paths.

 

If your pockets are 2D, the dynamic mill toolpath is definitely the way to go!

 

Let us know how it turns out.

[Justin Beebe at Folsom Tool]

bm1983,

 

Three flute powdered metal roughing endmills get the material out in a hurry. I'm not sure if they would work with dynamic mill, but they work great using mastercams regular 2D pocket routines. You may want to try roughing all the pockets with a .750 diameter three flute roughing endmill then going back to finish with .500 diameter three flute finisher. I would prefer a horizontal to a vertical so the chips fall out of the pockets. Cleveland makes great 3 flute powdered metal roughers and destiny tool makes a great three flute finisher called "The Viper".

[neurosis]

Those Destiny Viper's are amazing cutters. Their Diamond Back three flute roughers are just as amazing. They claim that you can take very heavy chip loads on the Diamond Backs and I was able to put that to the test with great results. We were easily able to get .015 ipt. Our spindle started to crap out before we could push the end mill as hard as they recommended.

 

 

[35K chipper]

I run destiny 3flt diamond back's at 1400ipm 30000 rpm .5 doc 30% radial. they can really rip. Dyanamic Mill is the way to go.

 

35k

[Tony35]

+100 on dynamic mill

[jeff]

OSG Blizzard 3 flute endmills are my cutter of choice for aluminum.

Hard to beat those.

[Josh T™]

+100 on dynamic mill & +1000 on OSG Blizzards. Those endmills are amazing and they have a new coating designed for aluminum.

[SLJ]

I rough a lot of pockets with a 3/4" solid carbide rougher from Iscar (ERCI-E-3), 12750rpm, 265ipm on 40 taper horizontals. Finish with IMCO Streakers. Haven't got around to loading X4 yet, but these tools have done a great job here. Have tried about everything else the various salesmen have thrown at us and for the cuts we make nobody has beaten them yet.

[TheePres]

Get yourself a Heli-Alu Iscar Mill. you wont need replacement inserts for quite awhile.

[Dave Perron]

Well as an ex boss of mine told me. Never use carbide or PVD inserts to machine aluminum. Use hand ground cold rolled steel endmills ! Anything else would be ridiculous !!

[j.nguyen]

+1 for SLJ.....There was a production job on a cell running none stop with a cutter very simular to the indexable iscar theepres was talking about. The machine did not have a very fast spindle ( 15000 rpm ) and the insert hit the corner wrong and exploded. The insert went through the plexiglass then hit the wall on the back side of the machine. It left a mark in the wall that was brick 2 x 2 x .5 deep. Ever since I used solid carbide. Just something to think about.

 

X4 NX V5 NCL

[SLJ]

I've got the 1.25" Heli-Alu in the click-fit version on most of our machines.Works great, just ordered another 10 boxes of inserts! We had them build us some 2" long versions (original had 3.5" reach) and they now have it in the catalog as a special. With it and the 3/4 rougher I get most of my roughing done. The Heli-Alu also finishes walls on a few parts.