CNC ALUMINUM

CNC Aluminum machining is another successful type of CNC machining in this modern era. It is used to manufacture a wide range of parts and products for personal or commercial use. CNC Aluminum is in demand because of the reliable properties of the aluminum material.

Moreover, producing parts using this process is straightforward and does not require much effort too. Thus, if you are looking for an admirable and uncomplicated way of producing your required machined parts, CNC Aluminum can definitely be the one!

Figure 1 – CNC Aluminum

Thus, if you are in need of CNC machined parts for your business, you can definitely opt for this process. To know further details, CNC Aluminum meaning, and its commercial success, you can go through this FAQ guide. It’ll make you know all the facts and figures about this process and how you can use it for your benefit.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How CNC Aluminum Machining is Revolutionary?

The CNC Aluminum machining method has a lot of capability in it. You can produce reliable parts and manufacture optimized and customized aluminum products with this technique. You are no longer required to cope up with slow deliveries of traditional methods because of CNC aluminum machining.

There can be plenty of reasons why this method has proven to be revolutionary over the last few years. But the most significant ones are the fast rate of deliveries, production of sturdier parts, and making it easier to manufacture customized parts.

Revolution has come in a sense that now, doing the manufacturing parts business has become simpler and less power-consuming than ever before. People nowadays do not need to wait for plenty of weeks just to get a few parts done because, with CNC Aluminum, it can all be done in a matter of days.

Figure 2 – CNC Aluminum Milling

Methods that were used before for manufacturing automobile or industrial parts required a lot of effort and work upon them. Still, you would not be able to get the exact alike part that you needed. But with CNC Aluminum Machining, this all has become easily possible.

You can choose from a long array of raw materials and produce the part that fulfills all your needs and requirements. Apart from this, you can also use CNC Aluminum machining for business purposes as it is known to be a very fruitful business field by many professional manufacturers and parts suppliers.

2. Why is CNC Aluminum Preferred Among All the Machining Methods?

The reason is mainly the super suitable and admirable properties of aluminum. Aluminum is a reliable and easy-to-handle element which makes the manufacturing process less difficult for all the manufacturers. Moreover, the characteristics found in aluminum are helpful for various productions and parts. This is why CNC Aluminum machining is preferred in many cases.

Some of the main reasons that make CNC Aluminum distinct from other methods are as given below,

· Various Milling Possibilities

The CNC Milling machines used in aluminum machining offer various types of machining methods. You can opt for 3-axis CNC machining or even 5-axis machining depending upon your budget and demands. These offers are not usually available in all the machining techniques, but you can easily choose whatever method you like with CNC Aluminum machining.

Figure 3 – CNC Aluminum in China

· Malleable and Easy-to-Bend

Aluminum is a soft metal that makes it easy to bend and machine. The alloys of aluminum are not as soft as pure aluminum, but they still have the properties of the aluminum element. You can easily bend this material into any desirable structure, form, and parts. Using CNC Aluminum for different machining parts does not require the manufacturers to put lots of effort in strength into molding aluminum.

· Complex Geometries Can Be Produced

As described earlier, aluminum is an easily bendable and malleable material. This means, no matter how intricate is the geometry of your required part, you can easily produce that with aluminum. To produce complex geometries and structures, you need elements that can be controlled and molded easily, and aluminum is just that!

· Customizable Manufacturing and Finishing

Customizing aluminum parts is effortless as compared to the customization of other elements. If you need your part in a specific color, you can simply perform color plating of your aluminum part with your desired color. Similarly, you can also customize your CNC Aluminum part’s other functionality, looks, and performance.

All other machining methods are good and productive, too. However, CNC Aluminum is somehow finer and more reliable than the other ones. It can produce parts that can be used for longer durations without any disasters. Plus, the parts produced by this method are less problematic and usually have more refined finishing than the other ones.

 Figure 4 – Process of Aluminum Machining

Still, all the machining methods have the tendency to manufacture great durable parts to be used in industries for commercial purposes. You can either go with CNC Aluminum Machining or any other machining process, too, if that suits you more.

3. What Parts Can Be Produced with CNC Aluminum Machining?

Because of various desirable aluminum alloys, you get to manufacture a wide range of parts using this process. An uncountable number of fields use the CNC Aluminum technique to manufacture the parts to fulfill industrial needs.

If you are wondering what kind of parts you can produce using this method in particular, some of them are discussed below,

• Different Computer Parts

This process can be used to produce different parts and equipment for computer devices. From micro metallic chips to motherboards, you can manufacture all of them using the CNC Aluminum technique. You might have also seen a CNC Aluminum laptop or mobile in the market that is manufactured using this method too.

• Parts for Marine Devices

The mechanical parts in marine devices need to be aligned, customized, and highly reliable. Thus, the CNC aluminum method can be used for this production as it can easily produce such parts for long-term usage.

Figure 5 – Aluminum CNC Machine

• Automobile Parts

The automobile vehicles and parts are produced with the help of CNC Aluminum machining. You can manufacture the body of vehicles, functional components, and almost every metallic component used in automobiles with this method. Moreover, the parts produced using CNC Aluminum are sturdier and substantial. You can use them in extreme circumstances, too.

• Components of Aviation Devices

Structures of aviation devices need a professional technique and reliable manufacturers to be completed. Unreliable parts and components used in these aviation devices can cause big disasters and failed missions. But with CNC Machining, you can certainly produce the exact needed parts for these devices too.

4. Is CNC Aluminum Better Than Brass Machining?

Both machining methods are easy to machine and handle. But still, they have a few differences, which makes one better than the other in different cases. For example, when we talk about stiffness and strength, brass is a lot better than CNC aluminum, but at the same time, aluminum is preferred when a part is needed for structural support.

• Aluminum is light in weight as compared to brass and thus, is preferred in different industrial processes where lightweight parts are required.

Brass produces attractive and sleek designed parts because of its high machinability. Thus, in that case, you must prefer this material over CNC aluminum.

Figure 6 – Aluminum Machining

• If you are tight on a budget, CNC Aluminum machining would be a better option because it not only less expensive but demands lesser effort too.
• In case you want to manufacture moving and functional parts, brass machining should be preferred because of its toughness.
• The fact that brass cannot be bent too much and is relatively more brittle than aluminum makes it less preferable in many cases.

In short, both the materials are reliable and reasonable to work with. Now, the material better for producing your part would be the one that fulfills your requirements. From the above-mentioned facts, you can easily calculate the percentages of the usefulness of both these materials for your business.

After going through the pros and cons of each material, you will yourself be able to figure out the more appropriate and suitable element for your machining process. If you are still facing difficulty with making a decision, you can contact the best manufacturers in China to help you out in this situation.

5. Which Method Should You Use for Machining Aluminum?

You can use CNC turning, CNC Aluminum milling, or even CNC pocketing process to machine aluminum. All these processes are applicable to CNC Aluminum, unlike many other materials. You can also go for facing or drilling processes in case those methods are more suitable for machining your part with CNC Aluminum.

What matters more in CNC Aluminum machining are the tools used for cutting. You must ensure the cutter tool is made up of appropriate material to cut your aluminum. Cutters made up of carbide are good for aluminum and are also preferred worldwide. It is because of their delicate and sharp-edge cutting ability.

Figure 7 – CNC Machining

If you are confused about taking this process further, you can always contact any trustworthy CNC Aluminum parts suppliers in China. They can help you find the suitable material and method according to your requirements.

6. Which Grade is Most Frequently Used for CNC Aluminum?

Aluminum is divided into a number of alloys and grades that can be used in the CNC Aluminum machining process. Every alloy speaks for its own benefits and properties. But the one that is used most commonly in the industries during the CNC Aluminum process is Grade 6061.

It is not the most robust aluminum alloy but is strong enough to be used in the manufacture of different significant parts. It is made up of silicon and magnesium constituents along with aluminum. Thus, it has plenty of characteristics from other materials, too, making it useful for plenty of machining purposes.

Figure 8 – Production with Aluminum Machining

This aluminum grade is just an excellent fit for the milling process. It is because of its malleability, good performance in low temperatures, corrosion-resistance ability, less cost, more versatility, and non-magnetic nature. These all characteristics come all together and make this alloy reliable and helpful for various CNC Aluminum purposes.

You might see this alloy being used in the automobile and bicycle manufacturing industries. It is a reliable material to produce bodies of vehicles and frames for bicycles. Moreover, it can also be used to create sports goods, including different playing items.

7. Why Should You Prefer Aluminum Alloys in CNC Instead of Pure Aluminum?

There are different aluminum alloys that can be used for CNC Aluminum machining processes. If you need to manufacture an aluminum-built product, you would need a good reliable raw material.

In these processes, alloys are preferred instead of using pure aluminum metal. If you are wondering the reason, there are probably many of them. One reason is the softness of pure aluminum and lesser strength as compared to the mixed alloys. Other reasons are given as follows,

· Alloys are Comparatively Reliable

Alloys can be made up of substances whose characteristics are required in the product. This means you can easily get the desirable features and qualities in a CNC Aluminum part only by using the right raw material. Whereas in pure aluminum, you only get the qualities of aluminum, and you got to work out with that. Thus, using the alloys is better and more reliable than aluminum in the pure state.

Figure 9 – CNC Machined Aluminum Molds

· Aluminum is Super Soft

Pure aluminum can be used in different parts for distinct purposes. But not in those parts where strength, sturdiness, and durability are required. For such characteristics, you would need to use metals that have a more considerable strength to tensile ratio. That’s why aluminum is not preferable in such cases too.

· Alloys are Rich in Properties

As aluminum alloys are made up of different elements altogether, they have more qualities in them. For instance, if the alloy is made up of zinc and aluminum, the properties would be of aluminum as well as zinc in the alloy. This makes the alloy more functional and richer than pure elements.

· Does Not Require Extra Work

The fact that alloys already have the required properties makes you able to finish the part right away in the CNC process without doing extra finishing processes on it. However, you would have to do extra work on a part if you use a raw material that does not have enough required qualities.

Figure 10 – CNC Aluminum Molds

· Alloys Have Better Corrosion-Resistance

The addition of alloys into aluminum gives it more strength. But strength is not all, different metals mean a more robust outlook. This means the aluminum alloy becomes more resistive and less reactive to the atmosphere. Thus, using the alloys, you can produce parts that are highly corrosion resistive and long-lasting.

· Pure Aluminum is Harder to Manage

Because of the softness and smoothness, the sheet layers can easily slide over each other, making it difficult to manage and utilize the sheets for the CNC Aluminum process. It also makes the fabrication procedure difficult and enhances the complexities in it.

Thus, keeping in view all these points, it would be better and appreciable to alloy the pure aluminum with other metals to produce more sturdy and durable parts. Now, what alloy you need to use would depend upon what characteristics you require in your CNC Aluminum part.

Figure 11 – Precision CNC Aluminum Machining

8. In Which Situations Should You Prefer CNC Aluminum Over Steel?

Both steel and aluminum are used in machining processes for the manufacture of different parts and tools. Steel is indeed a great durable material, but in many cases, aluminum is preferable over it.

Now, you must know when to use the CNC Aluminum machining method instead of using steel as a raw material. Some of the situations in which CNC Aluminum will be a better choice for you are given as below,

· Lesser Turnaround Time Than Steel

The aluminum machining process requires a lesser turnaround time as compared to steel machining. All the CNC machining methods are suitable for commercial usage, but if you want a technique that can quickly meet your short deadlines, opting for CNC Aluminum machining over steel can be fruitful.

Figure 12 – CNC Machined Parts

· Produce Better Custom Parts

Steel is not as customizable as aluminum. The fact that you can use different aluminum alloys and machining methods in CNC aluminum machining proves that this method is far more customizable than steel.

· More Bendable Than Steel

Steel is challenging and rigid material, while aluminum is known for its softness. So, if you require a material that can be bent easily, you should prefer CNC aluminum over all other machining methods, including steel.

· Light-in-Weight Structure

The total weight of aluminum is almost three times lesser than that of steel. To manage and work upon steel is complex because of its weight. Not every CNC machine can easily handle such heavy material and produce parts using it. But you would not have to face such problems with aluminum machining because of its lighter weight and more malleability.

· Less Expensive in Comparison

As steel is harder and stronger than aluminum, it costs more than it, too. If you are low on a budget and looking for a less expensive machining method, CNC Aluminum cost can indeed work for you. It is quite expensive method too but very less in comparison with other machining techniques.

· Better Performance is Less Temperature

Aluminum shows better performance and functionality at less temperature, while steel is super challenging to manage. Especially when it comes to welding and bending processes at different temperatures, steel is not able to withstand it victoriously. Meanwhile, aluminum is proven to be great with respect to performance in extreme temperatures.

Figure 13 – Brass and Steel Machined Parts

· A Great Conductor Unlike Steel

When it comes to electric and heat conductivity, CNC Aluminum is the best, while steel is the worst conductor of all. In case you want to produce a part for electrical purposes, steel would be the worst choice for you. In that case, choosing aluminum will be great as it can produce parts with high conduction ability.

9. Why is CNC Aluminum Good for the Aerospace Industry?

Aluminum is one of those few materials which are strong, durable, and lightweight at the same time. That is why it is preferred for the manufacture of different parts in the aerospace industry. But always remember that it is aluminum alloys that are used in the production of aerospace vehicles and parts and not pure aluminum.

Pure aluminum is softer than it is required to be used in this industry. The tensile strength of aluminum alloys is just suitable for this use, and that’s why only they are preferred in these manufacturing processes, too.

Figure 14 – CNC Aluminum  Machining on Large Scale

The extensive use of aluminum alloys in the aircraft and aviation field makes the CNC aluminum machining method a lot more significant than others. It is because not all materials tend to meet the complex requirements of aircraft and helicopter productions.

So, in case you are going to manufacture a part for the aerospace field or industry, keep in mind the practical side of CNC aluminum machining.

10. Can You Utilize CNC Routers for CNC Aluminum Cutting and Machining?

CNC Routers are not really made to cut CNC Aluminum, but you can use them for this purpose if you use the proper techniques and methods. As there can be several problems and pitfalls, thus you need to be extra careful with using routers in this process.

You would need to follow accurate speed instructions, cutter sizes, flute numbers, and manage the material just right to get done with the process in the right manner.

For this, you must have experience in using the routers before. Otherwise, you may damage your material or part while cutting. You must also take care of proper lubrication while cutting

Figure 15 – CNC Router for Aluminum Machining

aluminum with routers because it’s the most apparent reason for the failure of the CNC

Aluminum process using routers.

To get done with the process in the right way, you can simply get yourself the speed calculators especially built to calculate the accurate speed of CNC Routers needed for the procedure. So, next time you think of using routers for the CNC Aluminum process, go ahead but with proper preparation and calculation.

11. How to Use Routers for CNC Aluminum Fabrication?

Using CNC Routers for Aluminum machining is no big science but just requires a bit of carefulness and alertness. If you follow the right ways and tips while manufacturing CNC Aluminum parts with routers, you can surely do wonders.

Also, make sure not to go over the limits with a router. As you must know, CNC Mills are built explicitly for aluminum machining, and thus, their performance is a lot better than the routers. So, while working with a CNC Router, you must take things slow and achieve your goals by being steady.

Some of the other vital things you must keep in your mind while doing this process are as follows,

· Make Sure to Use the Right Cutter

Many CNC Router cutters are not suitable for aluminum fabrication. Therefore, you must ensure the usage of the proper cutter that works well upon aluminum and does not leave rough, unfinished ends and cuts.

Some cutters are specifically designed to cut CNC Aluminum. You can utilize them for the process. One of the most common and reliable cutters known for this purpose is the flute carbide end mills. You can either go with 2 or 3 flutes but do not go above the number 3 in this matter.

Figure 16 – A CNC Router

· Use the Cutter According to the Diameter

The cutter you are using should support the diameter of your material. Usually, small cutters are appropriate because mostly a thin CNC Aluminum sheet is used in the machining process. But in case you are using thick aluminum sheets or plates, you need to manage the diameter accordingly. If you don’t do that, you might end up with rough and improper cuts.

· Manage the Speed

The speed rate of your router matters to a great extent, the only way you can get fine-cut CNC Aluminum is by using fast cutting routers. But as the routers are not made to work rapidly, they need to be managed according to their limits.

Similarly, if you go too slow with a router, the router will require more work, resulting in heating up the system. This will do nothing but will drastically decrease the health life of your device. Thus, if you will go off the limits with a router, you will surely end up damaging your machine, material, or the entire machining process.

· Don’t Forget About the Lubrication

Lack of lubrication is a common thing that causes a CNC Router failure. If you use a mist to consistently lubricate the material while cutting, you will be able to avoid frictional and heating-up problems that may occur during the fabrication process.

To spray mist, you can simply get yourself a mister. It can be used as a coolant in the process and can also save you from several problems. Plus, it is neither expensive nor difficult to use. If you are finding this process difficult to do on your own, you can simply hire manufacturers from China to do this for you.

Figure 17 – CNC Aluminum Router

Plus, these are just a few tips that would help you get done with CNC Aluminum machining using a router. But it’s not all, there are many more things about using CNC Router for this process that you must know of before using it for CNC Aluminum fabrication. So, make sure to learn all of that before you step ahead with the procedure.