CNC machining is a method of manufacturing parts in which material is cut off with great force to achieve the final product. It is important to know how this process performs and what parameters- a machinist and engineer need to consider.
Without having proper knowledge of how much material is required and the cutting speed of the machine, it cannot be possible to get a high-quality part. So let’s know how cutting speed and feed rate play their role in optimizing various CNC machined parts as you need to consider cutting speed for aluminum during manufacturing aluminum parts.
What is cutting speed and feed rate?
Both cutting speed and feed rate are important factors that work simultaneously. Cutting speed is the material removal rate from the workpiece during the machining process. It is the metal removal rate and cutting of the workpiece. It is also named surface speed; its unit is meters per minute and expressed in FPM.
The speed of the revolving lathe spindle controls the cutting speed. To get a uniform cutting speed for the aluminum parts, the revolving speed of the lathe spindle should be slow for workpieces having large diameters. Similarly, the revolving speed of the lathe spindle should be fast for workpieces having small diameters.
Cutting speed mainly depends on the following factors:
- Machine tool type
- Cut depth
- Material of tool
- Geometry of tool
- Tool life
Feed rate is the distance the tool covers during a single component revolution. It can consider a velocity and mainly depends on the following factors:
- Width of cut
- Surface finishing of the workpiece
- Tool type
The feed rate and cutting speed determine the material removal rate, strength requirement, and surface finish. So during aluminum fabrication, you must know aluminum feeds and speeds for better parts manufacturing.
How to make a difference between cutting speed and feed rate in CNC machining?
During CNC machining, the machining performance is greatly affected by both cutting speed and feed rate. For proper understanding, you must know the difference between both of them. Here is a clear difference between the milling speed for aluminum and the feed rate.
- Cutting speed is the moving speed of the tool’s cutting edge, while the feed rate is the moving speed of the tool through the material.
- Cutting speed affects the power usage and cutting force during machining, while feed rate doesn’t affect them.
- Cutting speed impacts the tool life, tool wear, and cutting temperature. On the other hand, the feed rate has no impact on them.
- Feed rate is measured in mm/rev, and cutting speed is measured in m/min.
What is the cutting speed for aluminum?
The precise aluminum cutting speed mill requires a proper cutting speed, and you can’t get an acceptable aluminum cut if your set cutting speed is inappropriate. The cutting speed varies for different metals. Cutting all metals with a similar cutting speed can only result in a loss. Thus before cutting aluminum, you must know the spindle speed for aluminum to cut it properly.
Aluminum’s best cutting and milling speed is a thousand feet per minute. Using a carbide tool, you can also cut aluminum at a higher end at a speed of 1,500 surface feet per minute. Similarly, 1000 surface feet per minute is the CNC milling aluminum speed at the lower end.
As for the spindle speed of aluminum, it is the rotational frequency of the machine’s spindle. It greatly depends on the grade of aluminum you are going to use. It would be helpful to have a good spindle speed before machining aluminum. You must also know about the grade of aluminum because different grades need different spindle speeds.
Spindle speed, more than 15,000 RPM, is considered the best CNC router aluminum cutting speed. However, 16,000 RPM is perfect for an ideal and accurate aluminum cutting. If the spindle speed exceeds the required speed, it can cause tool chatter, tool breakage, and tool wear. On the other hand, a perfect spindle speed for aluminum increases the surface finish quality and tool life.
How do we differentiate between CNC aluminum feed rate and speeds?
Accurately cutting all metals depends upon many factors, including feed rates and cutting speeds. The same is the case with the cutting of aluminum. It also requires an appropriate cutting speed and feed rate to get desirable cuts.
The cutting speed of aluminum is the rate at which the material is removed from the aluminum during the CNC machining process. The cutting speed required for CNC aluminum is equal to or more than 10,000 RPM. The proper handling is required for the cutting speed of more than 10,000 RPM for accurate aluminum cutting.
On the other hand, the feed rate of CNC aluminum is the total distance covered by the cutter during one aluminum revolution during machining. The feed rate for a rough cut of aluminum is .005 to .020IPR, while it is .002 to .004IPR for a finishing cut.
Summing Up
CNC aluminum feeds, and speeds can increase your manufacturing process and improve the quality and efficiency of your machine parts. CNC milling aluminum speed and feed rate are good for perfect finishing.
