In: Mechanical Engineering
What are the main engineering constraints to consider for Aluminum machining (milling and drilling) ?
One of the biggest problems in aluminum cutting is the Built Up Edge. The built up edge is a welding of workpiece material to the tool edge that commonly occurs on soft, workpiece materials and the loss of effective geometry causes increases in cutting forces and quality problems.
The problems caused by the built up edge are
(1)scratchesin the surface
(2) and cloudy finish,
both increasing the rugosity dramatically and compromising the finish visual.
Eventually a small piece of the built up edge unties and it takes a bit of the tool, leading to the tool breakage.
A few simple constraints can be taken to minimize the built up edge: