Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] feeds and speeds.

"Ward M." wrote:

>
> 6061 aluminum is not too fun to machine. It is pretty gummy, and coolant,
> either mist or flood, is quite necessary for any useful metal removal rate.
> I much prefer 7075 aluminum for its machining properties as well as its
> superior mechanical properties. The drawback to 7075 is that it has lower
> corrosion resistance, although this is not a problem in most applications.
> I mill 7075 at up to 75 IPM using mist coolant with Valenite's water
> soluable coolant and a Cool-Mist sprayer. The shop does get sorta foggy
> after a few hours of cutting though. I use flood coolant for all materials
> on the lathe an this works well and doesn't have the fog up problem.

6061-T6 is eminently machinable, as long as you don't get it hot, which will
soften it. 6061-T0 is a horror, and that's what happens if it gets hot.
Other aluminum alloys in the T0 state are also difficult.
You can mill 6061-T6 without coolant, as long as the feedrate is such that
the work doesn't get hot. A quick cut on a large, solid piece is no big problem.
A quick cut on a thin piece can be totally different, as the heat cannot be
absorbed by bulk.

Jon