You might be wondering if aluminum metal is best for your machinery. Have you been searching and exploring the internet trying to figure it out? Worry no more because we’re here to help you. This article will give you insights regarding aluminum machining parts.
Aluminum is one of the most commonly used materials in machining operations. Aluminium is strong and lightweight, yet soft and ductile. This makes it easier to work with due to the lower power to cut when compared to steel. Aluminum is also resistant to corrosion making it better than any ordinary steel for machining parts. In case you didn’t know, machining is a subtractive industrial method of creating a desired piece or product from a certain material. The materials used can be either metal or non-metal as long as the final shape, size, or design is achieved.
Let’s talk about how aluminum has an advantage compared to other metals.
Aluminum is light compared to other metals making it easy to process. With these characteristics, machining an aluminum material is faster to finish compared to other steels and can save time in manufacturing it. Not only can you optimize the energy, but you can also reduce the production cost.
6061-T6 is a commonly used alloy in CNC machining, due to its versatility, cost, and good specific strength. It is available in a range of different heat treatments.
While it is strong, it does not perform well under high levels of mechanical stress or fatigue
For more high-performance needs, 7075-T6 grade aluminium is the more optimum choice. It has superior specific strength compared to 6061-T6 and is better suited for high stress applications such as aircraft structures and missile components.
AISI 6061 and AISI 7075 are both aluminum alloys used in metal fabrication. In terms of chemical composition, AISI 6065 contains more silicon while AISI 7075 has much higher amounts of zinc and copper. AISI 6061 is easy to weld while AISI 7075 is not applicable for welding.
These alloys are both heat-treatable and corrosion-resistant. Somehow they differ in mechanical properties. The tensile and shear strength of AISI 7075 is doubled compared to AISI 6061. Aluminum 6061 is more malleable than Aluminum 7075. AISI 6061 is commonly used in machining parts because of its formability and weldability.
Computerized Numerical Control or CNC machining is an industrial process that uses a drill and a turning tool to create a piece or part. This is a fast process, highly repeatable, and ideal for creating aluminum parts. CNC machining is most applicable to aluminum due to its strength, cost-effectiveness, and corrosion resistance.
The die-casting process requires a furnace, die-casting machine, and a metal. Aluminum is heated in a furnace at a high temperature until it is melted. The molten aluminum is placed inside a die-casting machine under certain pressure. The die or mold takes the shape of the desired form of the product. After cooling, the molten aluminum solidifies and forms a new aluminum product.
Gravity Casting is the oldest method of fabricating metals. Aluminum is heated at a high temperature until melted. The molten aluminum is poured down from a crucible into a mold using only gravity and then allowed to solidify. There is no pressure applied, no vacuum, and even no centrifugal force is used. Gravity casting uses natural molds like sand and limestone. These natural molds are easy to shape compared to other molds made from iron and steel. Gravity casting is great for creating small-scale aluminum parts.
If the parts cannot be aluminum die casted, aluminum gravity casting and aluminum machining are requested efficiently。Normally, the parts are also complicated.
Unlike gravity casting, cold forging uses pressure and force to form new metal parts. The cold forging method increases the strength of the metal by hardening it at room temperature or ambient temperature. Aluminum alloy is placed inside the molding machine and then squeezed by comprehensive force until it is shaped into the mold. This method differs from the others because heat is not required in creating aluminum parts.
Compared to aluminum die casting and aluminum gravity casting, the strength after aluminum cold forging is much stronger. And after aluminum machining, the parts also can be anodized well.
Aluminum machining parts have different applications, Let’s talk about them.
New energy automotive such as electric and hybrid cars use aluminum machining parts. We can say that aluminum is the future of electric cars. To keep the lightness of an electric car it requires a light material to build it. Aluminum metal is chosen for building electric cars to ensure that they can travel long distances with less energy consumed.
Due to climate change, renewable energy or green energy is the option for a sustainable environment. Many industries are now building wind turbines and solar panels to mitigate the pollution. Aluminum is the key to building these green energy platforms. In fact, aluminum machining parts are widely used in creating wind turbines and solar panels. Aluminum has the right properties for sustainability like high-energy density, abundance, and recyclability.
Aluminum machining parts are also used to build aircraft. Aluminum 7075 has the highest strength among all aluminum alloys making it the best for building an aircraft. Aluminum 7075 is considered an aircraft-grade alloy because of its great mechanical properties. Aluminum 7068 is now used in aerospace applications.
So, have you decided to use aluminum machining parts? Let us know your thoughts and why in the comments below!