Here I go again. Unfortunately, the aluminum jig was a big hit, and now they want more. So I thought I'd take a crack at a trochoirdal milling path. My first try gave mixed results. Looking for advice. My CAM software still doesn't have a trochoirdal option, so a faked it with a line of small circles strung together. I tried milling with a Vortex 1230 1/4" solid carbide up spiral @ 18000rpm feed rate set to 100ipm (but due to machine acceleration limits the feed was really only 60ipm). The path was made with 3/8" circles with a female climb milling path strung together with a 0.05" step, milling 1/4" deep. It cut beautifully, for about an inch, then the flutes clogged and the bit promptly broke. This was a dry test cut in the Mic-6 chewing gum and I forgot to turn on the air blast.
Suggestions on where I should go from here? Smaller step? Lower or higher RPM? Larger circle (to allow faster feed)? I know Getting the air blast turned on and a squirt of WD-40 will help, but will that be enough? Better Aluminum stock should also help, I have 3 sheets of 6061 for the next ones, but I would like to cut a few things from the Mic-6 scrap left over from the last one. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jon Elson" <el...@pico-systems.com> To: "Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC)" <emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net> Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2017 12:54:14 PM Subject: Re: [Emc-users] Milling Aluminum. On 02/23/2017 09:35 AM, Jim Craig wrote: > Yep, you should have done a HSM slot about 3/8" wide with the 1/4" > cutter and you would have had little trouble. I try to avoid a > conventional full width slot in aluminum where possible. lube definitely > helps or is required. > > Yes, the hardest part of this is what I call the "plowing cut", where the cutter is cutting the full width into the material. There's no great way to do this, but ramping down helps, some. There might be some inventive ways to ramp several times down the cut, then make a pass at constant depth taking off the tops of the ramps, then repeat at next depth, etc. until you break through. I never cut slots the same width as the cutter, I always somehow manage to plow the first, full-width cut, and then climb mill the sides to bring the slot to the desired dimension. Jon ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most engaging tech sites, SlashDot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
