Xometry.pro
en – TR
Knowledge & Community
Quote & source your parts
Europe Europe
English Deutsch Français Italiano Español
Türkiye Türkiye
English Türkçe
United Kingdom United Kingdom
English
Global Global
English

Get Instant Quote

Use our Instant Quoting Engine to easily quote and source your parts online

Get a Quote
Back
 Profile
Menu
Materials Library
Manufacturing Stories & Cases
Articles
E-Books & Guides
Free Tools
Webinars
Free Courses
Community Discussions
Create Topic
Quote & Source Your Parts
Get a Quote

Edit topic

Home Xometry Community Manufacturing Machining deep cavities in aluminium

Machining deep cavities in aluminium

0
L
3

Hi all, I’m machining 60 mm deep, 20 mm diameter cavities in Aluminum 6061 with ±0.05 mm tolerances. Issues like chatter, tool deflection, and poor chip evacuation make it tricky, and I’m concerned about overheating and tool wear. Do you have any advice on tool selection, speeds/feeds, cooling, or strategies to balance precision and efficiency?

Link copied
Solved by J Kalberg

You’ll want to go with a long-length end mill designed for aluminum and choose polished flutes to help with chip evacuation. A 2- or 3-flute tool works best for this. For chatter, using a variable helix end mill will help. It disrupts the vibration of standing waves. Also, consider roughing the cavity with a larger tool, leaving a small stock for a finishing pass.

For aluminum 6061, keep the surface speed around 400-600 m/min, depending on your tool. Use a moderate feed per tooth—0.05 mm/tooth is a good starting point. Coolant is crucial. Flood cooling works well, but if chip evacuation is still an issue, consider air blasting or a high-pressure coolant system. A pecking or trochoidal milling strategy can also improve chip clearance while reducing heat buildup.

    • L

      Hi all, I’m machining 60 mm deep, 20 mm diameter cavities in Aluminum 6061 with ±0.05 mm tolerances. Issues like chatter, tool deflection, and poor chip evacuation make it tricky, and I’m concerned about overheating and tool wear. Do you have any advice on tool selection, speeds/feeds, cooling, or strategies to balance precision and efficiency?

      0
      Reply
    • J

      That’s a challenging need – 60 mm depth at ±0.05 mm tolerance is pushing it, especially allowing for chatter and tool deflection. First, the depth-to-diameter ratio is 3:1, which is on the edge of manageable, beyond ideal. With higher aspect ratio cavities, precision is harder, and machining time and tooling costs rise. Can you split the machining into multiple stages to reduce the effective depth per pass?

      0
      Reply
      Link copied
      • L
        J Kalberg

        That’s a good approach. What tools would you recommend for moderating deflection and chatter at that depth? How about speeds, feeds, and cooling?

        0
        Reply
        Link copied
      • J
        Lyn Stewart

        You’ll want to go with a long-length end mill designed for aluminum and choose polished flutes to help with chip evacuation. A 2- or 3-flute tool works best for this. For chatter, using a variable helix end mill will help. It disrupts the vibration of standing waves. Also, consider roughing the cavity with a larger tool, leaving a small stock for a finishing pass.

        For aluminum 6061, keep the surface speed around 400-600 m/min, depending on your tool. Use a moderate feed per tooth—0.05 mm/tooth is a good starting point. Coolant is crucial. Flood cooling works well, but if chip evacuation is still an issue, consider air blasting or a high-pressure coolant system. A pecking or trochoidal milling strategy can also improve chip clearance while reducing heat buildup.

        0
        Reply
        Link copied
Machining deep cavities in aluminium
Your information:




Suggested Topics

Topic
Replies
Views
Activity
Metal 3D printing for watertight watch cases
Manufacturing
Hi! I'm prototyping a watch case and considering metal laser sintering (DMLS or SLM) due to cost constraints—CNC machining is out of budget. My main concern is whether an as-printed sintered metal part will... read more
H
R
1
11
Mar 21
99 model kia sephia kontak termiği yapabilir misiniz
Manufacturing
99 model kia sephia kontak termiği yapabilir misiniz kontak anahtarının girdiği yerde 3 tane kırık var onun için anahtarı tam olarak kavramıyor ve motoru çalıştırmıyor bu kırığın yapılması gerekiyor veya değişmesi gerekiyor fakat piyasa... read more
S
1
24
Mar 19
Moulding of a Concave Disk
Manufacturing
Hello everyone, I want to make a disk of 203 mm in diameter, 25 mm in height with a concave curvature of 3.22 mm.Will this precision be respected knowing that I am not a... read more
1
32
Mar 17
Best process for small stainless steel tiles
Manufacturing
hello, my project requires the production of small metal tiles (approx. 50 mm x 50 mm) for decorative and functional purposes. The tiles need to have sharp, well-defined edges, a smooth surface finish, and... read more
B
l
1
49
Mar 07
0.4mm text in PLA
Manufacturing
Hey all, my part needs to have perforated text on a thin PLA sheet, and the text is 0.4 mm thick. Do you think that’s wide enough to print cleanly without running into issues... read more
A
J
2
53
Feb 17

Edit topic