What is the working principle of CNC machines? How to work on a CNC milling machine.

Step-by-step instruction to create a CNC machine with your own hands - detailed description assembly steps. Part 1.

CNC machine with your own hands. Part 1

• Spindle
  
  Generally speaking, another unit can be installed instead of a spindle - a laser engraver, a plasma or laser cutting machine, an extruder. We will consider the spindle as the most loaded node. Spindle - as a rule, it is an electric motor, a feature of which is a low shaft runout and the ability to adjust the rotation speed over a fairly wide range. The spindle shaft ends in a cone into which a clamping collet is installed, which holds a cutting tool - a milling cutter or an engraver. The key characteristics of a spindle are: shaft runout (usually measured by taper runout) and spindle power (indicated in watts). Most spindles are designed for processing wood, plastic, stone, metalworking. The rotation speed usually varies from 6000 to 30000 rpm. For milling and engraving metals, powerful spindles with low speeds (2000-10000 rpm) are used. Many gantry machines designed for wood and plastic processing can engrave metals, and even mill non-ferrous metals sometimes, however, in this case, the machine experiences strong vibration due to recoil on the cutter, which cannot be extinguished by a light bed, and this drastically reduces the quality processing and machine resource. Milling and engraving of metals and some types of plastics require cooling cutting tool. Currently, there are many ways to cool the work area, but the main one remains the supply of a cutting fluid to the cutter. Some inverter-controlled spindles allow you to control the rotation speed from the CNC system by applying an analog signal of 0..+10 V to the input of the inverter (frequency converter). How to choose a spindle.

Most production structures are getting rid of conventional machines and acquiring progressive equipment. Their main motive is the highest precision of processing. And after completing the set new technology are starting to look for specialists who can work on it.

With pleasant surprise, I had to read an ad on the network, in which a specialist was invited to a complex for bitcoins. And this is proof that the profession is in demand and prestigious. The work of a competent specialist is highly valued.

Gone are the days when the master (turner or miller) had to set up the equipment himself, monitor the work of the machine park. Now, when all processes are automated, working on a CNC machine requires much less effort than in the past, but the requirements for skill levels are increasing.

Have knowledge of CNC

Milling, drilling and turning machines with numerical control (CNC) belong to the equipment on which you can perform machining of any material (we are talking about plastic, graphite, aluminum, copper, cast iron and steel, wood) with special tools - cutters, drills and incisors. An experienced, as well as an adjuster, knows that the material of the cutting part of the tool is designed to have a higher hardness and strength than that of the workpiece being processed. They select an alloy among hard and high-speed ones, a diamond and a mineral-ceramic component are used.

A qualified specialist knows the forms and types of tools, the scope of their application, the rules for caring for them. In addition to horizontal and vertical types of machines, universal ones are also common. to process them intricate details can be performed at the desired angle, using different tools.

Rotating rapidly, they are able to turn workpieces, cut them, cut material, drill holes, and engrave. And all processes are controlled by the program of the CNC block.

Movement along the axes (we are talking about the portal and spindle) are provided by three microstepping motors. Together with the tool, they constitute the mechanical unit of the device. But the management of production operations is carried out by an electronic unit. With help software graphic files are processed, which become vector images, are translated into G-code.

The range of skills working on the programmable equipment

To make a part, working on a CNC machine, you must be able to:

• build it using a graphic editor (AutoCad, Corel Draw programs);
• install the program in the RAM of the machine or in the RAM;
• determine the mode and parameters of control of microstepping motors, adequate to the technological task and the type of materials to be processed;
• visually monitor the progress of each technological operation on the panel, where you can see the display of current information about the operation of the equipment.

Operators are not required to take actions of particular complexity in the process of servicing CNC machines, and the use of programmable equipment simultaneously solves the following tasks:

• the level of productivity increases;
• provides excellent quality and precision processing;
• the solution of problems with the culture of production and labor safety is improving.

ATTENTION! A control program is created for at least two cutters. With the help of the first, rough work is performed with the workpiece: and the second is engaged in finishing.

Learn - master the skill

Agree that turners and millers are not born, they become. And this profession needs to be learned. Where? How long? Advertising in in social networks replete with headings like: "Let's learn how to work on the CNC in 5 minutes!", "Learn how to operate the machine in 2 weeks!". Such statements are nothing more than bravado. 5 minutes is not taken into account at all. In 2 weeks, you can have time to listen to a certain compressed theoretical course of study.

But in order to become a specialist, moreover, competent and responsible, worthy of taking a position that is highly paid, practice is also needed.

The most reliable option for mastering a profession is studying in a profile educational institution- college. They teach according to the program, where there is a place for both theory and practice (in certain proportions). The right approach to learning is to combine theory with practice. It is good to learn theory if at home, in an educational institution where a person receives an education, there is something to try to work on independently.

A great option if you are invited to work on a CNC machine with training in the profession. He is worth the attention of the job seeker, as his training will take place directly at the workplace. There, managers are directly interested in preparing a highly qualified worker faster.

What about online learning?

Today it is quite real. Some Internet resources are ready to teach the operation of the CNC machine. In particular, remote courses in Skype online have become very popular. And, in general, this is not bad:

• listen to a competent presentation of the theoretical foundations;
• see how this technique works;
• draw the attention of teachers to certain nuances.

But until a person himself approaches the machine, does not feel everything with his own hands and does not try to perform all the recommended operations, it is difficult to consider that he has learned something.

What is good in such courses is the reusable exercises in (control programs); acquiring skills in creating vector images and using the capabilities of ArtCam, StreameLine, Мach 3 and other programs.

It would be nice to watch a video (there are a lot of them on the Internet), where they theoretically teach how to maintain and adjust such machines. And then acquire a set of necessary practical skills.

Distribution of duties

Considering the fact that today programmable machines are complex electromechanical devices, the coordinated service is carried out by two people: (he is entrusted complex operations related to the setup and changeover of the device), and the operator must monitor the progress of the process and maintain the machine.

The adjuster, performing his duties, is engaged in:

• selection of tools, checking their sharpening; introduction of the technological map sizes;
• installing tools; checking how reliable the fasteners, the tape drive mechanism and the entire system are when operating in idle mode;
• the introduction of punched tape, the analysis of the correctness of programs;
• fixing blanks in the chuck, starting the “According to the program” mode.

Having processed the workpiece and measured the finished part, the adjuster makes corrections, and another workpiece is processed in the same way. If there are no discrepancies in size, the "Automatic" mode is entered and then the operator performs his functions. It does:

• change of oil and grease in cartridges;
• adjustment of pneumatic and hydraulic units of equipment and precise parameters;
• cleaning the place leaving the work area;
• performance testing.

He must also make sure that lubricating fluid is supplied to the hydraulic system and other components.

Be ready for a new level of demands

The intensive development of microprocessor technology has contributed to the fact that now, every 3-5 years, the hardware of CNC devices and their work undergoes a significant update.

Today, there are more and more robotic productions in the mechanical engineering industry. The concept called "unmanned production" has become more real. We are talking about the full robotization of enterprises in the machine-building sector. Ideally, we expect a fully automatic production, in which no human is involved.

The advent of robots, predicted by science fiction writer Isaac Asimov, has now been embodied in metal. And this gave rise to a number of problems. In all seriousness, on the sidelines of the government South Korea, there is a debate about editing the text of the Charter of Ethical Standards for Robots.

But this is a distant prospect. And now for many young people it is realistic to get a knowledge base for working with a CNC machine. This is the path to one of the most sought-after professions of our time.

Equipment with numerical control attracts all people who are interested in making high-quality and necessary products with their own hands.

They deal with a variety of lathes and milling groups. In particular, with turrets, as well as high-performance aggregates (for various models of this type of equipment, it can simultaneously work within 100 tools: cutters, drills, cutters).

If a curved shape of the generatrix is ​​required, the work is carried out using a CNC-controlled hydraulic support. Today, the CNC system can also be installed on waterjet machines. Their function is high-quality cutting of sheet material: metal, plastic, natural and artificial stone, glass.

Conclusion

Today it is prestigious to work on CNC machines, and therefore the requirements for the level of qualification are quite high. An experienced fitter or equipment operator needs to know and be able to do a lot in order to meet these qualification requirements and feel confident at any stage of work.

Consider the operation of machine tools with a CNC system according to a simplified scheme (Fig. 7.1), including the main blocks of CNC systems and the main elements of the kinematic circuit of the machine. The CNC system consists of information input devices, information storage block BZI , BI interpolation block , feed drive control unit in the form of digital-to-analog converters DAC and two servo drives along the X and V axes machine. Follower drives consist of power amplifiers UM X and UM Y, comparing devices US X and US Y , sensors feedback in the form of rotating transformers VT X and VT U , kinematically connected with the lead screws of the machine, and feed motors M x and M y , that drive the lead screws of the machine. As a result of the rotation of the screws, the machine table and its slider with a cutter move, the joint movement of which determines the configuration of the manufactured part according to the programmed program.

All modern CNC devices are based on some kind of microcomputer or microprocessors (one or more), which can significantly increase the degree of automation of the machine, i.e. provide: indication of a large number of parameters on the display screen, quick troubleshooting and convenient editing of programs, storing a large amount of control programs, etc.

7.1. Composition of the cnc system

All CNC devices have advanced cyclic automation with a large number inputs and outputs, as well as communication with a computer top level necessary for the creation of flexible production systems.

At the same time, there is a division of CNC devices according to the number of controlled coordinates associated with their purpose: for lathes, two coordinates are usually required; for conventional milling - three; for milling machines designed for volumetric processing - five; for multi-operation machines - from four to eight. At present, CNC devices for 10–12 coordinates have been created to control the GPM. The number of coordinates has a very significant effect on the design and cost of the CNC device.

The functional diagram of a typical universal CNC system (Fig. 7.2) consists of two main devices: a numerical control device, structurally designed as a separate cabinet or console, and actuators with drives and feedback sensors placed on the machine. The main blocks of the CNC system are described below.

Rice. 7.1. Simplified diagram of a CNC machine

Input device enters numerical information from the program carrier.

The block of storage of the read information. In addition to storing the input information in this block, its control and the formation of the corresponding signal at the time of error detection are performed. This block, as a rule, has the ability to receive information from an upper-level computer, which is necessary when combining machine tools into a GPS.

Control and indication panel serves to connect the human operator with the CNC system. With the help of this console, the system is started and stopped, switching modes from automatic to manual, etc., as well as correcting the feed rate and tool sizes and changing the initial position of the tool along all or some coordinates. This console has a light signaling and digital indication of the system status.

In modern CNCs, the indication is usually carried out using the built-in display, which allows you to display a much larger number of parameters, as well as carry out the development of programs directly on the machine.

Interpolation block generates a partial tool path between two or more points specified in the program. In most cases, linear and circular interpolation is used, although sometimes helical or cylindrical interpolation is used.

feed drives, most often tracking, serve to ensure the movement of the controlled elements of the machine (tables, calipers, carriages, etc.) with the required speed and accuracy when given moment. By a servo drive we mean a system consisting of an engine (electric, hydraulic), a power amplifier that supplies this engine with the necessary energy, which is regulated over a wide range, a position feedback sensor that serves to measure the actual movement (or position) of the controlled object, and a comparing device that compares the actual position of the object with the given one and outputs an error signal that is input to the power amplifier, as a result of which the angular velocity of the motor shaft turns out to be proportional to the system error. During operation, this system moves the managed object in such a way as to maintain a minimum error value. If the error for any reason exceeds a pre-set allowable limit, then the CNC system will automatically shut down using special protection devices.

Feed drive control units serve to convert the information received from the output of the interpolator into a form suitable for controlling feed drives, so that when each pulse arrives, the controlled object moves a certain distance, called the pulse price, which is usually 0.01 or 0.001 mm. Depending on the type of drives (closed or open, phase or amplitude) used on machines, control units differ significantly.

In open-loop drives using stepper motors, control units are special ring switches, the output of which includes powerful amplifiers that feed the windings of stepper motors, which serve to cycle the windings of the stepper motor, which causes its rotor to rotate. In closed-loop phase-type drives using feedback sensors in the form of rotating transformers (VT) or inductosyns in phase shifter mode, control units are pulse-to-phase AC converters and phase discriminators that compare the phase of the signal at the output of the phase converter with the phase of the feedback sensor and outputting a differential error signal to the drive power amplifier.

The same block usually contains amplifiers for feeding feedback sensors, as well as protection devices that turn off the drives when the permissible tracking error is exceeded.

Feedback sensors DOS are measuring devices used to determine the actual position (absolute value of the coordinate) or movement (relative value of the coordinate) of the controlled object within the system step. In this case, the steps are summed up by the CNC system. The movements of the object are determined both directly with the help of any linear measuring devices, for example, inductosyns, and indirectly, by measuring, for example, the angle of rotation of the feed motor shaft using any angular measuring device, for example, a conventional VT or a resolver (accurate VT sine -cosine type, used in calculating devices).

In addition to inductosyns, other measuring devices are sometimes used for direct measurement of linear displacements, for example, precision gear racks with multi-pole VTs, or, to achieve particularly high accuracy, optical line measuring scales with appropriate pulse sensors. Usually the same CNC can work with different types of DOS.

Rice. 7.2. Functional diagram of the CNC system

Feed rate block provides a given feed rate, as well as acceleration and deceleration at the beginning and end of processing sections according to a given law, most often linear. The feed rate is specified either by the number of the speed of the corresponding series of speeds, which make up a geometric progression with a denominator of the order of 1.25, or directly in millimeters per minute after 1 or even after 0.1 mm / min. In addition to the operating feed rates, which are usually 5–2000 mm / min, this block, as a rule, also performs a setting movement at an increased speed, at which coordinates are set during positional processing or the tool moves from one section of the workpiece to another during contouring. This speed in modern systems CNC is 10–15 m/min.

Program correction block Together with the control panel, it serves to change the programmed processing parameters, i.e. feed rate and tool dimensions (length and diameter). Changing the speed of movement (usually 5–120%) is reduced to manually changing the frequency of the master oscillator in the feed unit. Changing the tool length (usually from 0 to 100 mm) is reduced to changing the specified value of movement along the tool axis, without changing its initial position.

Block of technological commands is designed to control the cyclic automation of the machine, including the search and change of a sufficiently large number of tools (up to 100), changing the spindle speed, clamping the guides during positioning and unclamping them during movement, various locks that ensure the safety of the machine. The cyclic automation of the machine consists mainly of actuators such as starters, electromagnetic clutches, solenoids and other electromagnetic mechanisms, as well as discrete feedback elements such as limit and limit switches, current relays, pressure relays and other elements, contact or non-contact, signaling the state of the executive organs. Often these elements with additional devices such as relays implement local cycles (for example, a search and tool change cycle), commands for the execution of which are given from a program control device. Modern CNC devices, as a rule, carry out these cycles internally, giving signals to the actuators of the machine through matching amplifying devices, which can be located both in the machine and in the CNC device. To do this, programmable controllers are often used as a separate unit placed inside or outside the CNC device.

Canned cycle block serves to facilitate programming and reduce the length of the program when positional processing of repetitive workpiece elements, for example, when drilling and boring holes, threading and other operations.

In addition to these blocks, adaptation blocks are used, which serve to increase the accuracy and productivity of processing under randomly changing external conditions (for example, machining allowance, hardness of the material being processed, tool blunting). This is explained by the fact that any CNC system is an open control system, since it does not “know” the result of its work. In a CNC system with conventional feedback, the workpiece is not covered by it; only the movement of the tool relative to the workpiece is specified. At the same time, the accuracy of the dimensions of the part is affected, for example, by the deformation of the tool, which in conventional CNC systems can be taken into account when programming only when it is constant or changes according to a previously known law, which is not the case in practice.

Each company, opening a new enterprise, takes care of the personnel potential. Per last years working professions did not become popular. This is due to the fact that the owner of the crust about getting a profession does not always manage to find a job, especially with decent pay. Therefore, business leaders are paying more and more attention to training personnel to work on machine tools with numerical control.

Why you need to train operators

Modern production capacity equipped with high-precision CNC machines. The workers who stood at the machine ten or twenty years ago cannot be assigned to them.

Many industries modern industry, including metalworking, are in dire need of operators-adjusters of CNC machines. And wages offer a good one. For example, a CNC machine operator (St. Petersburg) receives from 40 to 70 thousand rubles. These specialists set up and control the operation of these devices, give them a program of actions, a set of operations, indicate their sequence. And the operator is entrusted with servicing the machine, who must also understand the features of the process.

Those who have been trained in working professions are not always ready to work on modern equipment. Training programs in vocational schools do not always correspond to the level of technical equipment modern production. Weak material and technical base makes it impossible to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills. And they often do not have experience working on high-precision CNC machines.

This applies not only to workers, but also to mid-level specialists.

Therefore, managers are trying to provide their enterprises with workers trained for their assistance.

The role of operators and servicemen

The use of numerically controlled machine tools has dramatically changed the nature of the processes carried out by the people who operate them. For their role in technological process reflected high automation, the possibility of rapid readjustment of equipment.

Modern machines operate in an automatic cycle. Programs for their work are developed by technologists. Therefore, the sequence of operations and movement of the working parts of the tool does not depend directly on the machine operator.

What depends on the operator

The instruction of the operator of the CNC machine clearly regulates their duties:

• installation of the workpiece and its removal after processing;
• periodically it is necessary to check the dimensions of parts for compliance with standards;
• observation of chip flow in the right direction;
• monitoring the state of machine systems;
• monitoring signaling devices.

The operator sets up the machine and puts it into operation. Usually the machine processes one part long time. Therefore, the operator can operate multiple machines or perform other functions with different tools. This makes the job more interesting. However, it also requires planning skills.

Timely detecting malfunctions in the system or marriage, he reports them. By doing this, he helps to save equipment and prevent the release of low-quality products. His observations help technologists make the necessary changes to the program.

In order not to encounter the same problem every time as a new one, the CNC machine operator must remember and study the signs of various problems and malfunctions in order to quickly correct them or prevent them from occurring.

CNC devices

Now the market presents a sufficient number of devices for numerical control of foreign and Russian production.

Among the first are German Siemens and Heidenhein, Japanese Okuma, Mitsubishi, Fanuc Automation (or Fanuc), Spanish Fagor.

The second group includes St. Petersburg "Balt-System", "Modmash" (Nizhny Novgorod), Moscow "Alfa-System", Izhevsk "Izhprest", "Mikros" (Noginsk).

The most popular and common are Siemens and Fanuc.

Training in production centers

Training centers are created in order to receive a unified educational system including theory and practice. The operator of the CNC machine tool must understand and comprehend the entire process of creating a finished product, from the development of drawings and programs, to the formation of the skills of operators of various machine tools with programming.

As an exam or test, the future CNC machine operator processes the part himself, and the center's specialists monitor the quality of his work.

Education

How is a CNC machine operator trained in such centers?

Training is carried out in classrooms equipped with rack simulators. The program is designed to ensure that new knowledge can be immediately put into practice. This allows you to significantly reduce the time for training directly in the shops, near the equipment. Students learn the basics of programming, such concepts as the coordinate system, coordinate axes and their control, get acquainted with the structure of the control program, interpolation, canned cycles, preparatory and auxiliary functions.

As a result, a CNC machine operator who enters production is already ready to work.

Lifelong learning

Highly qualified specialists are valued in any enterprise. In order for them to keep up with the times, they need to constantly grow and learn. Therefore, the training of machine operators and other professionals must be continuous.

If the training center has service center, then its specialists help to set up the machines that are installed at the enterprise, and train employees not only of their own, but also of customers. In the future, the operator-adjuster of CNC machines will service this equipment.

This is beneficial to both the managers and the adjusters themselves. The first will not need to look for specialists, the second will be able to advise operators remotely or travel to the enterprise at any time of the day.

What you need to know to become a fitter

Young people who want to become CNC machine tool technicians must:

• good knowledge of mathematics, including geometry;
• know mechanics and electrical engineering;
• read drawings and technical documentation;
• programming processes.

In vocational schools, the training of CNC machine operators is carried out on the basis of secondary education for 2 years.

Forms of study:

• stationary;
• evening;
• correspondence.

But only after working at the enterprise, a young specialist can claim that he has mastered the profession, and now he is a CNC machine operator.

Requirements for Operators

Modern CNC machines are complex mechanisms. Determining the reasons for the admitted marriage and eliminating them require a technical way of thinking from the service operator. He should be interested in machines and various mechanisms and devices. Only such people will be interested in this work, only they will be able to achieve success in it.

The CNC machine operator must:

• understand the device and the principle of operation of machines;
• know how to properly install, fix the workpieces and their high-quality processing;
• be able to set up machines;
• enter programs;
• bring and sharpen the tool;
• produce high quality parts;
• be able to measure the received details.

self-education

Now it is easy to find a lot of literature that can help you understand the intricacies of working on CNC machines. Many professionals use it to improve their knowledge. But this is not possible for every representative of the profession. And it is impossible for the younger generation to learn a profession only from books. Therefore, it is necessary flexible system education, allowing everyone who wants to master the profession and get the skills he needs.

Suppose you have a working CNC machine that has just been purchased, but there is not enough knowledge about it yet. Suppose now that this is a CNC milling machine for metal, and that in the first place you will be interested in milling metal, which is easy to process.

Chances are you're itching to start milling interesting parts, building a tool magazine, or maybe putting together a Colt 1911 pistol. With CNC, you can build just about anything, and you're full of ideas to get started on your favorite projects.

Consider first some of the nuances of metal milling

A friend of mine has been cutting metal for some time with his CNC machine, which has a working field of 400x600 mm. How he does it? You just need to follow the following parameters:

• depth per pass;
• feed rate;
• choose the right end mill and its cooling.

However, metals can be cut without cooling.

When milling metal, you need to be extremely careful, especially with aluminum, this material begins to melt at a temperature of about 648 degrees Celsius, and when using an end mill rotating with high speed(approximately 13,000 rpm), it will get very hot and melt the end of the workpiece during the machining process. Aluminum is a fusible metal. Comparing it to steel that melts at 1150 degrees Celsius, some metal CNC machine operators will say that mild steel is easier to cut than aluminum simply because the cutter can run at a slower feed rate and gnaw through the material.

Ways to control the temperature of the cutting tool

1. The first and most widely used method is to apply coolant to the end mill while it is running. This is a special substance that, in combination with the cutting fluid, provides the best cutting performance.
2. The second way is that only coolant can be sprayed onto the cutter, which is usually done by hand. Usually, isopropyl alcohol is used for such purposes, which at the same time perfectly cleans the cutting tool.
3. The third method is based on the jet compressed air on the cutter This method consists in creating a vortex system in which a stream of cold air is supplied from one nozzle, the temperature of which is about -50 degrees Celsius, and air is supplied from the other with high temperature(above 100 degrees).
4. The last method is to find the right balance of depth per pass, spindle speed, feed rate, end mill selection, and swirl cooling angle to achieve dry cut.

Achieving such a balance is not easy, and by the last statement that the industry is moving in this direction, it seems that people do not yet know how to achieve this. Well, in fact, it is practiced, but not with ideal parameters, and find these ideal parameters is the holy grail of metal cutting.

Cutting aluminum and how to get good results

Balance: A metal milling machine with a high feed rate and a very shallow depth per pass allows the cutter to cool well. It will travel over the aluminum alloy workpiece fast enough to cool itself, but if the tool stays too long (slow feed and deep depth per pass) in the same place, it will heat up and melt the cut on the workpiece due to friction. Keep in mind that CNC milling machines of almost any type can successfully cut aluminum.

Consider this analogy: an adult can dig a hole quite quickly and gain a large number of sand in a shovel at a time. The child can dig in the sand too, but only scratch the surface over and over, rather than picking up a full shovel. The child will eventually reach the same depth as the adult, but it will take a little longer.

Problem: a child does not use the shovel most effectively because the sharp tip of the shovel will dull faster than the top of the shovel, while an adult will work the entire shovel evenly. This is the case with end mills. The deeper you can go into the workpiece with the cutter, the more evenly it will wear, extending its life.

So, what parameters should be observed? This is an important question, because the result can cost a pretty penny. We have good example. As already mentioned above, a compact CNC metal milling machine and a vortex system are used to blow the cutter with air at a temperature of -50 degrees. The material being cut is 6061, which is a structural grade of aluminium, and its thickness is 5 mm, but it doesn't matter because the cutting is done with a large number of passes. The thicker the material, the longer it will take to process, however, this is already clear.

For cutting, a Chinese spindle with a speed of 13,000 rpm is used. The feed rate (the speed at which the end mill passes through the cut) is set between 300 and 430 mm/min. Depth per pass is an important parameter that should be carefully selected. Onsrud, which has great experience in the manufacture of face mills, recommends that the depth per pass be 1/2 of the diameter of the cutting part of the cutter. For a 3 mm end mill this is about 1.5 mm, but for finishing it is still better to take a depth equal to a quarter of the diameter of the cutting tool.

In end mills, infeed is generally the most damaging to the tool, so a slow plunge rate is preferred. Typically for aluminum, the immersion speed is set to 150 mm/min. If diving is planned to a greater depth, then it is better to pre-drill a hole in this place using drilling machine. When diving into the beginning of a profile, it's best to go to the material first (by giving the cutter a horizontal movement as the z-axis goes down or up).

When cutting metal, workpiece vibration is the main problem that needs to be eliminated. At home, you can use the most various ways fixings, starting from clamps and ending with a special vacuum table. Whatever clamping or fastening method is used, make sure it will not move at all and that the clamp (screws, clamp) is as close to the cut as possible.

Summing up

Based on the foregoing, we can highlight such points, remembering which it will become much easier to mill metal:

1. Take your time. It is better to spend more time processing than to kill a mountain of expensive tools and ruin more than one workpiece.
2. Use carbide cutters. They will serve for a very long time with properly selected cutting conditions. And it is advisable to buy cutters from trusted manufacturers and in specialized stores.
3. Use cutters with a smaller diameter. It is better to make more passes and get a beautiful cut than to remove a kilogram of aluminum in one cut, throw away the "burnt" tool and see the ragged edges of the workpiece.
4. Don't be paranoid about cleaning your cuts. You do not need to stand with a brush or a vacuum cleaner over the workpiece that you are processing, it is enough at the end to simply sweep away all the waste or collect it with a magnet (if it is a ferromagnetic material).
5. Lubricate working tools with coolant mist. The effect of "fog" is achieved by using a special fitting on the fluid supply pipe.
6. Don't slow down the feed too much. If the feed is too slow, instead of cutting the material, the cutter begins to rub against it and heats up very much, which leads to overheating of the tool and melting of the cut point (if the workpiece is made of fusible material).
7. If your metal cutting machines don't feed fast enough, use fewer passes and increase the cutter diameter.