CNC machining, you must be familiar with the aluminum alloy material

Aluminum is one of the most abundant metallic elements found in the Earth's crust, and it is also the most widely used non-ferrous metal. Aluminum can be used in common objects, such as aluminum foil or aluminum cans, or in extreme specialized applications, such as parts for spaceships and submarines.

Characteristics of aluminum

Aluminum is very malleable and malleable, which makes it widely used. Its malleability allows it to be made into aluminum foil, and its malleability allows it to be drawn into rods and wires.

Aluminum is also highly resistant to corrosion, and when exposed to air it naturally forms an oxide film that prevents corrosion of the metal. This oxidation can also be induced by synthesis to provide stronger element protection. Aluminum's natural protective coating makes it more resistant to corrosion than carbon steel, but it is no match for the chromium content of stainless steel. In addition, aluminum is a good conductor of heat and electricity, superior to carbon and stainless steel in both areas.

It is faster and easier to process than steel, and its strength-to-weight ratio makes it ideal for many applications that require strong, rigid materials. Aluminum is also well recycled, with energy savings of up to 95 percent compared to the energy required to produce primary aluminum.

Compared with steel, aluminum has some disadvantages. It is not as hard as steel and is not suitable for bearing parts with high impact force or extremely high bearing capacity. Aluminum also has a much lower melting point (660 ° C compared to steel, which has a lower melting point of about 1400 ° C), so it cannot be used in high-temperature environments. It also has a high coefficient of thermal expansion, so if it becomes too hot during machining, it will deform and have difficulty maintaining tight tolerances.

Aluminium alloy

The aluminum used in CNC machining is not pure aluminum, it always contains a small amount of alloying elements. Standard aluminium still contains 99 to 99.6 per cent aluminium (the element) by weight, with the remaining percentage made up of common materials such as silicon, manganese, magnesium, copper and zinc.

An infinite number of aluminium alloys can be made by slightly adjusting the alloying element content. These common aluminum alloys are classified into 9 series by the main alloying element, and each series has some common properties. For example, 3000, 4000, 5000 series of aluminum alloy can not be heat treated, but the use of cold processing, that is, the so-called work hardening.