Aluminium cutting guidance

SmartBench is a versatile CNC machine. It is however unique in its operational approach. As such the way in which you cut your work will often differ from how things are achieved with a traditional flatbed CNC machine. This is certainly the case when you have a requirement to cut an aluminium sheet on SmartBench.

Guidance on cutting aluminium

It is highly recommended to use the following guidance when cutting an aluminium material.

Do’s

• Clean your stock material from any dirt and debris before cutting.

• Select a cutting tool which does not require coolant nor lubrication. 

• Use an extraction system to remove cut swarf and debris.

• Use a secondary extractor, or Brush, to clear any remaining swarf or debris away from the SmartBench Z-Head. 

• Our recommended feed and speed for cutting aluminium is shown here.

• Monitor your Feeds & Speeds parameters to avoid overheating. 

Don'ts

• Lubrication should not be used in any quantity. Not even a mist-spray! Otherwise swarf and debris will become difficult to remove with extraction 

• Air-Lines should not be used to clear debris nor swarf from the stock material. Otherwise particles may interfere with the Z-Head performance.