Most Efficient Way To Machine Small Aluminum Parts
We’ve all been there. A job comes in that needs small cutting tools, and all we have is a 40-Taper VMC. So, we figure just put on some adapters to run the small tools. That should work, right? But then we find that old workhorse that hogs out steel has too much power and torque for the small tools, and it breaks them. So what is the most efficient way to machine small aluminum parts?
The smaller tools need higher spindle speeds, not more power. With spindle speeds up to 60,000 RPM, a DATRON is optimized for small tooling and micromachining applications. Many of our customers found that adding a DATRON to their VMC lineup created the ultimate A-team to handle almost any job that comes in.
“We’re making some aluminum parts on the DATRON that we used to make on our Haas Super Mini Mills and we’ve reduced cycle time by nearly 50%.” — Paul Strippelhoff, President/CEO, Carbide Products, Inc.
Producing Higher Quantities, and a Higher Quality, in Less Time Comes Down to RPM
34,000 – 60,000 RPM Machines for Ultimate Speed and Efficiency with Small Tools
Why does high RPM = higher quality and quantity? The spindle is moving fast to prevent heat from building up. The high speeds quickly evacuate chips from the tool flute, and those chips take the heat with them. The high RPM avoids chip burnup and melting, so your cuts are cleaner. High RPMs also allow for significantly increased feed rates, so you’re making better aluminum parts faster. A DATRON spindle combined with an HSK series tool holder delivers greater precision and quality since they yield high concentricity and very little runout.
It’s not just a DATRON machine that’s designed to optimize your workflow; it’s also the workholding accessories and cooling system. Imagine if you could lay a sheet of 6061 aluminum down on a vacuum chuck, hit “go”, and come back later to a batch of aluminum parts… all cut out and perfectly dry? That’s the reality with the DATRON vacuum tables and MQL cooling systems that use ethanol as a coolant.
