Pro tip: quit using coolant on aluminum if you're getting gummed up

Ran a job last week with 6061 plate and kept getting built-up edges every 20 parts. Spent hours dialing in feeds and speeds thinking it was my program. A guy from the sharpening service stopped by and asked why I was using coolant on aluminum. Told me to run it dry with a little air blast and a polished flute end mill. First test part came out clean and I haven't looked back. Anyone else run aluminum dry or am I the only one who did it wrong for 3 years?

2 comments

2 Comments

logan2364d ago

The air blast trick is legit... I had the same issue with 6061 and went dry with a little compressed air, night and day difference. It's wild how much smoother it cuts without the sticky mess.

keith_rivera194d ago

Did you do anything different with your feeds and speeds when you switched to dry? I mean, I get that the gumming goes away, but I'd think without the coolant you'd have to slow down or take lighter cuts to keep from overheating the tool or messing up the finish. Maybe it's just me overthinking it, but I always heard aluminum needs coolant for chip evacuation and heat control. Running dry with just air sounds like it would work for roughing but I'm curious how it holds up on a finish pass with tight tolerances.