Aluminium Machining
Aluminium is the material we cut most. It machines fast, takes a clean finish, and suits jigs and fixtures, electronics housings, and automation components needing low weight and low distortion.
Grades we run
| Grade | When we use it |
|---|---|
| A6061-T6 | Our general-purpose choice |
| A7075-T6 | Where strength matters more than cost or corrosion resistance |
| A5052-H32 | Where the part will be formed or bent, or needs better corrosion behaviour |
Machinability
Because aluminium cuts quickly, the cost of an aluminium part is driven by setups and features, not by material removal — a part that needs three setups can cost more than a larger part that needs one.
The risks with aluminium are distortion and burrs rather than tool wear. Thin walls and large pockets can move as material is removed, so on thin-walled parts we plan the fixturing and cutting strategy to control distortion, not just the final dimension.
Tolerance & finish
±0.01 mm as standard, ±0.005 mm on request where the feature allows. Ra 1.6 as-machined, Ra 0.8 by fine milling or turning.
Surface treatments
Coordinated through our finishing partners, inspected on return
Anodising (including colour), powder coating, and sandblasting or bead blasting. Anodising adds thickness, so tell us at drawing stage if a dimension is critical after treatment. Part numbers and logos can be laser-marked in-house.
Design tips
- Allow an internal corner radius slightly larger than the cutter radius — it cuts faster and leaves a better finish than a corner that matches the tool exactly.
- Keep pocket depth to a few times the cutter diameter where you can; deep, narrow pockets need long tools that deflect and chatter.
- Mark any area that must stay bare after anodising (contact faces, grounding points).
- For threads that will be assembled and disassembled often, consider thread inserts — we fit Helicoil/Recoil-type inserts in-house.