What is N material group?
Aluminium alloys have become desirable materials to address the weight reductions required by the transportation industry.Aluminum is a malleable, silvery-colored metal. It is remarkable for its resistance to oxidation and low density. It represents on average 8% of the mass materials from the solid surface of our planet. Aluminum is too reactive to exist in its native state in the natural environment: on the opposite, it is found in combined form in more than 270 different minerals, its main mineral being bauxite.
Aluminium alloys have become desirable materials to address the weight reductions required by the transportation industry. When pure, aluminium is soft and corrosion resistant material. Alloying with elements like copper or magnesium for example provides the materials with higher strength properties. Silicon is added to give the aluminium alloy an abrasion resistance, but these results in a high wear rate of the insert if the cutting speed is not reduced.
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Seco classifies the machinability of materials based on 5 important properties: abrasiveness, ductility, strain hardening, thermal conductivity and hardness.
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Basic guidelines for ISO N materials e.g. for aluminium machining:
- The ductility and adhesive nature of these materials towards cutting materials are your main concern (leading to build up edge wear and cracking of the cutting edges)
- Use big depth of cut and high feed
- Use high cutting speeds to avoid as much as possible the formation of build-up edges on the cutting tool
- Use dedicated carbide grades and sharp cutting geometry
- Emulsion cooling is advised, JETSTREAM cooling gives good results
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ISO N Tab extract
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