Ran a 1/4 inch endmill through aluminum at 18k rpm and it turned into a firework

Was trying to bump up feed rate on a Haas VF-2 last week, chip evacuation couldn't keep up and the whole thing lit up. Had to blow out the enclosure with the fire extinguisher, what's your go to speed and feed for 6061?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_shane3d ago

Yeah did you have coolant on or were you running dry? I keep mine around 12k with a .002 per tooth chip load for 6061 and never had issues but I'm curious what other guys are pushing.

kai8072d ago

Flooded with coolant helps a ton on 6061, but running dry is asking for trouble at those speeds. Might try bumping your chipload to .003 or .004 if you're not seeing any chatter, just watch your tool pressure.