When someone mentions CNC routers, the first thing that comes to mind is cutting or engraving wood items on this machine. However, the question here is if a CNC router is also used to cut metals? Let us directly get to the answer.
Yes. CNC routers do cut metals like steel, brass, copper, and aluminum. Since these machines are primarily manufactured to cut wood, composite materials, and plastic, it can not guarantee their efficiency in cutting metals compared to plasma or fiber laster technology. Cutting metals is known as milling, which means removing material from a workpiece via rotary cutters like a CNC router.
Let us dive into a few more details about cutting steel by a CNC router.
Why Cut Steel With A CNC Router?
If you already own a CNC router, here is a simple reason for using it for cutting steel. It would save you a good amount of money to buy a metal cutting machine. Secondly, you might be low on budget to buy a whole new machine specifically dedicated to steel cutting. Also, there can be another reason: you do not have the space in your shop to keep both the wood cutting and the metal cutting machines simultaneously.
Does a CNC router cut steel?
The machine is used to cut non-ferrous metals like alloy steel, aluminum, brass, copper, and stainless steel. You do not need to purchase a whole new machine to cut metals. Only the cutting technique is different than cutting wood or plastic. As compared to cutting wood, cutting metals has a more limited range of optimum speed and feed.
Steel has a higher melting point, making it easier to cut by the machine than aluminum. Some machinists find steel milling easier than aluminum milling simply because a lower feed rate is needed to cut the end mill, thus removing the material.
Watch this video of a CNC router milling steel tool:
How does a CNC machine cut metals?
There are a few steps involved in milling metals with a CNC router. They include:
- Pouring a cutting liquid to enhance its efficiency.
- Spraying the end mill with isopropyl alcohol.
- Blowing cold air through a vortex system on the end mill.
- Ensuring dry cutting by looking for a balance between spindle rpm, feed rate, depth per pass, helix angle, and end mill flute.
Finding a balance between all the aforementioned factors is not an easy task. However, experts claim that if someone finds a perfect balance between spindle rpm, feed rate, depth per pass, etc., it will be considered a breakthrough in metal milling.
Avoid Vibrations
When milling a metal, you are more likely to experience vibrations because the material is much harder than wood. How do you avoid it? The best way to reduce vibrations is using sheetrock screws for securing the metal onto the cutting board. The goal is to make the metal stay put with no movement for a seamless and smooth cutting. Do not forget to put the clamping source close to the cutting device.
