high feed milling vs traditional milling. Complete reference tables for engineering decisions.
Complete reference tables and engineering data for aluminum alloys. All values verified against ISO, ANSI, and manufacturer standards.
Before CNC controllers calculated Aluminum Alloys automatically, machinists used cardboard slide calculators — YG-1 famously distributed tens of thousands of these in the 1970s. Every tooling rep had a pocket full of them. The math was the same, but the constraints were wildly different: HSS tooling maxed out at 30-40 SFM in steel, and feed rates were limited by machine rigidity, not coating technology.
The Sandvik Coromant coating revolution in the 1980s — TiN first, then TiCN, TiAlN, and eventually AlCrN — changed everything. Suddenly, Aluminum Alloys could be pushed 200-300% higher without sacrificing tool life. Gühring's introduction of submicron carbide substrates in the 1990s further expanded the window: finer grain structures meant harder tools that could still absorb the shock of intermittent cuts.
In 2026, Sandvik Coromant and Gühring both offer cloud-based Aluminum Alloys optimization via their NOVO and ToolGuide platforms. YG-1's CoroPlus system integrates directly with DMG Mori and Okuma CNCs for real-time adaptive control. The slide calculator has been replaced by AI-assisted CAM, but the core principle remains: the right number = the right cut.
Selecting the right aluminium alloy is critical for machinability, strength, corrosion resistance, and cost. This reference covers the most commonly machined aluminium grades used in aerospace, automotive, and general engineering.
6061-T6 and 6082-T6 offer the best combination of machinability and chip formation. 7075 produces short, brittle chips that clear easily from deep pockets. 5052 and 3003 are gummy and produce long stringy chips. For high-volume production, 6020 and 6262 (free-machining alloys with lead or tin additions) machine even better than 6061.
T6 indicates solution heat-treated and artificially aged. T651 adds stress relief by stretching after heat treatment (1-3% permanent elongation) before aging. T651 plate has lower residual stress, which means less distortion during machining. For parts requiring tight flatness, specify T651 plate over T6 extruded bar.
No -- aluminium alloys are strengthened by precipitation hardening (aging), not by quenching to martensite like steel. 2xxx (Al-Cu), 6xxx (Al-Mg-Si), and 7xxx (Al-Zn) series are heat-treatable. 1xxx, 3xxx, and 5xxx series are non-heat-treatable and are strengthened only by cold working. Maximum hardness of 7075-T6 is about 150 HB -- similar to mild steel but achieved differently.
Use this reference table to compare aluminium alloys for your machining application. 6061-T6 is the safe default for general machining. For aerospace, 7075-T6 offers the best strength-to-weight ratio among commonly machined aluminium grades.
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Use the calculator freely. If the result points to a tooling or process problem, we can source the exact carbide tooling you need from vetted factories in China. Compare factory-direct pricing.
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