Cutting and bending of aluminum in Moscow in the shortest possible time

Many people offer custom aluminum cutting services, but only in our company is this truly beneficial to the client. For several reasons: the entire process is automated, which ensures cutting quality, the equipment can operate continuously for bulk orders. In addition, deadlines are strictly adhered to. And all this at affordable prices, with the ability to order prompt delivery of finished products.

Since laser cutting of aluminum is one of the most high-tech processing methods, it is used most often. With its help, it is possible to obtain a neat, clean cut of metal, economical cutting of sheets, high productivity and saving time, which will affect the final price of the workpieces.

Cutting methods

There are many options for dividing metal into small parts. Conventionally, they are divided into mechanical and thermal. In the first case, metal cutting is carried out using sharp blades of certain tools, in the second - by heating the cutting surface in order to melt the surface.

Thermal methods include:

• plasma;
• waterjet;
• laser cutting.

Mechanical methods:

• milling cutting;
• saw;
• guillotine;
• Bulgarian

The features of each method are discussed below.

What does the price consist of?

As mentioned above, the popularity of laser cutting services is growing every year, especially since metal can be cut along a pre-drawn contour.

The cost of processing aluminum, the most problematic and popular material, is practically no different from other metals.

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The cost is influenced by factors such as: the thickness of aluminum or its percentage in the alloy, volume and complexity of cutting parts.

Also urgency: the higher it is, the higher the cost of services and types of cutting.

Work on cutting parts can be carried out from material provided by the customer, which must meet the following requirements:

1. 3000x1500 mm – maximum sheet size;
2. The metal sheet must have technological margins of 10 centimeters on each side;
3. The sheet must be clean, that is, without corrosion, dents and other defects, and it must also be degreased first if there are oily stains on it.

Plasma cutting

One of the best ways to get a perfectly straight cut. Plasma obtained by combining air with oxygen, argon, nitrogen, and hydrogen is suitable for cutting aluminum sheets. For example, for workpieces up to 20 mm thick, pure nitrogen is sufficient, and for workpieces up to 100 mm, nitrogen with oxygen taken in a 5:1 ratio. Argon and nitrogen should not be mixed as this combination is used for plasma cutting of alloy steel.

The resulting plasma stream removes particles of molten metal from the surface. Cutting speed depends on a number of factors, including:

• sheet steel thickness;
• gas pressure (flow);
• current strength of the plasma installation.

You can cut aluminum using plasma manually, but the mechanized method gives the user more options. Its advantages are high productivity and material savings. The disadvantage manifests itself at the end of the work - it is necessary to process the edges that have hardened after the cutting area has cooled.

What is the essence of this processing method?

In laser cutting, a highly concentrated beam of heat is applied very quickly to a specific area of ​​the aluminum sheet. The process takes place instantly, accurately, with virtually no production waste, which allows for rational use of metal.

But at the same time, there are also nuances associated with the strong reflective property of aluminum. It is more difficult to cut on laser machines and requires high beam power. Therefore, the quality of cutting and its speed will directly depend on the equipment used, the thickness of the aluminum workpiece and the aluminum content in the alloy (percentage).

The complex technological cycle of aluminum cutting is carried out with high quality on our company’s machines. They are equipped with CNC, so the process is controlled from start to finish. There are pulse and continuous cutting modes that give equally high-quality results.

Waterjet cutting

The method with a stretch can be classified as thermal, since such an effect is almost absent. The waterjet unit has a pump that produces a high-pressure jet. Water is mixed with an abrasive (usually quartz sand), after which the mixture is fed at high speed to the cutting area. The thickness of the jet is 1/10 mm or slightly more; cutting into the surface, it cuts aluminum with ease.

Advantages of the method:

• high performance;
• during operation, the metal is not affected by pollutants, since they are removed by water flow;
• accuracy of work;
• quality of surface treatment.

Flaws:

• installation cost is millions of rubles;
• impossibility of using the method at home;
• rapid wear of equipment consumables.

Aluminum cutting prices

Dural/Aluminium (AMTs, AMG)

The minimum order cost for one operation is RUB 10,000. excluding the cost of materials. In case of a significant increase in the volume of a subsequent order, the amount is 10,000 rubles. included as a discount on your next order.

Laser cutting

It is carried out by exposure to a laser beam generated by high-power equipment. Laser cutting of aluminum is considered the most popular method for a number of reasons:

• a minimum of time is spent on metal processing;
• saving material;
• almost complete absence of surface defects;
• It is easy to use a laser to cut even complex contours (sharp corners, diameters);
• modern installations are easily adjusted to certain conditions (for example, to the thickness of sheets);
• material deformations are excluded.

Cutting aluminum with a laser beam is possible on solid-state and gas-type devices. The latter are considered preferable because they operate continuously (the former only in pulse mode).

In parallel with the laser beam, an air flow is supplied to the processing site, blowing away molten pieces of metal from the edge. This ensures a smooth surface at the exit.

Experts recommend performing laser cutting at low speeds to reduce the likelihood of deformation to zero. It is recommended to use nitrogen for the same purpose.

Working with the settings is elementary - parameters are set in the program in accordance with the drawing, the equipment is started, and the user waits for the end of the work. In addition to minimizing the use of human resources, the advantages of laser cutting are energy savings, as well as the low cost of equipment (compared to waterjet). There are few disadvantages, but they do exist:

• the key element is the laser; if it breaks down, all equipment becomes faulty and work stops;
• cutting speed is high, but not constant;
• a prerequisite is that the thickness of the aluminum does not exceed 20 mm.

What affects the cost of the service

The calculation of the final price will be influenced by:

• urgency of the order;
• quantity, volume, dimensions of aluminum blanks, contour length;
• aluminum thickness;
• metal content in the alloy (%).

Milling

The uniqueness of the method is that it can work with complex surfaces, incl. with screws. It is imperative to configure the milling equipment specifically for working with aluminum, that is, select the type of cutter and its speed in accordance with the recommendations.

Modern CNC machines with 3D design capabilities are not inferior to laser and plasma devices in terms of cutting accuracy. They are used to create cast forms, volumetric aluminum products, and complex structures. However, there is a drawback in working with the equipment - the risk of deformation and the appearance of defects on the surface increases due to the high plasticity of the material.

Using different saws

Band saws and circular saws are suitable for cutting aluminum. Advantages of the first:

• small cutting width;
• possibility of angular processing;
• compactness.

If the user regularly faces the need to cut aluminum, he can find a home installation option that is small in size.

The design of modern devices includes useful devices, including a rotating saw frame, a thread (band) tension meter, a variator for smoothly changing cutting speeds, and a built-in saw blade cleaning system. The quality of the equipment is comparable to laser and plasma, only the master will save a lot (on money, work time and space).

Band saws allow cutting aluminum profiles with a diameter of up to 300 mm with an error of less than 0.5 mm. Therefore, they are used even at home.

The second type of saw used when cutting aluminum is a circular saw. They are divided into frontal and die-cutting, can look like a floor-standing or table-top machine, and have one or two working heads. Devices in the mid-price range have clamps for fixing the workpiece at an angle. The active element - a disk with a diameter of up to 550 mm - must have diamond coating on the teeth and indicate that it is suitable for cutting aluminum.

Advantages of working with circular saws:

• modern installations guarantee operator safety during operation;
• automatic cutting possible;
• smooth feeding of the cutting element;
• availability of waste compartments.

Disc material - high-speed steel (HSS marked). Some installations allow the workpiece to be rotated at an angle of up to 45 degrees for ease of operation.

Cutting with an angle grinder

The devices are known as “grinders”. It’s worth noting right away that cutting aluminum with a tool is difficult, since it has a soft, viscous structure. But processing the material is still possible, it just requires specific actions.

For example, when cutting thick aluminum sheets, kerosene is dripped onto the cut site so that the cutting disc does not get stuck in the metal. You also need to buy a circle suitable specifically for aluminum; otherwise, the efficiency and safety of work will be reduced.

The advantages of cutting with a grinder are speed, efficiency, and relatively thin cutting width. It is important for the user to remember that the force is applied only in the radial direction.

Aluminum is a special material with specific properties, so the cutting technology is chosen differently than for the same steel. The choice of processing method, process control, and correct setting of initial parameters (when working with automated installations) are important for the user. Mistakes are unacceptable - plastic and tough aluminum will not forgive a miscalculation.

If you know other effective ways of how and with what to cut aluminum, share your knowledge in the discussion about the material.

Specifics of bending aluminum sheet

Despite the soft structure and ductility of aluminum, when it bends at the point of impact, the same processes occur as in other metals.
Inside the corner, the metal is compressed in the longitudinal direction, and in the transverse direction, on the contrary, it is stretched. Outside, the exact opposite process occurs: transverse compression and longitudinal stretching. But only the outermost layers react to deformation in this way: the neutral layer between them remains calm.

When bending, a change in thickness also occurs: at the outer corner of the bend, the material “thinns”, but inside, on the contrary, it accumulates. All these processes are important when calculating bending parameters in relation to the dimensions of the workpiece. So, the greater its width, the less will be the influence of transverse deformation.