At AP Precision, we have the skills, tools, and experience to fulfill any aluminum cutting job. Our fully-equipped shop is designed to support ISO Standard practices, as well as casual, or one-off projects. We utilize a range of tools to cut, punch, machine, mill, stamp, engrave, sand, and polish aluminum in a variety of weights and thicknesses. Whether you need one part for a hobby project, or two hundred commercial pieces, we can help.
Aluminum Cutting with The Band Saw
Although many people have a band saw at home, we find that a professional machining shop is better equipped to deliver consistent, quality results. Band saws should be specially set up for aluminum cutting projects. Depending upon the thickness of the aluminium sheet or material, this may be a fast, efficient, and accurate option. At AP Precision, we use non-ferrous carbide-tipped blades for this work. In addition, our shop has a selection of blades that can be used for thin-walled aluminum or thick-walled aluminum. Our machinists use a special cutting angle, in combination with a coolant and modified cutting speeds to provide a clean edge with minimal chatter.
Aluminum Cutting with a CNC Machine
Aluminum sheet, sheet, plate, and bar stock can be successfully processed by a CNC machine, however, the operator must have specialist knowledge to complete the job without damaging the material or the machine. Keeping a slow feed rate, using speciality router bits, and applying lubricant at key points are some of the tricks that our machinists use to get great results. At AP Precision, we process types of aluminum with our CNC machines, and are happy to share our experience to ensure that you have outstanding results.
Aluminum Laser Cutting
Unlike standard laser cutting shops, at AP Precision we have invested in special equipment to take on aluminum laser cutting. Since aluminum is more reflective than steel, machinists must take special precautions when processing it on a laser cutting machine. Aluminum’s highly-reflective nature can render the laser beam ineffective, and at the worst, it can damage the delivery optics of the laser itself. By using a customized laser optics delivery system, anti-reflective coatings, modified laser angels, and feedspeed techniques, our team is able to safely and effectively process large-scale aluminum laser cutting jobs.
Cutting Aluminum with Breaks, Shears, Punches and Presses
In addition to offering contemporary techniques like laser cutting and CNC machining, we employ traditional metal-working techniques to complete many of our jobs. Aluminum sheeting can often be cut using snips, shears, breaks, punches, or presses. This is a manual process, and requires the skillful touch of our experienced metal fabrication team. While these methods are less glamorous, they have been producing reliable results over the centuries. We find that these processes are especially useful for our architectural, landscaping, and design clients who may require a hand-finished look.
Our Customer Service and Consulting Services
Have a project in mind but not sure where to start? Our friendly and knowledgeable team is on hand to provide guidance on the best way to design and execute your project. Contact us today to get started.