We commonly assume that when cutting aluminum we can use any cutting tool as it is an easy material to cut. This statement is not entirely incorrect, although if one is aware of the costs of production we could consider some premises when choosing the tool.

Aluminum parts manufacturers know how important it is to have the correct style of cutters, taking into account the characteristics of the material. A decision can be made based on:

• Configuration of the parts that are going to be produced.
• Productivity and quantity of the application.
• The cost.

The most common operations in aluminum are profiling and drilling. Unless we know that a high volume of material needs to be removed, we would typically use a 2 flute cutting tool. High Speed Steel (H.S.S.) cutting tools would create good cutting action and the tool wear would be minimum.

Another option would be to have a high helix cutting tool. This would allow to have a higher aluminum material removal. If the production volume is high, consider a high helix carbide cutting tool. The 3 flute cutting tools allow a better chip control on drilling operations. This cutting tools have an excellent production levels and high tool life.

Any tool mentioned above could have a square, ball or radius end geometry.