Name: Machined Magnesium Part

• Number: 007
• Weight: 0.00g
• Unit:
• Views : 360

• Retail Price: 0.00

Magnesium has very good machining abilities like sawing, punching, drilling, milling, turning compared to other metals. The specific cutting power is low and the surface is excellent and the chips are short.

Magnesium is the fastest machining metal and it has a high thermal conductivity, advantages of it are for example:

Long toollife, the tool stays sharp for long time

Low power consumption, about 55% lower than for aluminium alloys

Reduction of machining time because of the high speeds

Short chips an excellent surface

Magnesium machining is normally without any coolant and when it is necessary to use coolant a light mineral oil suffices. Never use water based coolant because of the risk of any reaction with the chips during storage.

High - speed tools or carbide tipped tools are preferred for the machining of magnesium. It is important to keep the cutting tool sharp to avoid to much heat. The experience with diamond tools are excellent but the costs are relatively high. It is necessary to store machined products under dry conditions and when there is a chance of condensation, extra protection is needed.

Machines should be kept clean and the turnings should be stored in steel bins.

Products of magnesium will not ignite easily, the magnesium must be heated to the melting point and during normal machining that's virtually impossible. The chips can be ignited but easy precautions should avoid this risk.

Magnesium dust howsoever has a high degree of flammability and these precautions are necessary to minimize these risk:

Dry machining or use light mineral based oil

Keep cutting tools sharp

Dispatch the chips frequently and store these in steel closed containers

Make sure there is an suitable extinguisher available

Use compressed air with high speed automatic machining when shavings are produced

Should a fire occur, dry turnings will burn slow and evenly. Never use water to extinguish magnesium because the burning magnesium will decompose water to form hydrogen which is easily ignited.

The potassium chloride fire extinguisher powder is the best extinguisher, other common extinguishers are cast iron turnings and dry sand.