When you think of Mic 6 and its characteristics, the first thing that comes to mind is stability.
Machining Mic 6 is one of the most complex processes in the cast plate industry because it requires wealth of knowledge and commitment to quality in order to produce the stellar results expected of this alloy.
History of Mic 6
Fifty years ago, Mic 6 took the aluminum market by storm. Originally created by Alumax, Mic 6 was a response to the demand for aluminum plate requests to incorporate stability and tolerance improvements from what was on the market in the 1960s. The production and naming rights were sold to then Alcoa, now known as Arconic, some time later.
Alcoa (Arconic) went on a mission to heed the wishes of their audience and set out on a research and information gathering mission to truly decipher what they needed to produce. The voices were loud and in demand of an aluminum with improved flatness, tighter thickness tolerances, a pristine surface condition and, of course, better stability.
Now the hard part began: creating the aluminum cast plate that would become the gold standard today. Through much trial and error, Alcoa (Arconic) succeeded in creating Mic 6, an aluminum plate whose structure, thickness tolerances, surface condition and stability would have no equal for the next 50 years. Today, Mic 6 cast plate is still the mark in which all aluminum manufacturers hope to follow.
Machining Mic 6
The in-depth manufacturing process is complex. In fact, some could say is the most complex in the cast plate industry. It focuses on eliminating distortion from machining by casting the slabs to near net thicknesses to control end use temperature fluctuations. This results in a granular, stress-relieved structure and achieves this zero-distortion cast plate product.
Stress reduction offers consistency. While being machined, the plate-to-plate performance of MIC 6 is consistent. This stress reduction also reduces the risk of disrupting the material stability. Once more, each Mic 6 plate cast through this process, will go through impurity removal and SNIF degassing to improve metal cleanliness. The casting process also allows for precise control of dimensionality, downstream processing, and tolerances.
The Mic 6 casting process allows for extensive machining with minimal risk of distortion even under extensive metal removal. It’s this attention to detail in the process that allows for small, uniform chips to be produced and often exceeds the product accuracy requirements for various projects including this alloy. Because Mic 6 has such low residual stress levels, it can be considered one of the most stable alloys distributed by Howard Precision Metals.
Specifics on Machining Mic 6
When it comes to machining Mic 6 there are multiple techniques that make up this complex process. Machining processes like horizontal milling, circular sawing, vertical milling and shaping and planing are all options to produce the highest quality aluminum pieces on the market today.
Here are some of the techniques that Mic 6 can be machined:
- Horizontal Milling
If you’re looking to use horizontal milling to machine Mic 6, the advantages are that you can use straddle milling, edging, grooving and single tooth fly-cutting all efficiently and with minimal backlash. For the least amount of backlash, you can use climb-cutting. - Vertical Milling
Used for large surfaces, vertical milling employs facing and fly-cutters to surface the material, creating contours and cavities. If you’re unfamiliar with fly-cutting, it’s a similar technique to using a lathe. - Shaping and Planing
The slowest speed process of them all, shaping and planing is utilized to produce rough torn surfaces. To improve the finish, using an extreme raking angle is required. This allows for sufficient shearing action to the tool edge. - Circular Sawing
Because of the quality of the alloy, you’ll need a circular saw with chip breaker teeth or alternating slide rake teeth and use blade speeds at a minimum of 4575 meters per minute. It’s also important the teeth have up to a 45-degree rake angle for optimum finish.
Characteristics of Mic 6
The most well-known characteristic is Mic 6’s stability. However, it is also extremely level, horizontal, without lumps or indentations and has an amazing surface finish. With such control in the manufacturing process, Alcoa produces perfection. Every time. Flatness tolerances are calibrated by using a laser guided system. Plus, Arconic guarantees these tight tolerances in parent form and in cut pieces of the cast plate product. The manufacture of Mic 6 is something often replicated, but not easily duplicated, in the cast plate marketplace.
Mic 6 is the standard in cast tool and jig plate aluminum. Why? Because Arconic guarantees consistent quality and excellent performance. Mic 6 has made its way into a variety of industries like printing, food processing, CNC machining, aerospace, and automotive. Again, this is a direct result of stringent quality controls which result in the tightest cast tool and jig plate tolerances.
Summary
At Howard Precision Metals, we use custom sawing equipment, capable of operating at high speeds, and source only premium aluminum products. This enables us to consistently produce precision results. We only stock the very best aluminum plate and extruded bar products. By using the most state-of-the-art sawing equipment to cut our aluminum, the results are impeccable.
Howard Precision Metals has been in business for 90 years and is a state-of-the-art 100% aluminum service center. We are aluminum experts, especially when it comes to Mic 6. If you’re looking to use Mic 6 on your next project or need to discuss bulk shipping, please contact us today or request a quote.
