Wet milling PMMA

[deadhead]

Not sure if there is already a thread on wet milling PMMA(i didnt see one) but we had someone from AG come to our lab for a small training session on their material and he mention something about wet milling PMMA on our Motion 2. Said milling would be faster and tools would last a little longer and the units would come out super smooth and super nice. Just wondering if anyone is or has milled PMMA wet. I want to try it but dont want to gunk up our Motion 2 if there really isnt a difference between wet or dry milling PMMA. thanks for any input

 

[Patrick Coon]

Not sure if there is already a thread on wet milling PMMA(i didnt see one) but we had someone from AG come to our lab for a small training session on their material and he mention something about wet milling PMMA on our Motion 2. Said milling would be faster and tools would last a little longer and the units would come out super smooth and super nice. Just wondering if anyone is or has milled PMMA wet. I want to try it but dont want to gunk up our Motion 2 if there really isnt a difference between wet or dry milling PMMA. thanks for any input

Not sure about the AG mills, I know in the Wieland Mills and IV Digital mills, the units mill very fast anyways, and I only use Universal Polishing Paste to bring them to a high gloss (under two minutes for a single).

I would (personally) be worried about the PMMA grindings getting in the filter and clogging it faster.

 

[zero_zero]

Plastics are best milled wet, with water or cutting fluid cooling you could increase the feed rates unattainable with dry cutting. I wouldn't worry about clogging the filters, usually a mesh dome over the drain will do the trick to keep most of the swarf out the filters

 

[cadfan]

i mill all my plastic wet no crap electrostatic load better surface no melting on some cheap stuff and so on .- 250 i wet put a towel on the bottom cleaned in two minutes

 

[PRO ARTS DL]

I cannot say whether it makes a difference or not but they do come out pretty much ready. Really smooth and ready for shine, no polishing needed.

There shouldn't be any other problems with the filters etc as you place the wire mesh so it traps the shavings. The wet milling cover will also close the vacuum hole so nothing goes in there when milling wet

 

[CoolHandLuke]

single flute cutter, water. not 2fluted cutters, and not dry.

for best results.

 

[grantoz]

do it .mill it wet you will never mill dry again

 

[French Cadman]

I alway use wet milling because it makes less noise than dry milling and my big ears don't like this ....
How are your ears ?
Are you sensitive ?

 

[deadhead]

thanks everyone for the feedback. sounds like we will be wet milling our PMMA. makes the most sense

 

[DevonR]

single flute cutter, water. not 2fluted cutters, and not dry.

for best results.

We use 4 flute wet mill. And a fast strategy. You know what they say.. 4 flutes are better than one