Face milling Aluminium on a CNC router - TEG1212 Chinese CNC Router

Hello everybody, I purchased a 1212 CNC router from the company "Jinan TEKAI CNC Machinery" and it has been great so far! I have since used it on mostly Aluminium 6061. I have found an issue so far with the surface finish from a facing operation, see the attached image for reference... No matter what feeds and speeds, I seem to get this recurring pattern on the surface of the aluminium :(

The feeds and speeds were:

RPM: 10,000
DOC: 0.1 mm
WOC: 8 mm
Feedrate: 1000mm/min (1200mm/min roughing and 1000mm/min for the final finish)
Chipload: 0.03333 mm

I have heard elsewhere that it could be caused by my ballscrews, which are 2510. I have measured the distance between the spots and what do you know, its 10mm!

From this, I have collected that it has to do with the ballscrews however what can I do to fix it without breaking the bank?

The recurring pattern on the surface of your aluminum part is likely caused by the pitch error in your ballscrews. This means that there are slight variations in the distance traveled by the screw per revolution, which result in the repeating pattern on the surface of the part.

To address this issue, you could try implementing backlash compensation in your CNC control software. Backlash compensation is a feature that adjusts for the pitch error in your ballscrews by slightly overcompensating in one direction and then compensating in the other direction on the next pass. This helps to minimize the repeating pattern and improve surface finish.

Another option is to replace your ballscrews with higher precision screws that have a lower pitch error. However, this can be a costly solution, and it may not be necessary if the issue is minor and can be addressed with backlash compensation.

You could also try using a different facing strategy, such as climb milling or a circular toolpath, which may help to minimize the repeating pattern on the surface.

It's also important to ensure that your machine is properly maintained and lubricated, as this can impact the precision of your ballscrews and overall machine performance.

I would recommend consulting with the manufacturer of your CNC router or a local CNC machine shop to determine the best solution for your specific situation.Website