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Re: Fabricating Aluminum Sprockets
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Originally Posted by Tristan Lall
You might want to check the temperature of the aluminum surrounding the cut. Aluminum usually comes heat treated or strain hardened (or a combination), but additional (especially prolonged) heat can affect those properties. Consider using an IR thermometer or a thermocouple to check that you're not exceeding 350°C in the surrounding metal for very long—this will tend to anneal the material, leaving it much softer and weaker. You need to consult a graph of temperature vs. time to see if what you're doing will remove the heat treatment.
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Unfortunately for sprocket work, a plasma cutter will heat a relatively large area around the cut, and especially the teeth. Almost definently the teeth will lose their original heat treated properties, and obviously the teeth faces will. One quick question though- does low heat like that (~350 degrees) really remove cold work properties?
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