Board material - Aluminum Composite Panels (ACP)

Summa Routing systems with universal bits can route aluminum-covered foam board, however, the wear is high.  (Specialized bit stores have specific bits for aluminum)

Some brands offer boards with a different aluminum cover sheet thickness, which impacts the lifetime of the bit.

Bits that have been used for routing aluminum should not be used on other materials.

Settings:

Standard Router: 

< 4 mm thick:  

• 4 mm Summa bit [#500-9852]
• 1 pass
• 80 mm/sec  
• 25k rpm
• Counterclockwise

> 4 mm thick:

• 4 mm Summa bit [#500-9852]
• Multipass (see further) 
• 80 mm/sec
• 25k rpm
• Counterclockwise

HF Router:

< 4 mm thick:  

• 6 mm Summa bit [#500-9857]
• 1 pass
• 120 mm/sec
• 35k rpm
• Counterclockwise
• 
  

< 6 mm thick: 

• 6 mm Summa bit [#500-9857]
• 1 pass
• 100 mm/sec
• 35k rpm
• Counterclockwise

> 6 mm thick: 

• 6 mm Summa bit [#500-9857]
• Multipass (see further)  
• 100 mm/sec
• 35k rpm
• Counterclockwise

• Higher speeds are possible but affect the quality of the edge.
• If the speed is set too low, the foam will melt.
• The quality of an edge is best if the material is routed in one pass; however, this may leave a lot of debris on the table.
• When routing in two passes, make sure the first pass is in the bottom aluminum sheet, if not, the foam may melt.
• A cleaning pass is discouraged because the small offset may result in cracking of the lacquer on the aluminum sheets.