Feb 273 min read

Aluminum Wheel CapCutting and Laser Marking with [MAGIC™-E4 & L3]

Updated: Nov 12

Wheel cap also known as hub cap is a small decorative circular metal covering that covers the central portion of the wheel, called the hub.

Originally, wheel caps were used as dirt or grease caps.

Nowadays, wheel caps are popular for enhancing a car’s overall aesthetics.

Cars with customized wheel caps tend to appear more stylish and unique, showcasing a more fashionable, modern and trendy wheel exterior design.

Redt offers you MAGIC™ Series

State-of-the-art CNC and laser engravers, built and designed for cutting, engraving and laser marking.

Redt’s MAGIC™-E4 and MAGIC™-L3 are ideal for creating trendy & customized wheel caps that can give any car wheel a more captivating look!

First, let us show you how to cut aluminum plates with MAGIC™-E4.

Material measurement

1) Measure the diameter of the wheel cap case.

The diameter of this case is 45mm.

We will use this case to make a decorative cap to attach on top of it.

Machine Set up

MAGIC™-E4 is capable of cutting aluminum plates with 1T (1mm) thickness.

It is a desktop jewelry engraver that efficiently cuts and engraves metals that come in various shapes and sizes.

2) Set up MAGIC™-E4 machine for cutting.

Install the cutting tool and the cutting clamp.

Be sure to place a silicone pad over the cutting clamp to prevent the tool from breaking or damaging the plate.

Designing & Editing

MagicEngrave™ is a software program developed for easy and quick editing and designing of image designs.

3) Create a shape for cutting in the MagicEngrave™ program.

In the program, create two circles, enter the diameter of the wheel cap, and select a Toolpath.

The diameter of the cap is 45mm, but it might fit too tight or fall off and not attach properly to the case. Therefore, we will set a 0.5mm cutting allowance so that the cap will fit tightly to the case.

Cutting Process

4) Start the cutting process.

Apply cutting oil to reduce friction during the cutting process.

Check the cutting status on the LCD screen and make adjustments to the cutting speed, cutting process, tool rotation value, etc., if necessary.

Result

This is what the plates look like after cutting.

Now, let us do laser marking with MAGIC™-L3.

Machine Set up

MAGIC™-L3 is capable of cutting and marking metals.

It is a laser marking and cutting machine that is available in 20W, 30W, 60W and 100W power outputs. specially designed to make jewelry operations fast and easy with the use of a fiber laser.