How to Choose the Right Materials for Your Custom CNC Machined Parts

Versatility is one of the primary benefits of CNC machining. This is because precision CNC milling and turning can successfully generate finished products from a wide range of raw materials. This provides design engineers with numerous possibilities for developing prototypes and commercial goods.

The majority of CNC turned and milled parts are composed of metal. Due to its strength and rigidity, metal can endure the rapid material removal induced by contemporary instruments. Let's begin by exploring the most popular metals used for CNC machining.

CNC machining material considerations

Moisture

Some metals are naturally corrosion-resistant, whereas others need painting, plating, or anodising.

Strength

Product engineers concern about:

Tensile strength: How well does the material resist a pulling force?

• Compression or load bearing: How well does the material resist a constant load?

• Toughness: How tough is the material??

• Elasticity: How quickly does the material return to its original shape?

All materials have different strengths, therefore it's important to know your tolerance limits and choose a material with a high safety factor.

Heat

Heated materials expand and contract. If your part will through multiple heating and cooling cycles, this could affect it. Before melting, heated parts become softer and more flexible. To prevent crucial part failure, always use a thermally stable material much above projected working temperatures.

Anti-corrosion

Corrosion isn't merely water exposure. Any external chemical could cause part failure. Oils, reagents, acids, salts, alcohols, cleansers, etc. Check your metal's chemical resistance.

Machinability

Certain metals and carbon fibres are difficult to machine. Extremely tough materials damage cutting tools quickly. Others must manage cutting speed and feed rates. Some materials are faster to process. Using a fast-machining metal for longer production runs can save time and Cost

All raw materials have costs. Choose the most functional, affordable material. This ensures the finished part's durability.

Metals widely used for CNC machining at DS

In this section, you will learn about the various metals commonly used in CNC machining. These materials are listed below.

Aluminium machining is a very versatile process and can be used for a variety of applications. It is used in the in food packaging, construction material, automotive, aerospace, defence and appliance industries as well as in the manufacturing of consumer goods such as furniture and kitchenware, even toys.

Aluminum 7075-T5

Aluminium 7075-T5 is used to heat-treat aluminium alloys. It's corrosion-resistant, robust, and lightweight. It's electrically, thermally, and impact-resistant. Aluminum 7075-T5 is chemically resistant to chlorine gas or salt water and to weathering. Applications include marine propeller shafts, gearboxes, and propeller shaft housings, automotive drive shafts/axles or steering components/front suspension links, construction materials for bridges and buildings, mining equipment like drills and pumps, sporting goods like tennis racquets and golf clubs, medical instruments (like endoscopes), custom manufacturing industries (like furniture), etc.

Aluminum 6063-T6

Aluminum 6063-T6 is a heat-treating alloy used for manufacturing aluminum alloys. It has excellent corrosion resistance, high hardness, and low density. The material is available in the form of bars or sheets and can be further cast into ingots

Aluminum 6061-T6

Aluminum 6061-T6 is a high-strength, low weight, and corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy that has excellent machinability. It has good weldability, formability and weld penetration. This material is suitable for use in industrial applications such as machinery, aircraft parts and electrical equipment.

Brass

Brass is a metal alloy of copper and zinc, the proportions of which are determined by melting point and acidity. Brass CNC Machining mills metal with a computer-controlled machine. Rotating drills, machines, or saws cut metal. It's a popular metalworking technique. Brass is soft and easily machined into thin sheets. It's used for jewellery, architecture, and bridges.

Brass C260

The Brass C260 is a heavy duty rotary mounted machine with three axis movement features. It operates at speeds up to 6000 rpm and has an accuracy rating of 0.001 mm per axis. The machine can be used for both small and large diameter jobs with 800 x 400 mm work space capacity and can be fitted with various tools depending on the size of the job being done.

This grade is sometimes referred to as cartridge brass thanks to its history of use in ammunition cartridges. Other common applications include rivets, hinges, and radiator cores.

Brass C360

The Brass C360 is another heavy duty rotary mounted machine with three axis movement features. It operates at speeds up to 6000 rpm and has an accuracy rating of 0.001 mm per axis. The machine can be used for both small and large diameter jobs with 800 x 400 mm work space capacity.

Copper C101

Copper C101 is a type of copper alloy where the chemical composition of copper has been changed to include one or more additional elements. The most common additives are tin and zinc, but others may be added as well. Copper C101 is used in a wide variety of applications, including electrical wiring, plumbing, and heat exchangers.

Copper C101 is a liquid metal with high corrosion resistance and excellent electrical conductivity. It has good mechanical properties and is easy to work with. Copper C101 can be used in various fields, such as electronics, electric motors, magnetic motors, lighting equipment and other fields.

Steel

Steel is a high carbon tool steel that offers good resistance to wear and tear. It's used for cutting tools, drill bits, and other items requiring high strength, good toughness and excellent wear resistance. The grain structure of this material is similar to that found in many steels. This means it can be machined with cutting tools that have a similar finish. It also has good machinability characteristics which means it will not heat-treat as easily as other steels.

Steel 1008 is available in hot form and cold rolled sheet forms. The hot form is annealed before machining while the cold rolled sheet is unannealed. This affects the surface finish of the steel and how well it will hold an edge when finished with a honing tool or sharpening stone.

Steel 1018 is a low alloy steel with good wear resistance and fatigue life. It has good corrosion resistance and sharp cutting properties.

Steel 1020 is a high strength low alloy steel with good corrosion resistance and excellent hot forming properties. It can be machined easily by hand tools and it can also be further processed into high strength low alloy steels or stainless steels or carbon steels.

Steel 1045 is a medium-high strength low alloy steel with good hot forming properties and good corrosion resistance. It has excellent toughness at room temperature and can be machined easily by hand tools, but when it gets hot it becomes brittle.

Steel 430F

The 430F steel is a medium carbon steel that offers excellent strength and wear resistance. It has good machinability, weldability and corrosion resistance. The 430F steel can be used for a variety of applications including: tooling, cutting tools, knives, drills, gears and dies.

Steel 4130

4130 is an alloy of chromium (50%) and molybdenum (20%). It is used in high-strength low-alloy steels that have high tensile strength, low elongation and excellent toughness.

Steel 4140

4140 is an alloy of nickel (35%), chromium (17%), manganese (10%) and nickel (10%). It has good machinability, weldability and corrosion resistance. The characteristics of this alloy make it suitable for use in machinery parts such as shafts and gears with higher loads.

Steel 40CrMo

40CrMo is an alloy of chromium (40%), carbon (10%) and molybdenum (10%). This material has excellent mechanical properties due to its combination of high hardness, wear resistance and toughness together with high tensile strength which makes it ideal for gears.

42CrMo is also a kind of high strength material. This product is mainly used in the construction of high-speed trains, aircraft, automobiles and other industries as well as in the production of various precision parts.

Steel 12L14 is a low alloy steel grade, containing manganese, silicon and molybdenum. It is widely used for the manufacture of die casting dies, and other purposes. The physical properties vary depending on the chemical composition.

Steel 12L15 is a low alloy steel grade, containing chromium and molybdenum. It is widely used for die castings and other applications requiring high strength and toughness at elevated temperatures. The physical properties vary depending on the chemical composition.

Stainless Steel 304

Stainless steel 304 is one of the most versatile and widely used of the stainless steels. It has good corrosion resistance to many media, including fresh and salt water, most industrial chemicals and food products. It has good mechanical properties, but is not as strong as some other grades of stainless steel.

Stainless steel 304L is a low carbon version of stainless steel 304 with less carbon content than regular grade 304. This makes it easier to fabricate, weld and polish than regular grade 304 without any loss in strength or corrosion resistance. It can also be used in applications where high temperatures are expected such as exhaust manifold bolts, turbocharger bolts and turbine blade pins.

Stainless Steel 304F is an austenitic chromium-nickel stainless steel that combines the corrosion resistance of austenitic chromium-nickel alloys with the strength of ferritic iron base alloys. This makes it very attractive for applications where high strength at elevated temperatures is required such as furnace parts, heat exchanger tubes, steam generator tubes and nuclear reactor pressure vessels.

Stainless Steel 316

Stainless steel 316 is an austenitic, corrosion-resistant alloy with chromium as its primary constituent. It has an excellent combination of formability, strength and toughness. The 15-5-3 designation indicates a composition of 15% chromium, 5% molybdenum and 3% nickel. This material has excellent resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion in chloride solutions. It is also used in severe environments where high strength coupled with good corrosion resistance are required.

Stainless Steel 316L

Stainless steel 316L is similar to stainless steel 316 but contains low carbon content (0.030%). Stainless steel 316L is used when weldability is needed without sacrificing corrosion resistance or strength.

Stainless Steel 316F

Stainless steel 316F is similar to stainless steel 316 but contains 1% molybdenum instead of 5%. It has better resistance to pitting than stainless steel 316 and can be used at elevated temperatures up to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit (980 degrees Celsius).

Stainless Steel 303

Stainless Steel 303 is a type of 18-8 stainless steel. It is one of the most popular types of stainless steel, due to its high resistance to corrosion, excellent formability and outstanding mechanical properties.

Stainless Steel 303 has high tensile strength, good toughness and excellent resistance to chloride stress corrosion cracking. The alloy has high thermal conductivity and low heat distortion temperature. The material is also highly resistant to atmospheric corrosion, particularly in marine atmospheres. Corrosion resistance can be improved by the addition of molybdenum and nitrogen.

Stainless Steel 303 does not react with foods or beverages of any kind.

Stainless steel PH17-4

Stainless steel PH17-4 is a high carbon chrome molybdenum steel with a minimum yield strength of 110,000 psi and a tensile strength of 140,000 psi. It is used in the aircraft industry for many structural applications where high strength, good corrosion resistance and high temperature properties are required. The alloy is also known as P-1, P-11 or 18/8 stainless steel.

Super Alloy

Super Alloy is a superior alloy. This high-quality metal is used in the manufacturing of medical devices, aircraft and automobiles. The material is also called "Super Titanium."

The properties of Super Alloy make it popular in many industries, including those that require strong, lightweight materials.

The main components of Super Alloy are titanium, zirconium and hafnium. These elements are combined with iron, aluminum and vanadium to create a metal with a high melting point and tensile strength.

Super Alloy can be found in many different types of products, including:

Aircraft engines

Space shuttles

Automotive parts

Super Alloy has a number of advantages over traditional iron-based alloys such as cast iron and carbon steels. These include:

High strength at high temperatures;

High resistance to wear and corrosion;

Low thermal expansion coefficient;

High electrical conductivity;

High modulus of elasticity;

Good ductility at ambient temperature

Titanium Alloy

Titanium alloy is a combination of titanium and other metals. The most common alloying element is aluminum, which accounts for up to 60% of the total weight. Other alloying elements include vanadium and molybdenum.

The properties of titanium alloys vary widely depending on the types and amounts of alloying elements used. Titanium alloys are generally stronger, lighter, and more corrosion resistant than pure titanium.

PEEK

PEEK is a highly crystalline form of polyether ether ketone (PEEK). It is a semi-crystalline polymer available in sheet, rod and tube.

PEEK has a glass transition temperature of about 140°C and a melting point of about 400°C. PEEK has good chemical resistance to most corrosive media including acids, alkalis and alcohols. It also has good resistance to heat, ultraviolet light and gamma radiation.

PEEK has excellent mechanical properties including high modulus (tensile strength) at elevated temperatures, low creep under load, high tensile strength at low temperature (low thermal expansion coefficient), low water absorption, excellent dimensional stability and high abrasion resistance.