CNC Machining

Steel
Steels are malleable and have high corrosion resistance and excellent fatigue, tensile, and yield strength. They are also resistant to abrasion and wear and have superior thermal and electrical conductivity. Here are some steel types and grades:

303: This grade contains sulfur, making it one of the easiest stainless steel. It cannot be hardened by heat treatment, but it is widely used in consumer electronics, nuts and bolts, fasteners, aircraft connectors, and bushings.
304: This standard stainless steel is corrosion-resistant, weldable, and machinable, and it is reasonably priced. It is suitable for food processing, cookware, automotive components, and architectural applications.
1045: This medium carbon steel alloy has excellent strength, toughness, weldability, and machinability. It is ideal for high-wear applications like axles, light gears, and wrought connecting rods.
1018: This grade is ideal for carburized parts due to its exceptional weldability and machinability, as well as its moderate strength and flexibility. It is typically used in tie rods, spindles, and machinery parts.
8620: This alloy reacts well to nitriding hardening and has excellent wear resistance. It is used in piston pins, fasteners, camshafts, gears, and chains, among other things.
8630: This alloy has good hardenability and heat treatment resistance. It is used in crankshafts, forged connectors, and block valves.

 

Aluminum
Cast aluminum: This alloy is inexpensive, lightweight, flexible, and long-lasting, and it operates well at high temperatures. In addition, it is widely used in the automotive industry for engine parts, housing, car chassis, and structural components.
Aluminum lithium: This alloy is mainly used in aerospace industries because of its lightweight property, making it ideal for wing structures, fuselages, and fan blades. Furthermore, it is significantly more expensive than cast aluminum alloys.
Wrought aluminum: This alloy has excellent mechanical properties and structural integrity, particularly when compared to cast aluminum alloys. It is also less difficult to machine and produces better surface finishes.

 

Titanium
Despite its higher cost than other materials, titanium is commonly used to manufacture products for the most stringent aerospace, military, and industrial applications. Moreover, this material is biocompatible and suitable for use in the manufacture of medical devices.

 

Brass
Brass — a copper-zinc alloy — is a very soft metal that can be machined without lubrication. It is also workable at room temperature, making it ideal for cnc applications requiring little strength.

 

Other metals
Other metals for cnc machining that are less common than the mentioned ones include magnesium, zinc, bronze, and copper.

 

Plastics
Plastics are among the most preferred manufacturing materials due to their versatility and associated benefits. As a result, there are multiple machinable plastics to choose from, each with its properties and capabilities. Here are a few examples.

 

Abs
Also known as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, abs is a tough, impact-resistant material that can withstand chemicals and electric current. It is widely used in automotive parts and machine tools and is a popular material for rapid prototyping.

 

Nylon
Nylon is a flexible, low-friction plastic commonly used as a metal substitute in cnc-machined parts. Additionally, it is used in electrical insulation, medical devices, circuit board mounting hardware, and engine compartment components in vehicles.

 

Pmma
Also called acrylic, pmma is a clear, rigid plastic used to replace glass or make other optics. It is resistant to scratches and is utilized in screens, light pipelines, lenses, enclosures, and food storage.

 

Hdpe
Hdpe stands for high-density polyethylene. It has good chemical resistance, electrical insulation, and a smooth surface. It also has a low friction coefficient and a high resistance to low-temperature impact. Furthermore, it is inexpensive and long-lasting, making it suitable for cnc-machined plastic parts.

 

Peek
Peek, also known as polyether ether ketone, is a high-strength, stable plastic that manufacturers can use in place of metal. It is an excellent material for lightweight fixtures but is more applicable in advanced medical, aerospace, and electronic components.

 

Other plastics
Other plastic materials for cnc machining include polycarbonate, delrin, ptfe, and uhmw.