![](https://laserseven.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/service.jpg)
Precision machining offers the possibility of manufacturing complex parts for a multitude of applications. Because of the variety of their customers’ needs, machine workshops must be versatile and able to work with different materials, while maintaining the quality of the parts produced. As a result, machinists may have to handle a variety of raw materials.
Given the wide range of materials available for machining, these are classified into various types, each of which comes in different formulas or alloys with unique properties.
Here are the main types of material used in CNC machining :
Steels are certainly among the most commonly used materials in CNC machine workshops. Composed essentially of iron and carbon, it is the ratios of these two elements that determine a steel’s characteristics. In addition, the controlled addition of other metals (chromium, nickel, molybdenum, etc.) to form alloys gives steel great versatility in terms of properties.
Aluminum offers a host of advantages: it’s light, easy to machine, non-magnetic, corrosion-resistant and economical. With recent advances in machining, it is even becoming an alternative to steel. Various aluminum alloys can be machined into parts and, if required, welded.
Copper is particularly popular for precision machining, thanks to its versatility, durability, electrical conductivity and natural resistance to corrosion. Due to its non-magnetic nature and excellent electrical conductivity (especially when plated), it is frequently chosen for the manufacture of electrical components.
Titanium
Highly resistant to heat and corrosion, titaniums have the highest strength-to-weight ratio of all the metals frequently used to cut gears or manufacture other machined parts. What’s more, titaniums are inert and biocompatible, making them suitable for a wide range of applications from aviation to medical tools. However, this type of material is rather expensive and a little more difficult to work.
Plastic
Plastics such as nylon are gaining in popularity as an economical, non-metallic and non-conductive raw material for CNC machining. Because of their inertness and the possibility of modifying their formulations to obtain specific properties, machined plastic parts are highly valued.
In this article, we’ve explored the main types of material used in CNC machining, each offering unique characteristics suited to a variety of applications. Whether you need the strength of steel, the lightness of aluminum, the conductivity of copper or the resistance of titanium, our team is here to help. If you have any specific requirements or questions about which material is best suited to your project, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be delighted to offer you customized solutions to meet your most complex requirements.