Tag CNC machining material

Wrong material, all in vain!

There are many materials suitable for CNC processing. Finding a suitable CNC machining material for the product is restricted by many factors. A basic principle that needs to be followed is: the performance of the material must meet the various technical requirements of the product and the environmental use requirements.

When choosing the material for mechanical parts, the following 5 aspects can be considered.

• Is the material rigid enough?

Rigidity is the primary consideration when selecting materials, because the product requires a certain degree of stability and wear resistance in actual work, and the rigidity of the material determines the feasibility of the product design.

According to the characteristics of the industry, 45 steel and aluminum alloy are usually selected for non-standard tooling design; 45 steel and alloy steel are used more for tooling design for machining; aluminum alloy is mostly used for tooling design in the automation industry.

• How stable is the material

For a product that requires high precision, if it is not stable enough, various deformations will occur after assembly, or it will be deformed again during use. In short, it is constantly deforming with changes in the environment such as temperature, humidity, and vibration. For the product, it’s a nightmare.

• How the material works

The processing performance of the CNC machining material means whether the part is easy to process. Although stainless steel is anti-rust, stainless steel is not easy to process, its hardness is relatively high, and it is easy to wear the tool during processing. Processing small holes in stainless steel, especially threaded holes, is easy to break the drill bit and tap, which will lead to very high processing costs.

• Rust-resistance treatment of materials

Anti-rust treatment is related to the stability and appearance quality of the product. For example, 45 steel usually chooses “blackening” treatment for rust prevention, or paints and sprays the parts, and can also use sealing oil or antirust liquid for protection during use according to the requirements of the environment…

There are many anti-rust treatment processes, but if none of the above methods are suitable, the material must be replaced, such as stainless steel. In any case, the rust prevention problem of the product cannot be ignored.

• how the material cost

Cost is an important consideration in choosing materials. Titanium alloys are light in weight, high in specific strength, and good in corrosion resistance. They are widely used in automotive engine systems and play an inestimable role in energy saving and consumption reduction.