Gensun Precision Machining offers rapid prototyping and precision machining services for innovative companies around the world. Whether you need a custom prototype, low-volume production, or high-volume production, our service is second to none. With a strong emphasis on quality control, we get the job done right, every time!

Overall, machinists should choose high-quality tools designed for use with titanium, and they should frequently inspect and replace dull tools. Also consider using a smaller diameter tool with a larger number of cutting edges. This helps to maintain metal removal rates while reducing heat accumulation.

Machining process steps

Unfortunately, some of the properties that make it so unique and valuable to product designers also make machining titanium incredibly difficult.

The applications of turning are, among others, baseball bats, camshafts, bowls, crankshafts, cue sticks, signboards, musical instruments, and table and chair legs. If you'd like to get a turning quote with Xometry, you can do so by visiting our CNC turning service page today.

Common applications we see with Xometry's CNC drilling service include construction, medical equipment, transportation, and electronic equipment.

Planing is used to machine large flat surfaces, particularly ones that will be finished through a scraping process, such as machine tool ways. To achieve economical planning, small parts are ganged together in a fixture.

With the growing popularity of titanium, tool designers are coming up with unique solutions for improving the machinability of titanium. Advanced materials, like heat-resistant titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN) or titanium carbo-nitride (TiCN) coated tooling, can extend tool lifetimes. Meanwhile tooling with uneven spacing between cutting edges can disrupt the constructive interference that leads to tool chatter.

Just remember that titanium alloys require careful machining, which must be carried out by trained experts. In contrast to free machining metals like Brass C360 or Steel SS416, working with titanium requires expertise, patience, and the correct tools.

This article will help you understand the challenges of machining titanium and some tips on how to machine titanium more effectively. We’ve also assembled a list of some of the best titanium grades for machining applications.

Types of machining process pdf

Milling uses rotating multi-point cutting tools to shape the workpiece. Milling tools are either horizontally or vertically oriented, including end mills, helical mills, and chamfer mills.

Machining titanium requires careful temperature management. One of the most obvious ways to keep the workpiece and tooling cool is to apply consistent, high-pressure coolant directed to the cut area. Blasting the chips out of the cut area also keeps them from adhering to your machining tools.

As you may have noticed, choosing the most suitable titanium for your product depends on the properties and applications you want. If you are trying to develop products for medical applications, you may want to choose the grade 23 titanium. Alternatively, if you are looking for a piece with excellent performance at elevated temperatures, you should consider working with grade 6 titanium.

Machining process

Electro chemical machining is a reverse electroplating process that makes burr-free holes with high surface finishes. An electrochemical process removes material. It is typically used for mass production and for working with extremely hard materials or materials that are difficult to machine. The base material does need to be electrically conductive.Â

Machining definition in manufacturing

The CNC milling process also utilizes CNC-enabled milling machinery, referred to as mill machines or mills, which can be horizontally or vertically oriented. Basic mills can have three-axis movements, with more advanced models accommodating additional axes. The types of mills available include hand, plain, universal, and omniversal milling machines. Some of the most common types of milling machines include knee-type, ram-type, bed-type (or manufacturing-type), and planer-type.

Titanium is already prone to causing tool chatter, so anything you can do reduce vibration will make machining titanium easier. Ensure parts are well-supported and secured to prevent deflection in the workpiece. Use high-quality CNC machines with very stiff tooling arrangements. You can even consider using shorter cutting tools to reduce tool deflection.

The evolution of CNC machining has been marked by significant technological advancements. From the early days of punch tape and rudimentary programming, CNC machining has evolved to incorporate sophisticated software and high-speed, multi-axis machines. In recent...

Milling applications include making various gears, producing slots or grooves in workpieces, machining flat surfaces and irregular surfaces, and machining complex shapes. You can learn more about Xometry's milling services on our milling services page.

Machining pronunciation

Lastly, depending on the design of the part, the elastic behavior of titanium can also make unsupported portions of a workpiece elastically deform out of position. The part bends away from the forces created by cutting tools, then returns to its normal position after the cutting tool passes, creating final parts that are out of tolerance.

If you want expert support from a vendor you can trust, look no further than the CNC machining services offered by Gensun for your next titanium project.

Turning is a machining method that uses a lathe to rotate the metal while a cutting tool moves linearly to remove metal along the diameter, creating a cylindrical shape. The cutting tool can be angled differently to create different shapes. Turning can be done manually, with a traditional lathe, which frequently requires continuous supervision by the operator, or by an automated lathe that does not. Today the most common type of such automation is computer numerical control, called CNC.Â

Machining examples

Xometry provides a wide range of manufacturing capabilities including CNC machining (our supplier network can do all of the techniques described above), 3D printing, injection molding, laser cutting, and sheet metal fabrication. Get your instant quote today.

Due to the increasing demand for titanium, several machinable grades have been developed in the industry. They are differentiated by the percentages of pure titanium and other elements they contain, including elements like oxygen, palladium, nickel, or molybdenum.

With different alloying elements come different mechanical properties for each titanium grade, meaning you can pick just the right titanium alloy for your application. Check out the following table to discover more about each alloy and to find out about it’s relative machinability!

Push broaching is often done using vertical press-type machines. Pull broaching is often done with vertical or horizontal machines that, in many instances, are powered hydraulically. Cutting speeds range from 5 fpm for high-strength metals to as many as 50 fpm for softer metals. The applications of broaching include square holes, keyways, spline holes, etc.

What is machining in Engineering

There is no singular property that makes titanium harder to machine than other materials. Instead, a combination of different properties work together to make most conventional machining tactics ineffective. By understanding what these challenges are, metallurgists and machinists can find solutions processing solutions that lead to high-quality machined titanium parts.

CNC milling is a CNC process that involves the use of rotating cutters to remove portions of a block of material (or workpiece) till the desired custom shape (or feature) is made. It allows manufacturers to create intricate parts accurately while meeting tight...

Grinding is a machining method that removes small amounts of material from both flat surfaces and cylindrical shapes. Surface grinders reciprocate the work on a table while feeding it into the grinding wheel. The depth to which the wheel cuts usually falls between 0.00025 and 0.001 in.Â

Do you have a project that you want to machine, with Xometry or even on your own? This article looks at nine of the most common machining processes, including turning, drilling, milling, grinding, planning, sawing, broaching, electrical discharge machining, and electro chemical machining to help you make an informed choice. Xometry is a global leader in machining and can machine your project using dozens of material and finish combinations.

Broaching is a machining process that uses a broach consisting of many teeth arranged sequentially almost like a file but with each successive tooth slightly larger than each previous tooth. The broach takes a series of progressively deeper cuts when pulled or pushed through a prepared leader hole (or past a surface).Â

Cylindrical grinders mount the workpiece on centers and rotate it while simultaneously applying the periphery of a spinning abrasive wheel to it. Centerless grinding produces small parts in high volumes where the ground surface has no relation to any other surface except as a whole.

Turning uses either lathes or turning machines. The types of lathes available include turret lathes, engine lathes, and special-purpose lathes. Turning produces rotational, typically axis-symmetric parts with many features, such as holes, grooves, threads, tapers, diameter steps, and even contoured surfaces. Parts fabricated entirely through turning often include components used in limited quantities, perhaps for prototypes, such as custom-designed shafts and fasteners.

Manufacturers use EDM for an extensive range of applications - you can use Xometry's EDM services for whatever projects you have. Because the process can cut tiny pieces, it is often an ideal choice for producing small, highly detailed items that would typically be too delicate for other types of machining. Additionally, electric discharge machining is cost-effective for low-quantity projects and can be beneficial in prototype manufacturing, even if the actual project is carried out by different means.

Ground surfaces of 200-500 min. rms are usually considered acceptable for many applications and are a starting point for further finishing operations, including lapping, honing, and superfinishing. Double disc grinding is another machine process that lets parts pass one or more times between two counter-rotating grinding wheels.

Electrical discharge machining, or EDM for short, uses electric arcing discharges to create micro-craters that rapidly result in complete cuts. EDM, also known as spark machining, is used in applications requiring complex geometrical shapes in hard materials and at close tolerances. However, it needs the base material to be electrically conductive, which limits its use to ferrous alloys.

Titanium is an amazing material with some truly outstanding properties. It has a very high strength, is lightweight, is resistant to corrosion and chemicals, and can even maintain its strength when exposed to incredibly high temperatures.

CNC machining

One of the biggest obstacles to machining titanium is keeping everything cool. Titanium’s low thermal conductivity makes the metal workpiece rapidly accumulate heat at the tooling location. This increases the wear on machining tools and has the secondary effect of hardening the titanium, which then further exacerbates the tool wear. If not addressed, this can detrimentally affect the quality of cut surfaces.

Companies around the world use CNC machining to craft high-quality components from diverse materials like ceramics, wood, and composites. Metal and plastic take the forefront in mass production, with metals enjoying wider machinability. Machinists can adeptly tackle...

As if that wasn’t enough, the low modulus of elasticity of titanium compared to its high strength makes it a “gummy” material to machine and can lead to severe chatter. This can result in galling of cut titanium, which adheres to tooling. Additionally, chatter and titanium’s springback effect at the cut location create poor machining conditions. These hurdles can further increase tool wear and can compromise finished surface quality.

The content appearing on this webpage is for informational purposes only. Xometry makes no representation or warranty of any kind, be it expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or validity of the information. Any performance parameters, geometric tolerances, specific design features, quality and types of materials, or processes should not be inferred to represent what will be delivered by third-party suppliers or manufacturers through Xometry’s network. Buyers seeking quotes for parts are responsible for defining the specific requirements for those parts. Please refer to our terms and conditions for more information.

Milling is a machining method that uses rotating multi-point cutting tools to remove material from the workpiece. In CNC milling, the CNC machine typically feeds the workpiece to the cutting tool in the same direction as the cutting tool’s rotation. In contrast, in manual milling, the machine feeds the workpiece in the opposite direction to the cutting tool’s rotation.Â

The applications of planning include linear-toolpath ones, such as generating accurate flat surfaces and cutting slots, such as keyways.

Drilling is a machining process that uses multi-point drill bits to produce cylindrical holes in the workpiece. In drilling, the machine feeds the rotating drill bit perpendicularly to the plane of the workpiece’s surface, making vertically-aligned holes with diameters equal to the drill bit employed for the drilling operation. However, specialized machine configurations and workholding devices can also perform angular drilling operations.Â

Drilling uses rotating drill bits to produce the cylindrical holes in the workpiece. The drill bit’s design allows the waste metal—i.e., chips—to fall away from the workpiece. There are several types of drill bits, each of which is used for a specific application. The types of drill bits include spotting drills (for producing shallow or pilot holes), peck drills (for reducing the number of chips on the workpiece), screw machine drills (for creating holes without a pilot hole), and chucking reamers (for broadening already-made holes).

Sawing uses cut-off machines and is done to create shorter lengths from bars, extruded shapes, etc. Vertical and horizontal band saws are standard, which use continuous loops of toothed bands to chisel away at the material. The band’s speed varies depending on what metal material is being sawed, with certain high-temperature alloys requiring a slow 30 fpm. Softer materials, such as aluminum, can be machined at the speed of 1000 fpm or more. Other cut-off machines include power hack, abrasive wheel, and circular saws.

With titanium it’s also important to be very intentional about feed rates, spindle speeds, and chip loads. This means preventing excessive strain on tooling and equipment while also avoiding lingering in the same location for too long. It’s also worth evaluating whether a different cutting approach, like increasing axial cut depth while reducing radial engagement, could improve cutting efficiency and reduce machining temperatures.

ECM can cut small or odd-shaped angles, cavities, or intricate contours, in hard and exotic metals, such as titanium aluminides, high nickel, cobalt, and rhenium alloys. In addition, it is a cold machining process that doesn’t put thermal stresses on the workpiece.

The challenges of titanium machining are enough to make many machine shops wary of working with this advanced material. But its outstanding properties mean more and more product designers are looking to have quality parts made from titanium. Luckily, expert machinists and tooling suppliers have come up with a few key ways to make machining titanium at least a little bit easier.