CNC machining commonly uses aluminum, steel, stainless steel, titanium, brass, ABS, polycarbonate, nylon, carbon fiber, and alumina
Metallic Materials
Aluminum
Aluminum is among the most preferred metals for CNC machining due to its light weight and high strength. The devices and car industries have actually counted on aluminum as one of the leading metals. Items made utilizing CNC machining that made from aluminum include aircraft fuselages and cars and truck engines. Aluminum is a best option for machining or complicated items that require precision. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner utilizes aluminum alloys considerably, hence decreasing the weight and enabling fuel performance.
Steel
Steel is related to high strength, thus it is resilient and versatile. It is utilized in building products and making of machinery in addition to tools. Items such structural steel beams and devices parts are made utilizing CNC machining of steel. The toughness suggests that steel is practical as long as robust tools that can chop and shape hard material are used. The tensile strength of steel parts ranges from 400 MPa.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel does not rust and do not degrades however has high tensile strength. This is possible due to its rust and corrosion resistance in addition to the strength residential or commercial properties. Therefore, stainless steel is an ideal option for the medical and food processing markets, connection to the value of withstanding corrosion from chemicals and acidic food. The food market applies stainless steel in producing processing devices, food products vessels, cooking area devices and surgical instruments using CNC machining. Stainless-steel qualities such as 304 and 316 are common since they are not most likely to stain and retain the metallic gloss.
Titanium
Titanium is a metal that has the fantastic worth of strength to weight ratio. It is light and strong hence commonly utilized in the aerospace and surgical applications. Titanium parts are fantastic due to their ability to work in severe temperatures and withstand tiredness. The problem with machining titanium is that it is gummy which is the metallurgy term implying that titanium has the probability of welding to the cutting tool. Nevertheless, using faster escalate the speed of cutting allowed by speed cutters and brand-new methods of cutting have made machining possible. Applications of titanium in items that are machined using the CNC include the Airbus A350 that is built using a high portion of titanium components that lower expenses and improve efficiency.
Plastic Materials
ABS
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) can be regarded as a tough material with great impact strength. It is used in automotive parts, toys, and consumer electronics. For instance, LEGO bricks are made of ABS due to the high strength and impact resistance of the material. The methods of ABS CNC machining are related to the milling and drilling technologies because these approaches help produce objects with a wide range of dimensions in a precise way. It is possible to notice that ABS is a perfect variant because, according to the data, this type of plastic suitable for high-stress conditions can protect objects from impacts of about 200 J/m.
Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate is one more high-strength plastic characterized by high transparency, which is why it is used in glasses lenses, automotive objects, and medical devices. The material is tough, and, in order to avoid the process of overheating, it is important to be extremely accurate with cutting speeds and special types of CNC tools. For example, bullet-resistant windows can be made of a dozen layers of polycarbonate as a durable yet transparent material. In general, polycarbonate is able to keep its structure even when temperatures reach 125°C.
Nylon
Nylon is known as a material with low friction and wear resistance, which is why it is used in gears, bearings, and the automotive sector. CNC devices used for working with nylon require turning and milling as a way to produce items with accurate dimensions. For instance, to produce timing belt pulleys in engines, it is necessary to work with nylon because of its durability and resistance to wear. It is possible to state that this material is able to be continuously used in different conditions when temperatures vary from -40°C to 85°C.
Polypropylene
Polypropylene is a material resistant to chemicals and used in containers, pipes, and automotive objects. As a flexible and tough material, it is also used in lab equipment or the production of storage containers. Special tooling and machining approaches are required to avoid warping and produce accurate cuts. In general, the material can be used in different conditions and even at temperatures up to 100°C. In addition, polypropylene shows good resistance to fatigue.
PVC
PVC is another durable and extremely versatile material that can be used in the process of creating pipes, insulation, or construction objects. It is possible to use the CNC routing, drilling, and milling technologies to produce components with impeccable quality and finish. For example, pipes are usually made of such types of plastic because of the high level of corrosion resistance. PVC can be machined with a high level of precision when tolerances are equal to ±0.05 mm. The material is also known for its flame retardant properties.
Composite Materials
Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber composites are favored for their high strength-to-weight ratio and stiffness. The materials are prominently utilized in aerospace, automotive, and sports equipment. For example, Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes advantage of carbon fiber for both the fuselage and wings with decreased weight and increased fuel efficiency. CNC machining carbon fiber relies on diamond-coated cutting tools and optimal cutting conditions to avoid delamination and acquire clean surfaces. Carbon fiber components achieve tensile strengths above 500 MPa, thus excelling in extreme conditions.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass is also a frequently applied composite material recognized for the combination of strength, lightweight, and corrosion resistance. Ccomposites are commonly utilized in marine, automotive, and construction industries. CNC machining fiberglass comprises high cutting speeds and special cutters to prevent fiber pull-out and guarantee first-rate surface finish. Examples include boat hulls and car body panels, where the materials ensure durability and the ability to survive particularly severe conditions. Fiberglass maintains its structure up to temperatures of 300°C.
Kevlar
Kevlar composites are famous for their exceptional tensile strength and resistance to impact. Such composites are applied in body armor, aerospace, and automotive products. CNC machining Kevlar is limited to abrasive waterjet cutting or laser machining due to the materials’ toughness. For example, soldiers across the world benefited from bulletproof vests with Kevlar that saved their lives by preventing rifle bullets from breaking their bones or puncturing vital organs. Kevlar fibers can exceed 3,600 MPa in tensile strength, consequently being one of the toughest materials available.
Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)
CFRP brings together carbon fiber with polymer resins and combines the best features of both materials with top-quality mechanical attributes and lightweight. The composites are popular in the aerospace industry, performance-oriented automotive, and sporting goods. CNC machining CFRP features high-speed multi-axis machine centers and accurate tool path, thus achieving arbitrary shapes and requiring minimal surface finishing. A similar approach is applied to Formula 1 car chassis, where CFRP reaches unparalleled strength, thus maintaining low weight for the vehicle to compete at incredible speeds. Such composites achieve tensile strengths up to 1,500 MPa.
Ceramic Materials
Alumina
Alumina is one of the most common ceramic materials used in CNC machining, corresponding to aluminum oxide. This type of ceramic is often selected on the account of its hardness and good stability to thermal processes. One of the important features of alumina is the high concentration of thermal and electrical insulativity and thermal conductivity. Moderately to highly smooth finishes and accurate dimensions both are reached through diamond grinding and ultrasonic machining. For example, such components can be applied to one of the applications, which is semiconductor manufacturing equipment. This equipment contains special handling tools or clamp rings of alumina. In the shoe, the clamp ring is placed near the type, while the handling tool is being fastened in the process of placing it with the use of a consumable bolt in the socket through an entry opening. However, the application of such components could be dangerous since chemical reactions are possible, causing leakages; regardless, in case the volume of the existing materials is severely reduced, safety is ensured. Furthermore, hardness exceeds 2000 HV.
Silicon Carbide
One of the applications of silicon carbide includes the automotive industry, where it is used for brake disc materials. Due to the high thermal conductivity, temperature tolerances, and wearing capacities, it is applied to sports cars and other expensive vehicles. This ability helps to resist the highest temperatures and allows the brakes to cool faster while one continues to drive at a high speed. What is more, the lower amount of wearing and tearing allows the brake discs and brake pads to serve for a longer time. CNC machining of silicon carbide, as of most of the presented applications, includes the application of diamond-coated tools, as well as high precision and accurate machinery. The hardness of abrasion is estimated at 2500 HV, while the components are able to tolerate 1600oC.
Zirconia
Due to the high concentration of fracture toughness, resistance to wearing off and cracking, zirconia is highly used in applications like cutting products, dental implants, fuel cells machining, for all of which machinations by means of high-speed millings and caving through lasers. Hollow cylindrical cores, which enter heat-resistant crown portions of around half-cm high, at least two wiring harnesses, with castings covering them from two sides, one of the ends of a thicker wire breakthrough at low pressure, are used in CNC machining of zirconia adding a columnar prosthesis of target-posting are used, as well. In addition, by ultrasonic operating with 4-6 bar of pressure and at the initial temperature of 35-40oC throughout one click flow of 1-2 minutes, it is possible to fair securely. Due to the use of multi-method technologies, the strength can reach up to 1000 MPa.
Silicon Nitride
Due to the high concentration of resistance of silicon nitride to shattering temperatures, thermal shock of 1200oC and abrasions, it is mostly used to applications like satellite systems, sculpturing, bearing balls, turbine blades, and engines, for the last of which applications the CNC machining of zirconia to tolerances is associated with pressure forming, grinding, and glazing. For example, silicon nitride ceramic silicon nitride Bearing, mainly used in high-speed apparatus like main machine tools, avgun discs for cars and strangles can be further used at extremely high temperatures, so the application at high temperatures of over 1,200 oC is safe. The firmness of HV is 1500.
Boron Carbide
One of the hardest elements, boron carbide, another ceramic component used in CNC machining. This can be sufficiently proved by the hardness of over 2900 HV and concretes highly used in blasting nozzles, anti-ballistic apparatus, and finish machining with guns. Some of the boron carbide parts can also be used to a number of applications. For example, one of the structure types is employed with the triangle front surface leaning against the forming direction, and the flat bent on the other surface pastes are present on the highly-finishing complete grinding wheel sheets to sustain them in place. Whether such parts should be stored in water, they are stable at room temperatures, and subject to 1,300oC, and no degradation is allowed.
Wood And Soft Materials
Hardwood
People most often work with hardwood to make premium furniture, cabinetry, and decorative items. One would use hardwood such as oak, maple, and cherry to create their masterpiece. To machine hardwood, one uses special router bits and accurate tool paths to obtain intricate designs and smooth finishes in CNC applications. For instance, if one needed to make custom oak cabinetry fit to exact dimensions, they would CNC machine oak for that purpose due to its density of 0.6 to 0.9 g/cm³. This range in density makes manufactured products more durable and premium.
Softwood
Pine, cedar, and fir, the most common types of softwood, are often used as construction lumber, flooring, and paneling. To generate smooth cuts in CNC applications, an operator must of a clean feed rate and sharp cutting tools. One would use a CNC Router to cut cedar wall panels, for instance, since cedars are pretty and naturally resistant to decay. The density of the majority of softwood ranges between 0.3 to 0.6 g/cm³. The low density makes it easy to handle in terms of machining and overall product.
Plywood
People use plywood for constructing concrete structures, furniture, and packaging. To cut, hold, and laminate the material’s many layers into a final product, one uses CNC technologies to achieve precision. Because plywood creation glues the grains perpendicularly on each layer, they afford easy stacking and robust construction. Plywood provides furniture with a sturdy but light texture that CNC machines can cut multiple layers of plywood at once with precision. The products density ranges from 0.5 to 0.8 g/cm³.
Fiberboard
Fiberboard is one of the more popular and renewable materials available today. Such a material is easy to create and furnish, which is why it is also a cheaper product. The CNC machining process for MDF, an engineered wood product, requires a dust removal system because of the fine particles. CNC MDF technologies can make interior decor smooth and the surfaces easy to paint, with a consistent density of about 0.7 to 0.8 g/cm³
Foam
Polyurethane and polystyrene forms, used for prototyping and other purposes, have lower densities of 0.02 to 0.2 g/cm³. To prevent deformation, one would use high speed milling at minimal pressure.
