Before we begin:

Almost any kind of metal or plastic can be used in the production of parts by CNC machining. It may be difficult to choose the appropriate material for your application because there is such a wide variety of materials that are available.

The most common materials used in CNC machines are compared in this article in terms of their mechanical and thermal properties, as well as their costs and the typical applications for which they are used. We have provided you with a summary of the information in the form of tables and graphs that are simple to understand, as well as specific details regarding each available CNC material option.

You can refer to our earlier articles here and here for guidelines on designing parts for CNC CNC prototyping processes and for useful tips that will help you keep costs to a minimum while still meeting your goals.

The procedure for choosing the appropriate materials

The following is a rundown of the fundamental stages involved in the process of selecting materials:

Step 1: Define the material requirements. These can include mechanical, thermal, or other material requirements. They can also include cost and surface finish requirements. Take into consideration the setting in which the part will be used as well as the other components that steel CNC machining will collaborate with.

Step 2: Identify candidate materials In this step, you will narrow down the pool of potential materials to a select few that meet all (or the majority of) your design requirements.

Step 3: Determine which type of material is most appropriate:In this situation, it is customarily necessary to find a middle ground between at least two of the design requirements (for instance, mechanical performance and cost).

In this article, the second step will take up the majority of our attention. Using the information that is presented below, you will be able to determine the types of materials that will work best for your application while ensuring that your project stays within its financial constraints.

Guidelines for the selection of CNC materials

We examined the datasheets that were supplied by the manufacturers of the various materials used in CNC machines in order to collect the information that is presented in the tables that follow. These tables contain a summary of the pertinent qualities of the most frequently used CNC materials.

Even though the properties of metal and plastic are very different from one another, the two types of materials were grouped together and compared. Metals are typically put to use in applications that call for high levels of strength and hardness as well as resistance to heat. Plastics are lightweight materials that have a wide range of physical properties. They are frequently used because of their resistance to chemicals and their ability to insulate electrical current.

The mechanical strength of the material was of interest (expressed as tensile yield strength), as was its machinability (the ease of CNC prototyping processes affects the pricing of CNC machines), its cost, its hardness (primarily for metals), and its temperature resistance (primarily for plastics). The tables that follow provide a summary of the information that was gathered. In the following paragraphs, you'll find an in-depth analysis of each available material choice.

The following infographic is provided for your use as a quick reference in order to identify CNC materials that are suitable for particular engineering needs:

Aluminum 6061 part

Aluminum alloys have a natural resistance to corrosion in addition to their high thermal and electrical conductivities, which makes them an excellent strength-to-weight ratio material. As a result of their low bulk cost and ease of machining, they are frequently the most cost-effective choice when it comes to the production of bespoke metal components and prototypes.

Aluminum alloys typically have a lower strength and hardness than steels, but they are capable of being anodized, which results in the creation of a layer that is both tough and protective on the surface.

Aluminum 6061 is the most common type of aluminum alloy used for general applications. It has a favorable ratio of strength to weight and excellent machinability.

Aluminum 6082 has a composition and material properties that are comparable to those of aluminum 6061. Because it satisfies the requirements of the British Standards, it finds widespread application in Europe.

Because of its superior fatigue properties and the fact that it can be heat treated to achieve high levels of strength and hardness comparable to those of steels, aluminum 7075 is the alloy that is most frequently used in aerospace applications where weight reduction is of the utmost importance.

Due to its exceptional resistance to saltwater and higher strength than most other aluminum alloys, aluminum 5083 is typically used in construction and marine applications. In addition to that, it is an excellent material for welding.