turning and milling stainless steel
Stainless steel combines corrosion resistance, strength and suitability for hygiene – properties that make it indispensable for many industries, but make its machining challenging.
Stainless steel refers to steels with a high degree of purity; the well-known corrosion- and acid-resistant grades V2A (e.g. 1.4301) and V4A (e.g. 1.4571, 1.4435) contain chromium and nickel, which form a protective passive layer. However, it is precisely these alloy constituents that make machining more difficult.
Challenges in processing
Stainless steel is prone to work hardeningIf the cutting edge is not kept cleanly in engagement, the surface work-hardens and wear increases. The low thermal conductivity also leads to Heat buildup on the cutting edge. Both require coordinated cutting data, sharp tools and effective cooling.
- Constant high feed rate to avoid work hardening
- High-quality, wear-resistant cutting materials and coatings
- Adequate and targeted cooling lubrication to prevent heat accumulation
- Stable clamping situation for dimensionally accurate, low-burr results
Experience decides
From corrosion- and acid-resistant steels to duplex and super duplex materials and implant steels: the range of stainless steels is vast, and each grade has its own behaviour. Many years of experience in turning and milling is the prerequisite for precision parts that impress over the long term.
Turning and milling aluminium
Aluminium is considered easy to machine – but that very fact is deceptive: surface finish and dimensional accuracy are determined by the details of the alloy, tool and cutting parameters.
The low material resistance permits high cutting speeds and makes aluminium an economical material for turned and milled parts. Its low weight combined with good strength makes it particularly attractive in aerospace, measurement technology and mechanical engineering.
What matters
The correct one alloy selection is the first step – from easily machinable free-cutting alloys to high-strength aerospace alloys, every material behaves differently. Also crucial are a sharp, polished tool geometry against built-up edges as well as coordinated cutting parameters to avoid burrs and achieve the best surfaces.
- alloy-compliant selection of tool and cutting parameters
- Sharp, built-up edge-resistant tool geometries
- High cutting speeds for cost-effective manufacturing
- Clean swarf removal for low-burr, dimensionally accurate components
Precision despite lightness
Aluminium is sensitive to thermal expansion and clamping forces. With thin-walled parts, a well-thought-out clamping strategy and process control are necessary to ensure that tolerances are reliably maintained even after unclamping.
turning and milling of titanium
Titanium combines high strength with low weight and outstanding biocompatibility – an ideal material for medical technology and aerospace, but one of the most demanding in machining.
The special properties that make titanium so valuable also make it difficult to machine. Pure titanium (e.g. ASTM F 67) and alloys such as Ti-6Al-4V ELI (ASTM F 136) are used wherever lightweight construction, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility are required.
Why titanium is difficult to machine
- Low thermal conductivity: The process heat is concentrated at the cutting edge instead of being dissipated via the chip
- High responsiveness: At high temperatures, titanium tends to react with the tool
- Springback: makes maintaining tight tolerances on thin-walled parts more difficult
Manageable with experience
With adjusted cutting data, suitable cutting materials and effective cooling, titanium can be machined safely and reproducibly. Laser welding is additionally used for permanently joined components. Especially for highly stressed implant components, the interplay of machining, finishing and surface quality is decisive – for internal surfaces, surface roughness values down to the range of a few hundredths of a micrometre are aimed for.
Grinding technical ceramics
Technical ceramics withstand extreme temperatures, wear and corrosion, and are increasingly replacing metal and plastic – yet only a few suppliers have mastered their machining.
Materials such as zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂), aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃) or Macor offer properties that traditional materials cannot achieve: high hardness, electrical insulation, chemical resistance and dimensional stability even under high heat. This hardness makes grinding the only practical machining method.
Why ceramic grinding is challenging
Ceramics are hard and at the same time brittle. During grinding, the infeed and cooling must be selected so that no edge chipping and no micro-cracks occur. This requires diamond-tipped grinding tools, sensitive process control and a great deal of experience.
- Diamond grinding for high dimensional and geometrical accuracy
- Gentle process management to prevent edge chipping and micro-cracks
- Finest surfaces for sealing and tribological functional surfaces
- Ideal for applications involving extreme wear, heat or insulation requirements
A unique selling proposition
Because only a few finishers offer the grinding of technical ceramics, it is a true differentiator – and the right answer when metal or plastic reach their limits.
