Comprehensive Analysis of Materials for CNC Machining: Properties and Suitable Products

In the realm of CNC machining, the selection of materials is of utmost importance as it directly impacts the quality and performance of the final products. Are you constantly struggling to choose the right materials for your machining projects?
Today, we've meticulously compiled a list of materials commonly used in CNC machining. This list details the performance characteristics and applicable products of various materials, whether it's tool steel, titanium alloys, or plastics like polycarbonate.

Each material in this comparison table is analyzed in depth. You'll learn about the high - strength and corrosion - resistant properties of titanium, and how it's ideal for aerospace components. For polycarbonate, its transparency and impact resistance make it a top choice in the electronics and automotive industries. This guide serves as a valuable resource, providing you with clear insights and helping you make informed decisions. Whether you're a professional in the project R&D, machining industry or an enthusiast, this table will be your key to achieving efficient machining and high - quality production, enabling you to avoid common pitfalls and streamline your manufacturing processes.

comparison of machining material, prototype material, volume manufacturing

**Materials for CNC Machining: Properties and Suitable Products**
Material Name	Properties	Applicable Products
Metallic
Carbonate Steel	It is an alloy composed of iron and carbon, with a carbon content of no more than 2.11%. It may contain trace amounts of elements such as silicon, manganese, phosphorus, and sulfur, but does not contain other alloying elements. Its strength and hardness increase with the increase of carbon content. Low - carbon steel has good plasticity and toughness, while high - carbon steel has high hardness and wear - resistance. Low - carbon steel has good weldability, but the weldability decreases as the carbon content increases. Its corrosion resistance is relatively weak.	In the construction industry, it is used for the construction of bridges and building structures; in the machinery manufacturing field, it is used for the production of components such as shafts, gears, and connecting rods; in the transportation field, it is used for the manufacturing of components of vehicles such as automobiles, trains, and ships.
Stainless Steel	It has a certain chemical stability in the natural environment or some industrial media. Generally, it includes stainless steel and acid - resistant steel and belongs to special - performance steel. The chromium content is not less than 10.5% (mass), and the carbon content is not more than 1.2% (mass). It has the ability to resist atmospheric oxidation (i.e., stainlessness) and the ability to resist corrosion in media containing acids, alkalis, and salts (i.e., corrosion resistance).	In the vehicle field, it is used for automotive parts; in the construction field, it is used for building decorations, guardrails, etc.; in the industrial field, it is used for chemical equipment, pressure vessels, etc.; in the daily life field, it is used for kitchen utensils, medical devices, etc.
Tool Steel	It contains a relatively high amount of carbon, and the alloying elements are mainly carbide - forming elements such as Cr, W, Mo, and V, which make the steel have high hardness and high wear - resistance. It is quenched at a relatively low quenching temperature and tempered at a low temperature. It has high hardness, can maintain high hardness and red - hardness at high temperatures, as well as high wear - resistance and appropriate toughness.	It is often used to manufacture various tools, such as cutting tools, measuring tools, molds, stamping tools, and hand tools.
Brass/Copper	Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. It has good mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and ductility. It has higher hardness, wear - resistance, and corrosion resistance than pure copper. Copper is pure copper, which has excellent ductility, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity, but is relatively soft.	Brass is used to manufacture hardware devices, instruments, coins, musical instruments, decorations, pipes, faucets, etc. Copper is used in the manufacture of cables, electrical and electronic components, and for the production of decorations and artworks in building materials.
Aluminum	It has a low density, about 1/3 of that of copper or steel. It has good corrosion resistance, weather resistance, plasticity, processability, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and low - temperature performance. It has a high reflectivity for light, heat, and radio waves, good surface performance, no magnetism, is basically non - toxic, has sound - absorbing properties, good acid resistance, good anti - nuclear radiation performance, a small elastic coefficient, good mechanical properties, excellent casting and welding performance, and good impact resistance.	It is used in fields such as aerospace, navigation, aviation, automation equipment, automotive, transportation, bridges, construction, electronics and electricity, energy and power, metallurgy and chemical engineering, agricultural irrigation, machinery manufacturing, manufacturing fixtures and jigs, packaging and anti - corrosion, electrical appliances and furniture, and daily necessities and stationery. For example, it is used in airplanes, spacecraft, rail vehicles, automobiles, ships, bridges, high - rise buildings, heavy - machinery components, lightweight containers, wires, busbar joints, pots, rice cookers, heat exchangers, automobile radiators, and electronic components.
Titanium	It has high strength, low weight, and strong corrosion resistance.	It is widely used in many fields such as aviation, medical equipment, and industry. For example, it is used in the disks and blades of aircraft engines.
Non-metallic
Polycarbonate (PC, Lexan)	It is a high - performance thermoplastic engineering plastic with outstanding impact resistance, good creep resistance and dimensional stability, heat resistance, low water absorption, non - toxicity, and excellent dielectric properties. It is the only one among the five major engineering plastics with good transparency.	Its three major application fields are the glass assembly industry, the automotive industry, and the electronics and electrical industry. In addition, it is also used in industrial mechanical parts, optical discs, packaging, office equipment such as computers, medical and health care, films, leisure and protective equipment, etc.
Polymethyl Methacrylate (Acrylic, PMMA)	Chemically known as polymethyl methacrylate, it is a highly transparent polymer formed by the polymerization of methyl methacrylate. It has good transparency, chemical stability, weather resistance, is easy to dye and process, and has an elegant appearance.	It has a wide range of applications in the construction industry, such as acrylic sheets, acrylic plastic granules, acrylic light boxes, signs, acrylic bathtubs, acrylic artificial marble, acrylic resins, acrylic (latex) paints, acrylic adhesives, etc.
Polyoxymethylene (Delrin, Acetal, POM))	It is a high - crystallinity polyoxymethylene plastic with excellent mechanical strength and rigidity. Its wear - resistance and self - lubrication are second only to nylon, its resistance to repeated impacts is better than that of PC and ABS, and its fatigue resistance is the best among all plastics.	It is widely used in industries such as the automotive industry, electronics and electrical, machinery manufacturing, and daily necessities. For example, it is used in gears, bearings, and interior parts of automotive components, plugs, switches, and other electrical parts, guides, supports, and gears of mechanical equipment, household appliances, and toys.
Ultra - High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMW - PE)	It combines almost all the advantages of various plastics, such as wear - resistance, impact resistance, non - adhesion, self - lubrication, corrosion resistance, impact energy absorption, low - temperature resistance, hygiene, non - toxicity, and low water absorption.	It can be used to make the linings of drag buckets, silos, and chutes for powdered materials such as coal and lime. It can also be used as liquid transportation pipes for quicksand. In addition, it has a wide range of applications in the lining of chutes, buckets, and ore compartments, national defense and military equipment, aerospace engineering, civilian fields, industrial applications, sports equipment, and medicine.
Phenolic Resin (Bakelite)	It is a thermosetting resin with good balanced performance. It has advantages such as high heat resistance, excellent electrical insulation performance, and relatively high mechanical strength. However, it is difficult to recycle, has high water absorption, low weather resistance, and is easily affected by alkaline solvents.	It is used in printed circuit boards, switchboards, circuit breakers, etc. It can also be used as adhesives, shell - type parts, coatings, etc. It can also be used as photoresist materials, metal replacement parts, negative electrode materials for lithium - ion batteries, and activated carbon raw materials in the pharmaceutical industry.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon)	Commonly known as the "king of plastics", it is a polymer compound formed by the polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene. It has excellent chemical stability, corrosion resistance, air - tightness, high lubrication, non- adhesion, conductivity, insulation, and good aging resistance.	It is used as an engineering plastic and can be made into pipes, rods, tapes, plates, films, etc. It is generally used in corrosion - resistant pipes, containers, pumps, valves, radar, high - frequency communication equipment, radio equipment, etc.
Glass Fiber Epoxy Resin Board (G10/FR - 4)	It is composed of continuous filament glass cloth material and epoxy resin adhesive and is a thermosetting industrial laminate. It has high strength, excellent electrical performance, and chemical resistance, and performs well at room temperature and in wet or damp conditions.	It is used to isolate and separate individual batteries or modules from the metal rack system to prevent electrical short - circuits and reduce the risk of fire or electrical hazards. It is also commonly used in printed circuit boards (PCBs) of electronics, aerospace components, and automotive systems.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)	It has good chemical stability and can resist the erosion of various acids, alkalis, and salts. It has good heat resistance and can generally be used in the temperature range of - 15°C to 60°C. It has good electrical insulation and water resistance. It has good transparency, plasticity, and processability. However, it is prone to aging and degradation due to ultraviolet radiation in outdoor environments. It produces hydrogen chloride gas during the production process, which has a certain impact on the environment. Its raw materials are abundant, and the production cost is relatively low.	It is widely used in industries such as construction, wire and cable, packaging, daily necessities, medical equipment, and automobiles.
HDPE (High - Density Polyethylene)	It is a highly crystalline, non - polar thermoplastic resin with strong corrosion resistance. However, it will be chemically corroded by certain chemicals,such as highly corrosive oxidants, aromatic hydrocarbons, and halogenated hydrocarbons. It does not absorb moisture and has good water - vapor resistance. It has good insulation performance and good impact resistance.	Its pipes are commonly used in water supply and drainage systems. It can also be used for the insulation layer of wire and cable and to manufacture protective shells for various electronic devices.
PEEK (Polyetheretherketone)	It is a super - high - performance special engineering plastic developed by the Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) of the UK in 1978. It belongs to the aromatic crystalline thermoplastic polymer material and has high mechanical strength, high temperature resistance, impact resistance, flame retardancy, acid - alkali resistance, hydrolysis resistance, wear resistance, fatigue resistance, radiation resistance, and excellent electrical performance.	It is very commonly used in the aerospace, medical, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, and food processing industries. For example, it is used in gas separation instrument components on satellites and heat exchanger scrapers. Due to its superior friction performance, it is an ideal material in the friction application field, such as sleeve bearings, sliding bearings, valve seats, sealing rings, and pump wear - resistant rings.
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)	It has good chemical stability and can resist the erosion of various acids, alkalis, and salts. It has good heat resistance and can generally be used in the temperature range of - 15°C to 60°C. It has good electrical insulation and water resistance. It has good transparency, plasticity, and processability. However, it is prone to aging and degradation due to ultraviolet radiation in outdoor environments. It produces hydrogen chloride gas during the production process, which has a certain impact on the environment. Its raw materials are abundant, and the production cost is relatively low.	It is widely used in industries such as construction, wire and cable, packaging, daily necessities, medical equipment, and automobiles.
Nylon (PA)	Nylon is a strong and tough thermoplastic. It has high mechanical strength and good toughness, enabling it to withstand significant stress. It's resistant to oil and many chemicals, and has excellent wear - resistance and self - lubrication, which reduces friction in moving parts. However, it has a relatively high water absorption rate, which can affect its dimensions and mechanical properties in humid conditions.	Commonly used in the automotive industry for parts such as gears, bearings, and fuel pipes. In electronics, it serves as connectors and insulators. In textiles, nylon fibers are used to make clothing, stockings, etc. It's also found in sports equipment like tennis racket strings and consumer goods like zippers.
Machinable Glass Ceramic	Machinable glass ceramic, a mica - based glass - ceramic, offers remarkable processability, allowing it to be shaped using standard metal - working tools. It has excellent electrical insulation, maintaining stable performance in high - temperature environments up to 800°C. With a density of 2.7 g/cm³, it is relatively light, about one - third the weight of steel. It also shows good resistance to chemical corrosion and has low water absorption. Non - magnetic and stable against organic solvents, it won't age or deform easily.	Ideal for high - precision applications in automotive, aerospace, and medical fields. It can be used to make thin - walled coil bobbins, insulating supports for precision instruments, and complex - shaped components. Its high strength and low outgassing rate make it superior to some other materials like boron nitride and PTFE in specific scenarios.