Commonly Machined Materials and Their Industrial Applications
Precision machining plays a central role in manufacturing components for a wide range of industrial sectors, from aerospace to healthcare. At GM Precision, we understand that selecting the right material is essential to ensuring the quality, performance, and longevity of the parts produced. This choice directly impacts mechanical properties, machinability, production cost, and the ability to meet the specific requirements of each project.
In this article, we present the most commonly machined materials, their technical characteristics, and their main industrial applications.
Aluminum: lightweight, versatile, and productive
Aluminum is undoubtedly one of the most popular materials in machining workshops. It’s appreciated for its lightweight, good corrosion resistance, and ease of machining. Available in several alloys like 6061 or 7075, it offers an excellent balance between mechanical strength and workability. Aluminum also allows for excellent surface finishes, making it ideal for parts with high aesthetic or functional value.
This material is widely used in high-tech industries: it can be found in aircraft structures, electronic housings, lightweight automotive parts, and medical equipment. Its ability to be machined quickly while maintaining tight tolerances makes it a top choice for high-efficiency projects.
Steel: strength and reliability in demanding environments
Steel is a staple in industrial machining, mainly due to its strength, wear resistance, and broad range of grades. Whether mild steel (1018), robust alloys (4140, 4340), or stainless steels like 304 or 316, each type meets specific needs. Its density and resistance make it ideal for mechanical parts that must bear heavy loads or endure repeated stress.
Applications include drive shafts, gears, cutting tools, structural fasteners, surgical instruments, and more. Stainless steel, in particular, is sought after for its corrosion resistance, essential in the medical, food, and chemical industries.
Brass: easy machining and impeccable finish
Brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, stands out for its excellent machinability. It allows high-speed machining with minimal tool wear while delivering high-quality finishes. Its electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance, and golden appearance make it a highly versatile material.
Used in fields such as electronics (connectors, terminals), plumbing (fittings, valves), and precision instrumentation (decorative parts, watch components), brass combines technical performance with visual appeal. It is especially well-suited for small technical parts and high-end prototypes.
Copper: electrical and thermal performance
Copper is unmatched in electrical and thermal conductivity. While it is more challenging to machine due to its softness, some alloys like tellurium copper improve workability. Copper is primarily used for components that need to efficiently conduct electricity or dissipate heat.
It is widely used in the production of conductors, electrical terminals, electrodes, and heat exchangers for cooling systems. Copper is essential in electronics, energy, telecommunications, and transportation sectors.
Engineering plastics: a high-performance alternative to metals
Industrial plastics such as POM (Delrin), PEEK, PTFE (Teflon), and nylon are increasingly used in machining. Their lightness, excellent chemical resistance, and low friction coefficient make them ideal for applications where metals would be too heavy or expensive.
These polymers are widely used in automation, medical devices, food processing, and even aerospace. They are used to manufacture bushings, sliders, interface parts, surgical tools, and electrical insulators. Additionally, certain plastics like PEEK withstand high temperatures and sterilization, making them particularly valuable in demanding environments.
Titanium: a high-performance alloy for critical applications
Titanium is an exceptional material, combining mechanical strength, lightness, and excellent corrosion resistance. It is also biocompatible, making it a top choice for medical implants and prosthetics. However, its hardness and low thermal conductivity make it more difficult to machine, requiring specialized machinery and skills.
Titanium is used in aerospace components, turbines, high-performance fasteners, as well as in military, medical, and sports sectors. Its high cost is offset by its longevity and reliability in extreme environments.
Special alloys: for extreme conditions
Some projects require materials that can withstand exceptional stresses. This is the case with special alloys like Inconel, Hastelloy, or nickel-based superalloys. They are designed to maintain mechanical properties at very high temperatures and resist the most corrosive environments.
These materials are essential in energy (nuclear plants, gas turbines), petrochemical, aerospace, and chemical equipment manufacturing industries. Though difficult to machine, their performance is unmatched.
Conclusion
Selecting the right material to machine is a strategic step in any manufacturing project. It determines the technical success, cost-effectiveness, and durability of the final part. At GM Precision, our expertise allows us to guide clients based on their specific needs, whether for prototypes, small batches, or full-scale industrial production.
Our mastery of the most commonly machined materials, combined with our advanced machinery, enables us to deliver high-precision parts that meet the strictest industry standards.
Have a project requiring high-precision machining? Contact GM Precision today and benefit from our expertise to choose the right material and ensure results that meet your highest expectations.
Commonly Machined Materials and Their Industrial Applications
Precision machining plays a central role in manufacturing components for a wide range of industrial sectors, from aerospace to healthcare. At GM Precision, we understand that selecting the right material is essential to ensuring the quality, performance, and longevity of the parts produced. This choice directly impacts mechanical properties, machinability, production cost, and the ability to meet the specific requirements of each project.
In this article, we present the most commonly machined materials, their technical characteristics, and their main industrial applications.
Aluminum: lightweight, versatile, and productive
Aluminum is undoubtedly one of the most popular materials in machining workshops. It’s appreciated for its lightweight, good corrosion resistance, and ease of machining. Available in several alloys like 6061 or 7075, it offers an excellent balance between mechanical strength and workability. Aluminum also allows for excellent surface finishes, making it ideal for parts with high aesthetic or functional value.
This material is widely used in high-tech industries: it can be found in aircraft structures, electronic housings, lightweight automotive parts, and medical equipment. Its ability to be machined quickly while maintaining tight tolerances makes it a top choice for high-efficiency projects.
Steel: strength and reliability in demanding environments
Steel is a staple in industrial machining, mainly due to its strength, wear resistance, and broad range of grades. Whether mild steel (1018), robust alloys (4140, 4340), or stainless steels like 304 or 316, each type meets specific needs. Its density and resistance make it ideal for mechanical parts that must bear heavy loads or endure repeated stress.
Applications include drive shafts, gears, cutting tools, structural fasteners, surgical instruments, and more. Stainless steel, in particular, is sought after for its corrosion resistance, essential in the medical, food, and chemical industries.
Brass: easy machining and impeccable finish
Brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, stands out for its excellent machinability. It allows high-speed machining with minimal tool wear while delivering high-quality finishes. Its electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance, and golden appearance make it a highly versatile material.
Used in fields such as electronics (connectors, terminals), plumbing (fittings, valves), and precision instrumentation (decorative parts, watch components), brass combines technical performance with visual appeal. It is especially well-suited for small technical parts and high-end prototypes.
Copper: electrical and thermal performance
Copper is unmatched in electrical and thermal conductivity. While it is more challenging to machine due to its softness, some alloys like tellurium copper improve workability. Copper is primarily used for components that need to efficiently conduct electricity or dissipate heat.
It is widely used in the production of conductors, electrical terminals, electrodes, and heat exchangers for cooling systems. Copper is essential in electronics, energy, telecommunications, and transportation sectors.
Engineering plastics: a high-performance alternative to metals
Industrial plastics such as POM (Delrin), PEEK, PTFE (Teflon), and nylon are increasingly used in machining. Their lightness, excellent chemical resistance, and low friction coefficient make them ideal for applications where metals would be too heavy or expensive.
These polymers are widely used in automation, medical devices, food processing, and even aerospace. They are used to manufacture bushings, sliders, interface parts, surgical tools, and electrical insulators. Additionally, certain plastics like PEEK withstand high temperatures and sterilization, making them particularly valuable in demanding environments.
Titanium: a high-performance alloy for critical applications
Titanium is an exceptional material, combining mechanical strength, lightness, and excellent corrosion resistance. It is also biocompatible, making it a top choice for medical implants and prosthetics. However, its hardness and low thermal conductivity make it more difficult to machine, requiring specialized machinery and skills.
Titanium is used in aerospace components, turbines, high-performance fasteners, as well as in military, medical, and sports sectors. Its high cost is offset by its longevity and reliability in extreme environments.
Special alloys: for extreme conditions
Some projects require materials that can withstand exceptional stresses. This is the case with special alloys like Inconel, Hastelloy, or nickel-based superalloys. They are designed to maintain mechanical properties at very high temperatures and resist the most corrosive environments.
These materials are essential in energy (nuclear plants, gas turbines), petrochemical, aerospace, and chemical equipment manufacturing industries. Though difficult to machine, their performance is unmatched.
Conclusion
Selecting the right material to machine is a strategic step in any manufacturing project. It determines the technical success, cost-effectiveness, and durability of the final part. At GM Precision, our expertise allows us to guide clients based on their specific needs, whether for prototypes, small batches, or full-scale industrial production.
Our mastery of the most commonly machined materials, combined with our advanced machinery, enables us to deliver high-precision parts that meet the strictest industry standards.
Have a project requiring high-precision machining? Contact GM Precision today and benefit from our expertise to choose the right material and ensure results that meet your highest expectations.