Materials for CNC machining
Material choice changes both the raw material price and the machining time. A free-machining grade can make a part much cheaper without changing the design.
| Material | Family | Machinability | Density (g/cm³) | Indicative €/kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium 6082-T6 | Aluminium | excellent | 2.7 | 6 |
| Aluminium 6061-T6 | Aluminium | excellent | 2.7 | 6.5 |
| Aluminium 7075-T6 | Aluminium | good | 2.81 | 12 |
| Aluminium 5083 | Aluminium | average | 2.66 | 7 |
| Stainless steel 303 (1.4305) | Stainless steel | average | 7.9 | 7 |
| Stainless steel 304 (1.4301) | Stainless steel | difficult | 7.9 | 6 |
| Stainless steel 316L (1.4404) | Stainless steel | difficult | 8 | 8 |
| Structural steel S235JR | Steel | average | 7.85 | 1.5 |
| Carbon steel C45 (1.0503) | Steel | average | 7.85 | 2 |
| Alloy steel 42CrMo4 (1.7225) | Steel | difficult | 7.85 | 3 |
| Brass CW614N (CuZn39Pb3) | Copper alloy | excellent | 8.5 | 9 |
| POM-C (acetal, Delrin type) | Plastic | excellent | 1.41 | 10 |
| Nylon PA6 | Plastic | average | 1.14 | 8 |
| PEEK | Plastic | average | 1.3 | 150 |
| Titanium Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V) | Titanium | very difficult | 4.43 | 45 |
Prices are indicative small-batch levels in Europe and change with the market. Machinability is relative to typical job-shop practice.
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