What Types of Metal Can Be Used in CNC Milling?

CNC milling is often used to produce precision parts from large varieties of materials, including:

• Aluminum: Advantages of aluminum include excellent machinability and light weight. Disadvantages include a higher cost compared to other metals.

• Steel: Steel offers superior strength and rigidity but is more difficult to machine.

• Stainless steel: This metal has excellent corrosion resistance, making it ideal for parts that will be exposed to harsh environments.

• Titanium: Titanium is a lightweight metal with superior strength and corrosion resistance, making it an ideal choice for aerospace and defense components.

• Copper alloys: Used in electrical components due to their conductive properties.

• Brass: Brass offers high strength and corrosion resistance while being easy to machine.

• Plastic: Plastics can be machined with CNC milling machines, offering the advantage of being lightweight, durable and cost-effective.

• Wood: Wood is a versatile material that can be machined easily with CNC milling machines, making it ideal for furniture, cabinetry and art installations.

• Composite materials: Composite materials are made up of two or more component materials and offer increased strength and corrosion resistance over traditional metals. They are often used in aerospace applications.

• Carbon fiber: Extremely light and strong, carbon fiber is often used in the manufacturing of racing parts and aerospace components.

• Copper: Copper is a strong and corrosion-resistant metal that has excellent electrical conductivity. It is often used in the production of electrical components.

• Tungsten: Tungsten offers superior strength and hardness, making it an ideal choice for applications requiring wear resistance.

• Graphite: Graphite is a lightweight material with low friction properties which makes it ideal for use in a variety of applications.

• Ceramics: Ceramics can be used to produce highly intricate components with superior wear resistance and heat dissipation. They are often used in medical devices, turbines and fuel injectors.

• Glass: Glass is an optically clear material that offers excellent transparency and can be machined to tight tolerances. It is often used in the production of optical components.