Is Titanium Harder to Mill Than Steel?

I imagine if we cartooned metal alloys and gave them a personality based on perceptions, we have of them visually and historically, we would see gold as the highly confident and prosperous, bronze as one of ancient wisdom, aluminum as one with eagerness asking, “what can I do for you”? For titanium and steel, I could imagine titanium has the good looks, strength while gleaming in the spotlight and always at odds, with steel, the hard worker, who underneath all the grime too could be polished and exert its strength as well if ever given the chance. This is a fun way to demonstrate the difference between these two metal alloys but in machining titanium or steel the differences are very apparent. Titanium is number 22 on the atomic periodic chart of elements. It is rather abundant in the earth’s crust, but extraction of titanium is difficult and adds to the cost of the alloy. Ninety five percent of all pure titanium is produced to make titanium dioxide and used for pigment in paint, sunscreen, cosmetics, toothpaste, and other household uses. When used for applications outside of this, you can be certain the need is justified to use this special alloy. It has superior strength to weight ratio and has a high thermal threshold. The grades used for titanium CNC machining are 1,2,3,4,and 5. Grade 5 comes in names such as Ti 6-4, Ti 6AL-4V and Ti6AL4V. It is grade 5 that is most used in CNC machining. Steel is an alloy comprised of iron and carbon and other elements that form grades such as high-strength steel, mild steel, stainless steel, and additional types. Steel has characteristics of strength and durability, making steel versatile in applications in almost every industry. It is machinable and will be one of the most processed materials in a CNC manufacturing facility. For titanium machined parts, the methods used for steel don’t apply equally. CNC machining caters to so many industries and each of those has countless needs for the precision and reliability this technology offers. Through experience and probably some frustration, it is known that titanium is harder to Mill than steel.  Machining titanium takes extra care and knowledge of the manufacturers. Titanium is superior in strength to steel, but much lighter too and is malleable. It can stretch during machining and is prone to wearing down the tools used in Mills. Adjustments to the angle that these tools cut the titanium to the changes to the coolant and pressure used to keep the debris or chips from collecting. Without adjustments like these, the cutting area can heat up and cause inaccurate geometries and possibly shorten the tool’s life.

Projects using machined titanium require this alloy to play an important role in structural integrity and corrosion resistance. In some medical uses, biocompatibility is crucial in helping a patient increase their quality of life. Titanium CNC machining is more difficult than machining steel but don’t let that be of any discouragement for your next project. Keep in mind this is something that CNC Mills will consider when planning your next project for these two alloys. Perhaps you will need some structural support or framework, and steel will do just fine while the internal mechanisms will be under extreme stress and heat so machined titanium will be a better choice for those. You can have the best of both worlds and let your experienced CNC Milling provider do all the hard work.