This blog was updated in August 2022, to announce the grand results of RoboSub 2022. AVBotz placed 2nd out of 39 teams in the Autonomy Challenge. We are so proud of the team’s hard work and determination!

Robotic Submarines and DATRON Dynamics: The Story of AVBotz

The future of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is being shaped by robotics teams like AVBotz at Amador Valley High School, in Pleasanton, California. Founded in 1999, the mission of the AVBotz organization is to introduce students to the wide world of robotics. Each year, students compete at RoboSub, an international robotic submarine competition. RoboSub challenges both collegiate and high teams from around the globe. Their robots are put to the test by completing different tasks like passing through gates, manipulating buoys, identifying colors and shapes, launching projectiles, and more. These tasks are inspired by current research in autonomous underwater systems. The competition theme changes each year in order to push the limits of innovation and imagination from competing students. AVBotz likes to make use of their outstanding engineering skills, so they actually design their AUV from scratch.

AVBotz is recognized as one of the best performing high school teams, with their Barracuda model taking 7th place and ranking the highest scored run at the 2015 competition. However, it’s not just about placing well at RoboSub for the students, they are committed to sharing their knowledge and experience with others. For instance, they have over 35,000 lines of open-source code available on GitHub to promote collaboration between other robotic clubs. The students are very involved with their community, inspiring younger generations to participate in STEM studies and clubs. They’ve taught coding and robotics workshops and even hosted a virtual computer-building workshop. The team members also mentor the robotics club at Harvest Park Middle School.

How It All Started

AVBotz’s partnership with DATRON Dynamics began in 2015. Former team member Brody West, and his peers, found themselves in “deep water” with their new build. It was the team’s first time figuring out the AUV design and how to make it. They had no idea where to find resources and didn’t even have technical advisors yet. Since the robot needed to operate underwater, the parts must be precise, or it’s game over. Given that many of the parts (like end caps and side panels) had to be watertight, they needed a CNC machine for that level of accuracy. So, Brody began researching local CNC machine shops capable of creating the parts they needed for their robotic submarine design. Brody visited machine shops all over town looking for team sponsors but had no luck…until a listing for DATRON Dynamics popped up.

Chris Hopkins, the Director of Technology at DATRON Dynamics, remembers Brody reaching out that year and was eager to help those students out. Chris didn’t just want to make parts and ship them off though. He wanted to help them learn how DATRON technology works, so they would understand how the parts were made. So, Brody and some team members visited the DATRON office in Livermore, California to see the CNC machines in action. Brody remembers his first impression of the DATRON machines, thinking they were clean and sleek. Like “the Apple of CNC machines.”

Gearing Up For RoboSub

While the team prepared for the upcoming competition, Chris provided mentorship for all CNC-related items and became the team’s first (and only) technical advisor. He showed AVBotz how to take a design file and turn it into a finished project. The students designed their parts in CAD/CAM, and Chris reviewed the files and milled the parts on one of the DATRON machines. Brody recalls how ambitious and hard-working his fellow students were during that build. They spent every weekend and every day in the summer working on their robot. Brody remembers when he wasn’t in class, he was working on the autonomous underwater vehicle build.

The team really wanted to win, and their hard work paid off, as their AUV ended up beating out a bunch of universities at RoboSub! That was the last competition for Brody since he graduated from high school and moved on to MIT. After being a part of AVBotz for four years, his experience with the team and the competitions reinforced his desire to join the engineering field.

DATRON Dynamics knows that programs like AVBotz are vital to the future of engineering and manufacturing, and that’s why we are happy to support them. Plus, our team really enjoys working on the autonomous underwater vehicle parts! To this day, Chris and our team continue to support AVBotz and mentor its members. Some of the students stay in touch with Chris and let him know he helped them find their career path. Chris says there is nothing more rewarding than hearing that from a student.

Oct 21/24

Advancements in Smart Technology: How Custom Automotive Parts Are Evolving

 

Imagine driving a car that can learn your preferences and adapt in real-time to enhance your driving experience.

As you accelerate down the highway, sensors adjust the suspension for a smoother ride. Your custom dashboard displays real-time performance data tailored exactly to your needs. This isn’t science fiction. Thanks to advancements in smart technology, it’s today’s reality.

Read on to find out how custom automotive parts can advance through smart technology.

3D Printing and Advanced Materials

With 3D printing, designers can create complex geometries and intricate auto part designs that were previously impossible or too costly using traditional methods. This technology allows for fast prototyping and on-demand production of custom parts, beneficial for car manufacturers or retrofitters looking to create their own designs.

From custom air intakes to intricate dashboard elements, 3D printing enables personalization that aligns with the evolving demands of smart technology in the automotive industry.

If you’re interested in these automotive tech trends, sit down with the experts to start prototyping.

Custom Auto Parts Innovation: Smart Safety Systems

Safety systems are transforming the landscape of custom automotive parts. They prioritize driver and passenger safety through the integration of advanced technologies. These systems go beyond traditional mechanical safety features, incorporating technology that can detect potential hazards and respond in real-time.

These advanced safety features include:

• Sensors
• Cameras
• AI-driven components

This smart technology can also help improve control.

Lane-keeping systems use cameras and sensors embedded in custom mirrors and body panels to monitor lane markers. It can gently steer the car back into the right lane if it starts to drift.

Enhanced Lighting and Visibility

Custom lighting solutions, such as adaptive LED headlights and smart taillights, are becoming essential upgrades for drivers seeking better road illumination and increased safety. Adaptive LED headlights, for example, automatically adjust their brightness and beam pattern based on:

• Driving conditions
• Weather
• Oncoming traffic

Smart lighting systems also allow for extensive customization. Custom headlight designs and LED strips can be programmed to change colors or create unique lighting patterns, allowing drivers to personalize their vehicles.

Smart technology integration means these systems can be controlled via mobile apps, allowing for real-time adjustments and synchronization with other vehicle functions.

Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Customization

As the automotive industry shifts towards greener practices, sustainability, and eco-friendly customization have become key to the future of automotive parts. Smart technology allows for custom part creation that enhances vehicle performance and reduces environmental impact.

Auto part manufacturers are also inventing new and exciting ways to reduce waste. For example, they might use smart inventory management systems.

These systems ensure materials and parts are used before they expire or become obsolete. They track the lifecycle of custom parts and materials, enabling manufacturers to order only what’s necessary and avoid overstocking.

Custom Automotive Parts: Start Today

The world of custom automotive parts is changing now that smart technology is here to stay.

Are you looking for intelligent vehicle components? Mayco International is here for you. We’ve been creating advanced, top-of-the-line products for our clients since 2006.

Contact us to learn more.

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The manufacturing industry is one of the most dynamic industries in the world. For instance, some decades ago, you could manufacture products or parts using only conventional tools. However, it’s quite challenging today to fabricate any part and meet product designers’ requirements without using special manufacturing processes like angular milling.

The angular milling process isn’t like any other process; its unique mode of operation and cutting tool design make it ideal for fabricating a broad range of complex parts. And in this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about this fascinating manufacturing method.

What is Angular Milling?

Angular milling (or angle milling) involves removing portions of material from a workpiece to form the desired product. However, unlike conventional milling, angular milling creates flat surfaces that aren’t parallel (or perpendicular) to the axis of the cutting tool. Instead, the surfaces are at an angle to the cutting tool’s rotating axis, as shown below.

Figure 1: The angular milling process

Notice how the angular milling process utilizes a unique cutting tool that features angular grooves. This cutting tool is called the angular (or angle) milling cutter, and it allows machinists to machine angles and features like notches and serrations. However, these cutters come in different types, each with its unique feature and suitability for different application needs.

Types of Angle Milling Cutters

The angle milling cutters are categorized into:

1. Single-angle milling cutters
2. Double-angle milling cutters

Figure 2: Single-angle and double-angle milling cutters

Single-angle Milling Cutter

The single-angle milling cutter features teeth on the cutter’s conical (or angular) face. These cutters come in different types and are specified based on the combined angle between the cutter’s conical face and the larger end face. Common single-angle milling cutter angles include 30°, 45°, and 60°.

The single-angle milling cutter is ideal for creating simple dovetails, slots, and bevelling parts. Top-tier machine shops also rely on the 30° single-angle milling cutter for surface finishing operations.

Learn more: Understanding Surface Finishing in Manufacturing.

Double-angle Milling Cutter

The double-angle milling cutter features V-shaped teeth with two conical faces at an angle to their end faces. This unique design allows machinists to create cuts from either side of the cutter, making them ideal for fabricating v-grooves, serrations, and other angular surfaces, as shown below.

Figure 3: Fabricating v-grooves using the double-angle milling cutter

Machinists also use the double-angle milling cutters for thread milling, chamfering and deburring operations.

Tips for Angular Milling

Here are essential tips that top-tier machine shops adhere to during angular milling:

• Operate angle milling machines at the recommended speed for the type of angle milling cutters used. Excessive speeds will cause the cutting tool to overheat and wear rapidly. Top-tier machinists typically use angle milling cutters made of carbide or steel for high-speed angle milling.
• Choose an angle milling cutter large enough to span the workpiece. This allows machinists to perform cutting operations with a single pass of the cutter across the workpiece.
• Use coarse angle milling cutters during the initial machining stage to create roughing cuts, while fine angle milling cutters are better suited for surface finishing operations.
• Use a combination of milling cutters to create complex cuts and features. For instance, a combination of fly cutters and angle milling cutters might be ideal for milling the square end of a shaft or reamer shank.
• Use computer numerical control (CNC) technology to automate the sequence of movement of the cutting tool and workpiece to create desired products. This technology eliminates the human error factor common in the conventional angle milling process.

Learn more: Understanding How CNC Machining Works.

Angle Milling: Gensun Can Help

Now that you know what the angle milling process entails, you’d agree that it can create complex features. However, your project’s success also depends on the machine shop you work with.

Gensun Precision Machining is a leading provider of machining services across Asia. We have a team of highly qualified machinists and quality control experts who work together to get your product done right.

Learn more about our CNC machining services.

Xometry has added four new 3D printed metals to its on-demand manufacturing services: maraging steel, Inconel 625, Inconel 718, and titanium. These premium alloys complement the already available stainless steel and aluminum metal 3D printing.

Metal parts in these alloys are produced using direct metal laser sintering (DMLS). This process fuses powdered metal with a high-powered laser to build parts layer by layer. DMLS makes fully dense metal parts with exceptional mechanical properties and less design constraints than traditional manufacturing. Parts can be designed with lattices, generative- or topology-optimized structures, and integrate multiple assembly components into a unified body.

Metal 3D printed parts

DMLS Materials Available Through Xometry

3D Printed Metal Description 3D Printed Metal

Aluminum AlSi10Mg

Description

A lightweight aluminum alloy that is a great alternative to machining or casting complex geometries.

3D Printed Metal

Stainless Steel 17-4

Description

A fully dense 17-4 PH stainless steel metal with a hardness of 40 HRC. This metal is heat treatable.

3D Printed Metal

Stainless Steel 316/L

Description

A fully dense 316L stainless steel metal with superb corrosion resistance. This metal meets the requirements of ASTM F138.

3D Printed Metal

Maraging Steel MS1

Description

A heat-treatable tool steel that can be post-hardened to more than 50 HRC to achieve excellent hardness and strength.

3D Printed Metal

Inconel 625

Description

A heat- and corrosion-resistant nickel alloy offering high oxidation resistance.

3D Printed Metal

Inconel 718

Description

A heat- and corrosion-resistant nickel alloy ideal for high-temperature applications. It offers good tensile, fatigue, creep, and rupture strength at temperatures up to 700 °C (1290 °F).

3D Printed Metal

Titanium Ti64

Description

A lightweight alloy with excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance used in high performing engineering applications as well as biomedical devices.

3D Printed Metal

Custom / Other Material

Description

Looking for another material? Choose “custom” and let us know by submitting your quote for a manual review.

3D Printed Metal Description

How to Get a Metal 3D Printing Quote for Inconel, Maraging Steel, and Titanium

Step 1: Upload your 3D model to the Xometry Instant Quoting Engine℠

Step 2: Click “Modify Part” and choose DMLS as the process

Step 3: Select your material and add any features or notes

1. If you choose Inconel, titanium, or maraging steel: You will be prompted to get a manual quote via digital RFQ. Once you are in the Xometry Digital RFQ Marketplace, your RFQ will automatically populate with your instant quote information. You also have the option to add more details about your requirements before submitting the RFQ. Watch How Our Digital RFQ Service Works.
2. If you choose stainless steel and aluminum alloys: You will receive an instant price and lead time.

Want to learn more? Download our DMLS Design Guide and review our capabilities.

Greg PaulsenThey call me the Director of Application Engineering at Xometry. This means I not only get to produce great design-for-manufacturing content but also consult on various custom manufacturing projects using CNC machining, additive manufacturing, sheet metal, urethane casting, and injection molding. If you have a question, I'm your guy.

Read more articles by Greg Paulsen

Thread Milling vs. Tapping: What’s the Difference?

Thread Milling vs. Tapping, just what are the difference between them and when should each be used? There are some distinct differences between thread milling and tapping. This article explains the advantages and disadvantages of each so that you can make an educated decision about the strategy that will work best for your parts.

Tapping: Advantages and Disadvantages

The greatest advantage of tapping is speed. High-speed tapping centers set up with a rigid tap can thread holes in a fraction of the time it would take to thread mill the same holes. Additionally, tapping can thread deeper holes in harder materials such as steel.

A significant disadvantage of tapping is that a different size tap is required for each size hole that needs to be threaded. This can consume a large number of valuable, but limited positions in the tool magazine. Plus, having to switch tapping tools for all of the various size holes increases the cycle time.

Another disadvantage is that tapping does not allow for adjusting thread fit. Once the hole is tapped, the size and position of the thread is final. Also, rigid taps are used exclusively for interior threading of holes and cannot be used to mill threads onto the outside of a post or screw.

Finally, since the initial portion of a rigid tap is designed to plunge into material rather than making perfect threads, these tools are best for tapping through holes rather than blind tapping, which is threading holes that end within the material. In the case of blind tapping, the deepest threads in the hole are made with the part of the tool that is designed to plunge rather than thread. To complete these last areas as perfect threads, a secondary finishing tool is required and results in longer cycle times.

As general rule of thumb, it is best to employ tapping when you need to make a lot of holes with few variations in size.

Thread Milling: Advantages and Disadvantages

The primary advantage of thread milling is the ability to control the fit. A threaded hole is milled at a high RPM and the tool helixes into a previously-milled hole. So, the machine operator has the ability to adjust thread size using a strategy similar to using an end mill, rather than a drill bit to make a hole. This can be advantageous if there are tight tolerances on the thread sizes or if allowances need to be made for finishing such as painting.

Also, a single tool can be used in thread milling to make a wide range of hole sizes. This reduces both the cost of tooling and the amount of time associated with tool changes. Plus, a thread mill can create interior and exterior threads, right-hand and left-hand threads, as well as very large threaded holes (e.g. pipe threads). In the case of the latter, this eliminates the need to invest in a large rigid tap to thread big holes.

Furthermore, the thread mill gives the user the ability to design custom threads without having to invest in custom taps which can be very expensive and require long lead times. In the machining of very shallow blind threads in thin materials, the thread mill allows for maximum threads in a very short distance.

The one disadvantage of thread milling is you need to be equipped with a high-speed spindle in order to do it properly, such as the ones found in our line of high-speed milling machines with spindle speeds up 60,000 RPM.

The Bottom Line
If you need more flexibility, have a range of thread sizes and types and require the ability to adjust thread fits, thread milling is the best choice. If speed is your requirement, then rigid tapping is what you need.

DATRON offers a complete line of thread mills for various thread size ranges. We also offer a combination-style thread mill that machines the hole and the threads it in a single pass, eliminating the need to machine the hole with a drill or mill first, change tools, and then thread the hole as a secondary step. This saves time and associated tool costs.

What makes CNC machines so accurate and versatile?

This question must have crossed your mind if you’re looking to fabricate your parts using CNC machines. Without a doubt, the computerized nature of computer numeric control (CNC) machining plays a significant role in the machine’s accuracy. But what really makes CNC machines so versatile is the near-endless options you’ve got with cutting tools.

This article presents nine different types of tools used in CNC machines and their functions. Understanding these tools’ functions is an important step you need to take before doing business with any CNC machine shop.

Types of CNC Cutting Tools (With Illustrations)

#1 Drill Bits

Drill bits have a conical cutting point and a shaft with one or more flutes-the helical grooves that run down the exterior of the tool.

Drill Bit

CNC machining drill bits typically come in three varieties-center, twist, and ejector drills- with each type having different important functions.

You should use center drill bits to precisely create small spots on the workpiece, which can then be drilled properly using a twist drill. In contrast, ejector drills are better suited for deep hole drilling.

#2 End Mill

End mills are similar to drill bits but are much more versatile in the operations they perform. They typically have up to eight sharp flutes on their ends and sides, allowing them to remove large amounts of materials within a short period. An end mill should be your go-to tool if you want to cut straight down into a material without requiring a pre-drilled hole (or spot).

End Mill

End mills come in many varieties, with the roughing end mill type being the most common. Roughing end mills have up to eight flutes, just like the regular end mills. However, the flutes in the roughing end mills are serrated, allowing you to remove larger amounts of materials compared to the regular end mills.

Roughing End Mill

#3 Face Mill

More often than not, the starting material (or workpiece) used in CNC milling machines requires some sort of preparation before you can perform major milling operations.

Face mills are specialty cutting tools that allow you to make flat sections of the workpiece before detailed cutting operations are carried out. This tool features a solid body with multiple interchangeable cutter inserts that can be swapped as needed.

Face Mill

You might want to consider using a “side and face cutter” for more demanding complex operations. For instance, side and face cutters allow you to cut a groove or slot in a workpiece while also cutting the sidewalls of the workpiece.

Side and Face Cutter

#4 Reamers

Let’s say you need to create a 1/2” hole in a workpiece. You can proceed to use a 1/2” drill bit, right? Wrong! Do this, and you can expect to have an oversized hole when you’re done drilling your workpiece.

An ideal way to create this hole is to start with a smaller drill bit, say 31/64”, before widening the hole to 1/2” using a reamer. Reamers allow you to expand the size of existing holes while achieving dimensional accuracy and tight tolerances.

Reamers

#5 Gear Cutters

As the name suggests, gear cutters are used to make gears for manufacturing industries. You can use it to fabricate a wide variety of gears, including spur, bevel, worm, screw, and helical gears.

Gear Cutter

#6 Hollow Mill

Hollow mills are pipe-shaped cutting tools with three or more cutting edges that enclose and revolve around a cylindrical workpiece. This cutting tool allows you to create a consistent pre-thread diameter quickly and efficiently. You can also use them in drill press work for finishing projections that must be in a given position.

Hollow Mill

#7 Thread Mill

As the name suggests, thread mills are CNC cutting tools used for cutting threads. They are similar to taps in the purpose they serve. But unlike taps that cut only internal threads, CNC machines fitted with thread mills can cut both internal and external threads.

You should opt for thread mills if you’re looking to penetrate hard metals or asymmetrical parts.

Thread Mill

#8 Slab Mill

Slab mills, also known as slab cutters or plain mills, are used to cut flat surfaces. These cutters typically only have teeth on their periphery and are ideal for creating wide and narrow cuts quickly.

Slab Mill

#9 Fly Cutter

Fly cutters are single-point rotary tools that make broad or shallow cuts and produce a smooth surface finish. Compared to most face mills, fly cutters are inexpensive and offer a better surface finish. It should be your go-to tool for plane surfacing operations.

Fly cutter

Now let’s take a look at some of the materials used to make these tools.

Some Materials Used in CNC Machines’ Cutting Tools

Carbon Steel

Carbon steel is a steel alloy containing up to 1% carbon and up to 1.6% manganese by weight. Cutting tools made of carbon steel are quite affordable and offer high machinability. They are ideal for low-speed CNC machining of soft metals like aluminum, brass, and magnesium (Related Post: CNC Machining Magnesium: What are the Safety Concerns?).

High-Speed Steel

High-speed steel is just carbon steel alloyed with additional materials like molybdenum, tungsten, chromium, cobalt, and vanadium. These alloying elements give HSS its high temperature and abrasion resistance and durability.

Cutting tools made of high-speed steel are ideal for continuous high-speed cutting. You can use them to cut both ferrous and nonferrous metals.

Carbide

Carbide is composed of a combination of carbon and tungsten. Cutting tools made of carbide are generally resistant to heat, rust, and scratches. In fact, they last much longer than steel cutting tools in extreme conditions.

Ceramic

Cutting tools made of ceramic offer heat and corrosion resistance. They are also chemically stable since ceramic doesn’t react with most metals that may be used as workpieces.

Ceramic cutting tools have high cutting efficiency and are ideal for high-speed semi- and final finishing of hard steels, cast iron, and superalloys.

Deciding What Types of CNC Cutting Tools to Use: Gensun Can Help

While this article provides valuable information about different types of tools used in CNC machines, there still exist many other factors you need to consider before determining the right tools for your job.

As we always tell our customers, the right choice will depend on the geometric complexity of your design, choice of material, surface finish, and acceptable tolerance range, among others. Sometimes, a single cutting tool will suffice; other times, you might have to rely on two or more cutting tools to create your parts.

Reach out and tell us about your project, so we can help you determine which cutting tools are ideal for your project and walk you through our high-quality manufacturing process.

The Future of Fashion: How Artificial Intelligence is Revolutionizing the Industry

In recent years, the fashion industry has witnessed a significant transformation, thanks to the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This cutting-edge technology is not just a buzzword; it’s a game-changer that is reshaping how fashion brands design, produce, and market their products.

What is Artificial Intelligence in Fashion?

Artificial Intelligence refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans. In the context of fashion, AI is being used to analyze trends, predict consumer behavior, and even create designs. The possibilities are endless, and the impact is profound.

How AI is Changing the Fashion Landscape

One of the most exciting applications of AI in fashion is in the realm of design. Traditionally, fashion designers would spend countless hours sketching and prototyping new designs. With AI, this process has been streamlined. AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data from social media, runway shows, and consumer preferences to generate design suggestions that are both innovative and marketable.

Another area where AI is making waves is in supply chain management. By leveraging AI, fashion brands can optimize their supply chains, reducing waste and improving efficiency. Predictive analytics powered by AI can forecast demand, helping brands to produce the right amount of inventory and avoid overproduction.

The Role of Style3D in AI-Driven Fashion

When it comes to AI in fashion, one company that stands out is Style3D. Style3D is at the forefront of integrating AI into the fashion design process. Their platform allows designers to create 3D garments that can be visualized and modified in real-time. This not only speeds up the design process but also allows for greater creativity and precision.

Style3D’s AI-driven tools enable designers to experiment with different fabrics, colors, and patterns without the need for physical prototypes. This not only reduces costs but also minimizes the environmental impact of fashion production. By using AI, Style3D is helping to create a more sustainable and efficient fashion industry.

Conclusion

The integration of Artificial Intelligence into the fashion industry is no longer a futuristic concept; it’s a reality that is transforming the way we think about fashion. From design to production, AI is enabling brands to be more innovative, efficient, and sustainable. As technology continues to evolve, the possibilities for AI in fashion are limitless. Companies like Style3D are leading the charge, proving that the future of fashion is not just about style, but also about intelligence.

As we move forward, it’s clear that AI will play an increasingly important role in the fashion industry. Whether you’re a designer, a retailer, or a consumer, the impact of AI is something that cannot be ignored. The future of fashion is here, and it’s powered by Artificial Intelligence.

The manufacturing process of machining is a versatile and effective means of cutting metal and plastic. It can create very fine details with tight tolerances, and it is highly cost-effective for making prototypes and small batches of parts.

However, machining doesn’t work equally well for all materials. Because the process uses a powerful rotating cutting tool to remove sections of the material, the material must be soft enough to allow the cutting tool to penetrate it — otherwise the tool itself will become damaged and the quality of the part will suffer. Too soft, however, and the material will deform in undesirable ways upon contact with the cutting tool, leading to warped and ineffective parts.

The ease with which a metal can be cut with a cutting tool is known as machinability. But since there are many factors that determine a metal’s machinability, the characteristic is difficult to quantity. This article goes over the basics of machinability: what it is, which materials are most machinable, how machinability can be increased, and how machinability is measured.

What is machinability?

Machinability is a measure of the ease or difficulty with which a material can be cut with a cutting tool. A material that can be cut using minimal power, without causing deformation of the surrounding areas, is more machinable than one that requires more effort and causes more deformation.

In practice, using materials with good machinability provides short-term and long-term benefits. In the short term, using machinable materials can lead to better parts with tight tolerances, minimal deformation, and a good surface finish. They can also be made more quickly than parts made from hard-to-machine materials. In the long term, use of machinable materials leads to reduced tool wear and longer tool life, ultimately saving money for machine shops.

So why don’t machinists only ever use the most machinable materials? The problem is that machinability often comes at the expense of material performance, and vice versa. Strong materials are typically harder to cut than weak materials, so engineers often need to make a tradeoff between machinability and performance.

The machinability of a given material is dependent on both the scientific physical properties of the material group (what elements it consists of) and the condition of the specific work material (how it has been made). The physical properties of a material are fixed, but the condition of a workpiece can vary greatly.

Physical properties include:

• Work hardening
• Thermal expansion
• Thermal conductivity
• Modulus of elasticity

Condition factors include:

• Microstructure
• Grain size
• Heat treatment
• Hardness
• Tensile strength

Machinable materials

Aluminum

One of the most suitable materials for machining, aluminum is relatively inexpensive and manufactured in a number of common alloys. 6061 is the standard workhorse grade for machining, although less common alloys like aluminum 2011 and 8280 are even more machinable, producing very small chips and an excellent surface finish.

Steel

Steels are typically harder to machine than aluminum alloys, but grades with a moderate carbon content like 303 stainless steel are the most machinable (too much carbon makes the steel too hard; too little and it becomes gummy). Using lead as an additive can make steel more machinable, improving chip clearance. Sulfur can also increase the machinability of steel.

Other metals

Other machinable metals include various brass alloys, which are fairly soft but have good tensile strength. Similarly, copper has a good level of machinability along with characteristics like electrical conductivity.

Plastics

Thermoplastics can be difficult to machine, as the heat generated by the cutting tool can cause the plastic to melt and stick to the tool. With that in mind, some of the best machining plastics include ABS, nylon, acrylic, and Delrin. 

Improving machinability of materials

Although metals have fixed physical properties, the condition of a workpiece can be altered to make it more machinable. Additives can also be introduced to alloys to improve machinability.

• Additives: One way to improve the machinability of a given material is to incorporate elements of other materials that will make it more amenable to cutting. When machining steel, for example, the addition of lead and sulphur can make the workpiece easier to cut.
• Heat treatment: Metals often undergo heating and cooling to alter their properties, and heat treatment can reduce the hardness of a metal to make it easier to machine. The annealing of nickel-based alloys, for instance, can lead to improved machinability.
• External factors: Machining can be made easier without actually changing the workpiece material. For example, adjusting the cutting tool material, cutting speed, cutting angle, operating conditions, and other parameters can make it easier to cut through a hard-to-machine material.

How machinability is measured

Because so many different factors affect the machinability of a material, machinability can be considered a vague concept that is hard to quantify.

However, engineers and material scientists have attempted to measure machinability via metrics like power consumption (how much energy is required to cut the material), cutting tool life (how quickly the tool wears out when cutting the material), and surface finish (resulting smoothness of the cut material).

• Power consumption: Machinability can be assessed by the forces needed to cut through the material, measured using standard energy metrics.
• Cutting tool life: Machinability can be assessed by timing how long a tool lasts when it cuts through a given material.
• Surface finish: Machinability can be assessed by noting the degree of built-up edge produced during machining; highly machinable materials do not produce a build-up edge.

Unfortunately, none of these methods is fully reliable, as independent factors can affect power consumption, cutting tool wear, and surface finish.

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has also created a machinability rating system based on turning tests. These ratings, expressed as a percentage, are relative to the machinability of 160 Brinell B1112 steel (picked arbitrarily), which has a machinability rating of 100%. Metals with a higher level of machinability than B1112 have a rating above 100%, while those with worse machinability have a rating below 100%.

3ERP is a provider of CNC machining services and parts that can help you choose a machinable metal for your next project. Contact us for a free quote.

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