Materials & Raw Stock

Choosing the right cast aluminum and aluminum alloys from among the hundreds of different grades and the many tempers in each grade requires understanding of the materials' designation system to know their compositions, tempers and properties.

Advanced ceramics' properties make them suitable materials for medical instruments and implants, as well as for parts in medical devices. Making ceramic parts, however, requires manufacturing techniques similar to those used to make P/M parts and may require applying diamond-impregnated tools and wheels.

Tungsten-carbide grades to use in tools for different applications.

Interrupted turning is common in aero-engine machining, said Sean Holt, aerospace specialist for Sandvik Coromant Co., Fair Lawn, N.J. There, a complete, finished component is machined out of a single, large block of material (most commonly Inconel 718) in several process stages that involve accurately removing a vast amount of material to meet strict parameters for the finished part's dimensions and characteristics. Sandvik Coromant claims to have cutting tools and machining methods that greatly improve aerospace component manufacturing.

Knowing the aluminum alloy grades allows shops to maximize productivity.

Tool material and other requirements for effective drilling of composites.

Machining titanium-composite stacks requires patience and perseverance.

When it comes to composite materials, 'simple countersinking' isn't so simple.

Titanium aluminides hold potential as a parts material for the aerospace industry.

Considerations when machining gray and ductile cast iron with carbide, PCBN and PCD cutting tools.

Analyze the workpiece material to increase productivity.

Router tools designed for machining mechanical plastics provide an opportunity to maximize productivity.