When it comes to machinability, titanium alloys can leave a lot to desire. However, the other properties it offers make it the best option for many applications. That means people need to find a way to machine it effectively. The best thing to do is call on experts who know what it takes to be successful with titanium alloy machining. Brindley Metals can help you to find the right team to do this job.
What is the issue?
There are a number of things that make titanium alloys tricky to machine. Firstly, is the fact that the metals suffer from work hardening. This alone can cause a lot of challenges. However, when you combine it with the level of springback and likelihood of chatter, it presents even bigger challenges.
Another big problem with titanium is the alloys tend to struggle with stickiness. What this means is the chips tend to be hot, long and continuous rather than smaller pieces. During drilling and turning this kind of chip can easily interfere with the tooling. In turn that could ruin the product. As a result closer monitoring is usually necessary.
How to overcome the problems?
If anyone wants to be successful with titanium alloy machining they need to find ways to manage heat generation and protect the tooling. They also have to tackle the issue with work hardening.
One way to address the heat problem is to choose the right tooling. Tools with a carbide coating can really help with this. They are also very useful because they break up the chips into smaller pieces so there is less risk of clogging.
High pressure coolant is vital here too. It can reduce heat, flush chips from the work area, and help preserve the tooling so it lasts longer.
In some cases you will need to change the whole machining technique when you are working with titanium. For example you will likely need to keep the contact time of the tool lower. You may also need to use climb milling rather than radial movements.
Help with titanium alloy machining
The core of our service at Brindley Metals is supplying high quality metal products. This includes a huge array of alloys of different materials. In terms of titanium we can offer Grades 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 12. This covers almost the whole range of alloys.
In addition to supplying the metals, we can offer several useful services. This can include a number of options for processing. We provide some of these ourselves and call on reliable third parties for others. One of these we can organise is titanium alloy machining. Clients can ask us to create all kinds of products, from large parts to small, intricate components.
So, if you want high quality metals and first rate services, work with us.