When you choose materials for applications, you need to think about a number of crucial things. Most importantly, you have to check the properties to ensure they will satisfy your needs. In addition, you should look at machining and the costs. This is especially vital if you choose titanium Grade 5 (6AL4V) plate/sheet. We want to take a closer look at this today to see why it can be problematic.
A popular alloy
Titanium is a fantastic material, available in a series of different grades. There are pure ones that feature only small amounts of other elements. Alternatively, there are alloys featuring additional elements to improve the characteristics. The most popular is 6AL4V. It is an alloy featuring aluminium and vanadium. This has excellent strength as well as fantastic resistance to heat and corrosion.
A lot of people refer to 6AL4V titanium as the ‘workhorse’ alloy. That is because it has so many different uses. For example, it is a great choice for aerospace, marine use, high stress industries, and the medical field.
Machining
One thing people need to keep in mind though is that titanium in general is tricky to machine. This is true for titanium Grade 5 (6AL4V) plate/sheet and other options. It can lead to massive extra costs. As a result, in some cases it is wise to only use it if high strength, low weight, and high resistance to corrosion and heat are necessary. If strength alone is the only factor, a stainless steel can be a more cost effective option.
The issue with machining titanium is it suffers from work hardening. As a result, it gets harder as you cut it. That can lead to heat building up, especially when you consider that the heat conductivity is quite poor. Therefore you can have major issues with tool wear. It can even cause micro welds and smearing.
What you need to do if you choose titanium and need to machine it is invest in quality tooling. You then need to work at low cutting speeds. The idea here is to minimise the rate of hardening and the heat build-up. If you choose poor quality tools or work too quickly, you will ruin the material.
Pockets
One of the trickiest machining tasks with titanium Grade 5 (6AL4V) plate/sheet is creating pockets. Whatever the size, shape, or depth, you need to be careful here. The chance of mistakes is very high.
The most important thing is to select the right tooling. Typically you should ensure the tools are no more than 70% of the pocket’s diameter. You need the clearance so you don’t get too much heat building up in the material and tool. In some cases, particularly with small pockets, you will have to use specialist tooling. It can be costly to create it. As a result, you may want to consider if you really need titanium.
Speak to us to order titanium Grade 5 (6AL4V) plate/sheet
Brindley Metals is one of the best suppliers in the UK if you want quality products. We also stand out thanks to our excellent level of customer service. Clients can come to us for advice about materials, help with machining, and more. We have some fantastic contacts too, so we can arrange professional solutions for various needs. This can include wire erosion cutting, milling, polishing, and more.
Whatever industry you are from or project you are considering, you can rely on us if you need metals. Get in touch today and let us know more about what you require. If you want titanium Grade 5 (6AL4V) plate/sheet, we can supply it. Or, if you are unsure about what material would provide the right mix of properties, we can advise you.