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CNC Machined Steel Parts
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steel fabrication
Steel is an iron alloy containing about 1% carbon. To improve its properties, small amounts of other alloying elements such as chromium and molybdenum can be added. Due to its excellent machinability and weldability, steel is an ideal choice concerning low costs and high functionality. However, it will oxidize over time, so a surface treatment is required to protect it.
At HRC Metal, we have highly skilled experts who can deal with all your steel CNC machining matters. We can guarantee the accuracy, affordability, and quality of your project components. Specifically, we are capable to process your steel parts with our CNC milling, turning, grinding, EDM, and wire EDM.
Custom Machined Steel Parts
HRC Metal has been machining steel parts for over 17 years. Anything from screws and shafts, to brackets and mounts, and even custom steel parts. Our experienced and highly trained machinists have spent years innovating high speed machining methods with their cnc machines, and coming up with completely new variants for machining processes to give you the best quality steel part possible. With cutting edge solutions, top notch machine tools, and expert swiss screw services, HRC Metal is your go to choice for steel machining!
Benefits & Challenges of CNC Steel Parts
In order to produce reliable results every time, properly machining steel parts requires a lot of experience and skill. Although it is a challenge to process steel, the benefit you enjoy from CNC machining on steel is more distinct from its difficulty.
Benefits
When it comes to steel alloys available on the market, you will find a large number of steel alloys with good machinability. This means the metal is easily cut or shaped to give a decent result. Factors including hardness, energy, shear stress, and horsepower are closely related to the machinability of CNC machining of steel.
Another benefit of CNC steel machining of mechanical parts comes with its excellent corrosion and wear tolerance. Moreover, CNC machined steel parts are usually available for many surface finishes.
Challenges
When machining steel parts with CNC, there are some challenges and factors to consider despite the benefits mentioned above. First, not all steel parts can be easily machined. As such, this means that certain steel grades may be difficult to use for projects with complex geometries.
In addition, steel grades have different thermal sensitivities. CNC machining may not suitable for some steel grades since during this process they may melt and become deformed when being greatly exposed to heat.
Steel Material Grades Available with Us
Steel is one of the most common manufacturing materials, used in every major industry from automotive to construction. It’s a versatile and cost-effective material full of excellent features. However, choosing the material to use, in this case steel, is only the first step. You also have to choose from different grades. The properties of each steel grade determine their respective uses in specific machining projects. Part of the most common steel grades we offer in CNC machining is as followed:
│Steel 1018
Commonly referred to as mild steel, 1018 steel is very easy to forge, weld, form, and hot work, which makes it beneficial for products that require severe bending or other delicate features. Therefore, it is often used in applications such as spindles, rods, shafts, or pins. It is also well suited for case hardening processes such as carburizing.
│Steel 4130
This type is generally recognized as alloy steel due to its increased content of alloying elements compared to normal mild steel. It is a particularly tough steel that is relatively easy to heat treat and highly machinable. 4130 steel is very suitable for the majority of the heat treatment processes. Applications include drills, taps, and aircraft engine mountings.
│Steel 4140
4140 steel, low alloy steel, very similar to 4130 but with additional carbon content. This chemical composition enhances the toughness, strength, and ductility of this steel grade. Also, the extra chromium makes this grade more corrosion-resistant. Applications include thin-walled pressure vessels, high-strength bolts, and spindles.
│Steel 1045
Considered medium carbon steel, 1045 steel consists of carbon, iron, silicon, manganese, and sulfur or phosphorus. Its high strength and toughness justify its use in many CNC steel machining projects where water resistance is critical.
│D2 Tool Steel
Great wear and abrasion resistance and
known for its hardness.Typically used for long-run dies and blanking, as well as shear blades and gauges.
│Steel 4340
This grade of steel is a low-alloy and high-strength metal. 4340 steel is often used in typical applications such as shafts, gears, and other structural components.
CNC Machining of Steel FAQs
Can steel be CNC machined?
While CNC machining processes can manufacture high-quality and precise parts from a wide variety of materials, those that are poorly machinable tend to create results that are not as ideal as wanted. You will find that there are a large number of steel alloys with good machinability when it comes to the wide variety of steel alloys on the market.
Which tool steel is easiest to machine?
W1 Tool Steel
W1 is shallow hardened and has great toughness, making it one of the easiest grades to grind and machine. Due to its high carbon composition, it can usually be used without being further heat treated.
How do you soften steel for machining?
- Place the steel in a forge or heat treatment furnace.
- Slowly increase the temperature of the steel to meet in a specific austenite region.
- Hold for 30 minutes at the specified austenite temperature.
- Slowly reduce the temperature of the steel – how much depends on the grade of the steel.
What grade of steel is best for machining?
Ferritic Stainless Steel – Regarded as the best grade of stainless steel for ease of machining. Ferritic stainless steel includes grade 400. These stainless steels are easy to machine and also have high thermal conductivity and good corrosion resistance.
How can I reduce the cost of steel CNC machining parts?
Steel is one of the most affordable materials suitable for CNC machining. However, care should be taken to avoid unnecessary machining costs. Here are some cost-saving design tips.
- Material selection
While it may seem cheap, it is important to choose the best steel for your specific application. Using high-strength alloy steel that has the same function as mild steel will only increase the cost without any additional benefit. - Parts setup
Designing a part to reduce the number of machining setups can greatly lower manufacturing costs. It’s a truth when machining cheap materials, as any cost savings on the material can quickly be offset by expensive setups.
- Material selection
What's the difference between CNC steel machining and CNC aluminum machining?
Steel and aluminum are two common and compatible metals used in CNC machining. It’s a crucial concern to choose the right one well suited to your project between just these two. A comparison of the CNC steel machining and CNC aluminum machining is shown below:
Machinability
Machinability is affected by various factors, including the strength and hardness of the metal. In general, the harder a metal is, the less machinable it is. The same principle applies to aluminum as well.
Steel has a higher Brinell hardness range (80 and 600) than aluminum (around 15). Also, steel has higher tensile strength and yield strength than aluminum. Therefore, it can be concluded that steel has higher strength but lower machinability.
Speed
Since aluminum is lighter than steel, machinists can work on it faster. Similarly, aluminum cools faster than steel when heated. This means that when processing steel, the manufacturing cycle is longer.
Cost
In most cases, the decision between steel and aluminum boils down to a question of cost. This is, even more, the case when both materials are suitable for a specific project. While these metals come in different varieties and grades, CNC machining of steel generally costs more than aluminum.
What are the applications of CNC steel parts?
- CNC machined steel parts or components can be found in various industries for different applications today, including the electronics, automotive, and medical industry. Specifically, steel CNC machining plays an important role in producing vacuum pressure vessels, gears, and components for medical instruments and machinery.
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