03/04/2026
CNC Machining: Good Machinability vs Poor Machinability
Let's understand good and poor machinability with respect to the CNC machining:
Cutting Force
For material with good machinability, like Al, lower cutting forces are used compared to a material with poor machinability, like Tungsten.
Tool Wear
Tool wear is high in the case of materials with poor machinability, like Ni-based alloys, because of their hardness.
Chip Formation
Chip morphology is different for materials with good and poor machinability. Segmented or discontinued chips are produced in the case of high machinability, and vice versa.
Surface Finish
Due to ease of machining, materials with good machinability produce a smooth surface finish easily compared to materials with low machinability.
Cutting Speed
The materials with good machinability allow higher cutting speed, while the materials that are difficult to machine can only allow lower cutting speed to maintain the life of cutting tools.
easy to machine vs difficult to machine
Machining Requirements
Standard CNC tools can be easily used for materials with good machinability, while materials with poor machinability require specialized tools for machining.
Not all metals are created equal. Some "cheap" materials are so tough on tools that they end up costing you MORE in machining time. At Tuofa CNC Machining, we want to help you design smarter. ๐ ๏ธโจ
Our latest guide breaks down:
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Machinability ratings for Steel, Aluminum, & Titanium.
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Factors that affect tool life.
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How to pick the "sweet spot" between performance and price. ๐๐ค
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๐ https://www.tuofa-cncmachining.com/tuofa-blog/understanding-machinability-of-materials.html
Machinability of the materials is an extrinsic property that varies from material to material. There are certain parameters that make machinability good or bad, for instance, the chemical composition.
