Titanium is one of the essential metallic elements in the periodic table while being one of the lightest. Due to titanium's inherent hardness, machining the material is difficult. It possesses metallurgical and material features that make it more difficult to process than other metals, such as cast iron and stainless steel, affecting the cutting action more severely.

Concerns Regarding Titanium

Titanium alloy is only slightly stronger than steel when they have the same hardness, but it's a lot harder to process titanium alloy than it is to process steel. 

Workholding

Although titanium has more desirable material qualities than steel, it also has a more flexible behavior and is not as rigid as other metals. This necessitates a firm grasp on titanium workpieces and the most rigid machine configuration feasible.

Avoiding interrupted cuts and maintaining the tool in motion at all times when it comes into contact with the workpiece are also important factors. Stopping a tool near a profiled wall or staying in a drilled hole may cause it to rub, generating excessive heat, work-hardening the material, and premature tool wear.

Production of Heat

Heat is a dangerous foe and must be considered when choosing speeds and feeds. While commercially pure titanium is softer and gummier than most of its alloys, the inclusion of alloying elements usually increases titanium's hardness. 

This raises concerns about the amount of heat generated and tool wear. Maintaining a greater chip load and minimizing excessive rubbing improves tool performance in tougher titanium alloys and reduces work hardening. 

Compared to higher speed choices, choosing a lower RPM and a bigger chip load can result in a substantial reduction in temperature. Keeping temperatures low will put less stress on the tool and prevent wear due to its low conduction qualities. Using a coolant with a high-pressure coolant can help limit heat generation. 

Galling and a Built-Up Edge

The second stumbling block is that titanium tends to stick to a cutting tool, resulting in a built-up edge. This difficult problem can be mitigated by spraying massive volumes of high-pressure coolant directly onto the cutting surface. To avoid chip re-cutting, remove chips as soon as possible and keep the flutes clean and clear of debris. Due to their "gummy" nature, galling is a major concern in economically pure titanium grades. 

This can be solved by employing the previously indicated solutions, such as maintaining feed when the workpiece is in touch with the coolant and using sufficient high-pressure coolant.

Titanium Alternative Solutions

While the main challenges when machining titanium and its alloys may change, the methods for addressing them are rather consistent. The essential ideas are to avoid galling, heat generation, work hardening, and workpiece or tool deflection. Utilize a lot of coolant at high pressure, reduce speeds and feeds, keep the tool moving when it comes into contact with the workpiece, and use a setup that is as stiff as possible.

Additionally, choosing the right tool coating might aid your project's success. Because of the considerable heat created during titanium machining processes, having a coating that can withstand the heat is critical to preserving performance throughout the process. 

The right coating will also aid in preventing galling and effectively evacuating chips. At high temperatures, coatings like Aluminum Titanium Nitride (AlTiN Nano) form an oxide layer, which improves tool lubricity. 

Solutions for Tooling

Titanium alloys and titanium are growing in popularity in numerous fields, and more machinists will be required to cut them. A successful run is possible when heat management and proper chip evacuation are combined with the right coating.

We provide optimized tools for high-efficiency milling (HEM) in titanium and related alloys, resulting in longer tool life, quicker rates, and feeds. The Machinability of Titanium with SCTools is the cost-effective tool you need to help your business improve quality, streamline efficiency, and reduce costs.

If you have any questions about carbide cutting tools, end mills, drills, etc. be sure to reach out to us @ sctools.co/Home or call us at (877)737-0987. We help you machine better!