General Information for Material Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5)
| Material Group |
S - Superalloys (Heat resistant and Titanium) |
| Sub-Group |
Titanium alloy |
| Hardness |
32.0 HRC |
| Tensile Strength |
1130 [N/mm^2] |
| Machinability Range |
20% |
MACHINABILITY OF Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5) MATERIAL
Titanium Ti-6Al-4V (ASTM Grade 5) is an alpha-beta titanium alloy with 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium. It has a hardness of 32 HRC and a machinability rating of 20%. It is the most widely used titanium alloy due to its excellent strength-to-weight ratio and superb corrosion resistance. About 70% of all the titanium usage in the industry is of Ti6Al4V (or its sub-grades)
Primary uses of Ti-6Al-4V (ASTM Grade 5):
Medical implants and prostheses.
Structural aerospace components.
Jet engine parts (in the cold section of the engine).
Marine and chemistry parts.
Machining Titanium Ti-6Al-4V is challenging because:
Very low heat conductivity leads to quick over-heating of the cutting edge.
High hardness of 32 HRC leads to premature wear.
Best practices for Machining Titanium Ti-6Al-4V:
Make sure your coolant is pointed to the cutting edge, and use a coolant pump
with high flow and pressure rates.
Medium and Roughing: Use a cutting edge with aggressive rake angles and high relief angles to avoid tearing or smearing the titanium workpiece material, preferably ground and with a small honing size.
Finish operations: Use ground inserts/tools with sharp cutting edges and minimal honing size.
Supper-finish operations: Consider using cutting tools designed for aluminum (very sharp, polished, and without honing).
SUMMARY:
Use inserts/tools with a very hard substrate and a very thin coating layer or uncoated inserts.
For detailed carbide grades recommendations, check the table below.
Recommended cutting speed range for turning at stable conditions is 230 - 300 [SFM] / 70 - 90 [m/min].
Recommended cutting speed range for milling with stable clamping and short overhang is 160 - 230 [SFM] / 50 - 70 [m/min].
For detailed cutting speed recommendations, check the table below.
Equivalent International Designations for Material Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5)
| Standard |
Name |
| SAE |
4906, 4920, 4928, |
| DIN |
TiAl6V4 |
| BS |
TA10 TA11 TA12 |
| UNS |
UNS R56400 |
| ANFOR |
T.A6V;AIR:9183 |
| JS1 |
TC4 |
Chemical Composition for Material Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5)
| Element |
Amount |
| Aluminum (Al) |
5.5-6.75% |
| Vanadium (V) |
3.5-4.5% |
| Iron (Fe) |
0.3% |
| Carbon (C) |
0.1% |
Cutting Speeds Recomendations for Material Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5)
| Application |
Vc (m/min) |
Vc (SFM) |
| Turning |
70-90 |
230-300 |
| Milling |
50-70 |
160-230 |
| Parting |
45-60 |
150-200 |
| Grooving |
60-80 |
200-260 |
| Drilling |
60-80 |
200-260 |
Important! The speed estimation is given for an ideal situation:
- Most suitable carbide grade
- Stable tool clamping
- Stable workpiece clamping
- Good quality raw material
- A short overhang of the cutting tool.
- Nominal hardness of the material.
- etc.
Recommended Carbide Grades for Material Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5)
Grade for Milling (Indexable)
Recommended Insert Cutting Edge Geometry for Material Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5)
| Honing Size |
0.02-0.05 mm / 0.001-0.002" |
| Rake Angle |
13° -18° |
| Land Angle |
Neutral |
| Land Width |
0.10-0.20 mm / 0.004-0.008" |
| Ground Insert |
Recommended |
