Craftsman Cribsheet No. 137: ISO Material Groups: Nonferrous
Interpreting the machinability of nonferrous materials.
Nonferrous is such a large group that each one of these could be their own cribsheet. This list is a good starting point for understanding how to determine suitability for various applications. ISO Material Groups are what we use for identification of material we are cutting with carbide inserts. The aluminums listed below will also be broken down between hardenable and nonhardenable grades.
*Machinability is a percentage of 1212.
**Plastics mentioned in this article are measured on the Shore D scale not HB.
Source: PMPA
Find a grade specific material in a reference manual to get surface feet per minute (sfm) with high strength steel (HSS). Multiply the HSS number by 2 – 2.5 and it will provide a reference point for what sfm you should use with carbide. The sfm guidelines given based on material groups above can vary widely, which can be seen in the machinability range.
About the Author
David Wynn
David Wynn, MBA, is the PMPA director of technical services. He has over 20 years of experience in the areas of manufacturing, quality, ownership, IT and economics.
Email: dwynn@pmpa.org — Website: pmpa.org.
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