One of the most common types of material used in applications from aerospace parts and components to automobile parts and even tools is stainless steel. However, the specific grade of stainless steel, as well as the complexity of the shape desired, can make this material very difficult to work with as far as machining is concerned.
In many ways, stainless steel machining is an art and a science. It takes experience in working with different grades of stainless and different machining systems to develop real-world expertise to be able to effectively shape this type of steel.
The difficulty of working with the various grades of stainless steel is just one factor. Incorrect settings on the system that can include anything from spindle speed to the feed rate can have a significant impact on the final quality of the machining work. Trying to rush production always results in lower quality with precision machining of any material, but it is particularly problematic with stainless steel.
Precision Machining of Stainless Steel
In all types of precision stainless steel machining, CNC machining center or systems are used in the best shops. These systems allow for precision movement of the cutting tool, creating a repeated shape to the specified tolerances for the customer or within the industry.
While the control of the CNC stainless steel machining centers provides the precision operation, the machinist still needs to correctly configure the operation of the equipment. Incorrect speed, rotation, and feed of the workpiece result in early wear of the cutting tool, and a lack of precision in the cutting ability, even with CNC systems.
For this reason, always find out the level of experience the CNC machining shop has in working with stainless steel. Ask about their past projects in your industry, and if they use quality control processes throughout their production and operations.
