MATERIAL EXPERTISE

When designing or processing any component, the right material choice plays a critical role in the performance, biocompatibility and longevity of the part. With machining experience, CNE has the capability to work with a wide range of material grades. This accumulated knowledge is invaluable when it comes to supporting your component requirements. With an applied understanding of material properties and machining characteristics we can select the proper tooling to reduce variability, maintain tolerances, extend tool life and control costs. This practical knowledge of how materials act during the machining process can also be applied to a robust Design for Manufacturability (DFM) process.

There are a number of material grade we commonly deals with:
Brass: When copper is primarily alloyed with zinc it is refereed to as brass. The zinc content can vary but it is typically kept under 15% to maintain corrosion resistance in the alloy. Lead is also added in smaller quantities to increase machinability. Brass is known to be strong, machinable, conductive and corrosion resistant.
Common brasses include: Free cutting brass, Gliding metal (red brass), Engraving Brass, Arsenical brass, High tensile brass

Bronze: When copper is primarily alloyed with tin, aluminium or sometimes silicon it is referred to as bronze. Known for high strength, ductility, thermal conduction, hardness, corrosion resistance and low friction properties, bronzes are commonly used in bearings, tools, coins, sculptures and musical instruments.
Common types of bronze: Aluminium bronze, Phosphor bronze, Nickel silver, Silicon bronze, copper nickel

High Copper Alloy: High copper alloys consist of materials containing a copper amount between 96%-99.3%. They maintain the high electrical and thermal conductivity due to the high copper contents but also gain properties of the alloying elements. High copper alloys are used more in casting and forming applications than they are in machining.
Common high copper alloys include: Cadmium coppers, Beryllium coppers, Chromium coppers, Zirconium copper, Chromium-zirconium copper

Steel: Steel is an alloy that contains an iron base which is combined with carbon and other elements. In theory, all steels are iron alloys but for classification purposes there are four groups that common steels fall into: Carbon Steels, Alloy Steels, Stainless Steels and Tool Steels.
Common types of steel: Mild/Low Carbon Steel, Medium Carbon Steel, High Carbon Steel, 300 Series – Austenitic Stainless Steels, 400 Series – Martensitic Stainless Steels, Duplex Stainless Steels, Precipitation Hardening Stainless Steels, Alloy Steel, High Carbon, High Chromium, Tool Steel, Oil Hardening Tool Steel,

Aluminium: Aluminium alloys offer a wide range of properties such as flexible, weldable, high strength, corrosion resistance and light weight.  Due to its low cost and formability, aluminium is often the first choice for prototyping and can be used in nearly any industry for a variety of applications. Depending on which elements are added to the aluminium, the resulting alloy can have many different strengths and weaknesses.
Common types of Aluminium: 2000 Series Aluminium, 3000 Series Aluminium, 5000 Series Aluminium, 6000 Series Aluminium

Plastic: We use nearly every type of machinable plastic. Different grades of plastic can be used in many industries. Common uses include prototypes, enclosures, brackets, panels and much more.
Common types of Plastics: Fiberglass, Industrial Laminates, Nylons, POM (Acetal), PVC, ABS, Teflon (PTFE), etc