Titanium CNC Machined Parts

Grades we machine

We machine titanium parts in the two grades that cover most commercial work: Grade 2 and Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V), both part of our materials range. Grade 2 is commercially pure titanium, chosen for its corrosion behaviour and formability in marine, chemical and general hardware where strength is not the deciding factor. Grade 5 is the aluminium-vanadium alloy Ti-6Al-4V, the most widely specified titanium grade, chosen for its strength-to-weight behaviour in aerospace, medical and high-performance structural parts.

Grade 2 is the corrosion-and-formability end of the range. Because it is commercially pure rather than alloyed, it is specified where the part has to hold up in seawater or aggressive chemical environments and where the geometry benefits from a metal that forms and fabricates readily. Marine fittings, chemical-hardware parts and general corrosion-resistant components are its natural home, and it is the grade to reach for when corrosion behaviour matters more than outright strength.

Grade 5, or Ti-6Al-4V, is the strength-to-weight grade. Its aluminium and vanadium alloying gives it the combination of high strength and low density that makes titanium useful in demanding applications, and it is the grade behind most structural, aerospace and medical titanium parts. When a bracket, housing or fastener has to be strong and light at the same time, Grade 5 is the working assumption, and it is the grade we machine most often.

The choice between them follows from why titanium was specified at all. If the driver is weight — a part that must be light and strong — the drawing almost always points to Grade 5. If the driver is corrosion — a part that must survive seawater or chemicals — Grade 2 is the common call. In practice the grade on your drawing decides the route: Grade 2 cuts more freely, while Grade 5 is tougher and harder on tooling. We confirm the grade in DFM feedback and match speeds, feeds and tooling to it so both grades machine predictably to ±0.01 mm on precision features with ISO 2768-m as the general tolerance.

One honest point up front: titanium is rarely the cheap answer. Its place is where weight or corrosion justifies the price, not where unit cost is the deciding factor. When the drawing specifies titanium, there is usually a real reason behind it, and our job is to machine that grade cleanly and predictably rather than to steer you to a different metal.

Machining characteristics

Titanium machines differently from aluminium or steel. Its low thermal conductivity keeps heat at the cutting edge instead of carrying it away through the chip, so the tool runs hot and wears faster. We manage that with rigid setups, sharp tooling, controlled speeds and feeds, and appropriate coolant, and we plan the cut sequence so thin walls and deep pockets stay stable.

Titanium also work-hardens if the tool rubs instead of cutting, and the fine, hard chips it produces are abrasive on the tool. That is why the cutting data is kept conservative — slower speeds and controlled feed rates protect the edge — and why titanium parts take longer to machine than the same shape in aluminium or steel. Removal rates are lower because the cutting parameters are held back to protect the tool, not because the machine is the limit.

There is also a fire risk with fine titanium swarf, which can ignite if it is allowed to build up dry and hot at the cut. We keep chips controlled and cooled, avoid letting fine swarf accumulate, and handle titanium waste carefully as part of every job. Chip control and coolant are not optional extras on titanium; they are part of how the part is planned before machining starts.

All of these factors add up on cost: the material itself is more expensive than aluminium or steel, cycle times are longer, and tool wear is higher. These factors, not the geometry, are usually what push a titanium part’s unit price above the same shape in another metal. We keep the cost as low as the part allows by choosing the process route carefully — CNC milling for brackets, housings and pockets, and CNC turning for shafts, fittings and fasteners — within an 800 × 500 mm milling envelope.

Typical parts made from this material

Titanium is specified where weight, corrosion or both decide the material. Typical orders include:

• Aerospace brackets, housings and structural fittings where strength-to-weight matters.
• Medical device components machined from Grade 5 where the drawing calls for titanium.
• Marine hardware, fittings and fasteners where seawater corrosion rules out many other metals.
• General fasteners, shafts and housings where the drawing specifies titanium.

Grade 2 shafts and fittings are common where corrosion matters more than strength, while Grade 5 housings and brackets carry the structural side of the same assemblies. Threaded titanium fasteners are usually Grade 5 where the thread has to hold its form under load. Orders start from 50 pieces per style and material, samples from 1 piece, and a material certificate (MTR) ships with every batch. Send the drawing through request a quote and we will confirm the grade, the finish and the lead time in DFM feedback.

Surface finishes that pair well

Titanium parts are often left in the machined condition, but a finish adds colour, corrosion behaviour or wear resistance where the drawing calls for it. Titanium anodizing builds a coloured oxide layer, passivation cleans and conditions the surface, and PVD coatings such as titanium nitride add a hard, wear-resistant surface. Finishes are applied through our vetted partner network, managed under one quality process, and quoted with the same order.

Because finishing can change a thread or bore, we keep thickness and masking in mind for mating features. A colour anodize is often chosen for identification rather than protection, while passivation and PVD are specified where surface behaviour matters. For more options, see our surface finishes guide.