Material Selector
Enter your requirements, get matching materials. Including what the choice will cost you in machining time.
Sets the ranking, not the selection.
All values are typical figures for the usual delivery condition. Rm varies with heat treatment, semi-finished form and dimension. The supplier data sheet governs your design calculation. The selector narrows the field, it does not replace the calculation.
All materials compared
The complete list, sorted by group. Machinability and corrosion resistance on a scale of one to five, each meant relative to the others.
| Material | Number | Rm | Density (g/cm³) | Max temp. | Machinability | Corrosion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium | ||||||
| EN AW-6060 | 3.3206 / AlMgSi0,5 | 215 | 2.70 | 150 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| EN AW-6082 | 3.2315 / AlSi1MgMn | 310 | 2.70 | 150 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| EN AW-7075 | 3.4365 / AlZnMgCu1,5 | 540 | 2.80 | 120 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| EN AW-5083 | 3.3547 / AlMg4,5Mn | 290 | 2.66 | 80 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| EN AW-2007 | 3.1645 / AlCuMgPb | 370 | 2.85 | 100 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Steel | ||||||
| S235JR | 1.0038 | 360 | 7.85 | 300 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| 11SMn30 | 1.0715 | 460 | 7.85 | 300 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| C45 | 1.0503 | 620 | 7.85 | 400 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| 16MnCr5 | 1.7131 | 800 | 7.85 | 400 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| 42CrMo4 | 1.7225 | 1000 | 7.85 | 500 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Stainless | ||||||
| 1.4301 | X5CrNi18-10 / V2A | 540 | 7.90 | 550 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| 1.4305 | X8CrNiS18-9 | 520 | 7.90 | 400 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| 1.4404 | X2CrNiMo17-12-2 / V4A | 520 | 8.00 | 550 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| 1.4571 | X6CrNiMoTi17-12-2 | 540 | 8.00 | 600 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| 1.4462 | Duplex X2CrNiMoN22-5-3 | 700 | 7.80 | 250 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Copper alloys | ||||||
| CuZn39Pb3 | 2.0401 / Ms58 | 440 | 8.47 | 200 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| CuSn8 | 2.1030 / Zinnbronze | 470 | 8.80 | 250 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Cu-ETP | 2.0065 / E-Kupfer | 250 | 8.90 | 200 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Titanium | ||||||
| Titan Grade 2 | 3.7035 | 400 | 4.51 | 300 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Ti-6Al-4V | 3.7165 / Grade 5 | 900 | 4.43 | 400 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Plastics | ||||||
| POM-C | Polyoxymethylen | 65 | 1.41 | 100 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| PA6 | Polyamid 6 | 80 | 1.14 | 100 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| PEEK | Polyetheretherketon | 100 | 1.31 | 250 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| PTFE | Polytetrafluorethylen | 28 | 2.17 | 260 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| PE-HD | Polyethylen hoher Dichte | 28 | 0.95 | 80 | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
How material choice drives the price
For machined parts the material price is rarely the driving cost. Machine time is. A part in 11SMn30 and the same part in 1.4462 duplex may differ by a factor of three in raw material, but by a factor of five to eight in machining time.
That is not an argument against demanding materials. If you need chloride resistance, you need it. It is an argument for checking the requirement first: 1.4301 instead of 1.4404 when no chlorides are involved, or 1.4305 instead of 1.4301 when the part does not go near food, saves real money.
The reverse is also worth a look. 11SMn30 and CuZn39Pb3 run so fast that the higher material price over mild steel often pays for itself in the first batch of a production run.
From the shop floor: When a drawing just says "stainless" we ask. Between 1.4301, 1.4404 and 1.4305 there are substantial differences in resistance, machining time and price behind an identical look. One more line on the drawing saves a query and sometimes a quarter of the cost.
Frequently asked questions
Which material is cheapest to machine?
Free cutting grades: 11SMn30 in steel, CuZn39Pb3 in copper alloys, EN AW-2007 in aluminium and POM in plastics. They form short chips, spare the tooling and allow high cutting speeds. The trade off is usually limited weldability or corrosion resistance.
What is the difference between 1.4301 and 1.4404?
The molybdenum content. 1.4404 (316L) resists chlorides, which makes it the choice for seawater, chemical and food processing. 1.4301 (304) is enough for normal ambient conditions and costs less. In machining terms there is little between them, both work harden strongly.
When is aluminium worth it over steel?
When weight matters or a lot of material comes off. Aluminium weighs a third and machines three to five times faster. On parts with a high removal rate the aluminium part is often cheaper than the steel one despite the higher price per kilo.
Which plastic for food contact?
POM-C, PA6, PE-HD, PTFE and PEEK are available in food compliant grades. Look for the declaration of conformity from the semi-finished stock supplier, the material group alone is not proof.
Who sources the material?
As a rule the partner shop sources the stock. A 2.2 works certificate is usual; if you need a 3.1 inspection certificate per EN 10204, state it in your enquiry so it is part of the quote. Customer supplied material is agreed directly with the partner shop, which then needs the certificates from you.
Can materials not listed here be machined?
Yes. The list shows common machining materials. Inconel, Hastelloy, hardened steels above 45 HRC and specialty plastics we assess case by case. Send the requirement and we will tell you honestly whether we can find a suitable partner shop.
Software for manufacturers
We built these calculators ourselves. For companies we develop Agentority, an AI that runs on your own server and works with your ERP, inbox and warehouse. It drafts quotes from customer emails, flags delivery delays and books in delivery notes from a photo.
Material settled?
Send a drawing or STEP file. We review the enquiry and pass it on to a vetted partner shop. We will get back to you within 24 hours.
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