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.
Do you source the material?
Yes, as a rule we source the stock. Works certificate 2.2 is standard, the inspection certificate 3.1 per EN 10204 can be added to the quote. Customer supplied material is possible, in that case we need the certificates from you.
Do you machine materials that are not listed here?
Yes. The list shows what runs here regularly. 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 it suits our machines.
Material settled?
Send a drawing or STEP file with the material you want. We check feasibility and availability and quote within 24 hours.
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