CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMON MATERIALS

• Very soft steel (type A36) :
  It is not the easiest to machine, contrary to appareances, it is often irregular, and the chip tends to stick, it is necessary to use tools with shap edges.

• Mild and mid-hard steel :
  easist to machine.

• Stainless steel :
  They combine several unfavorable characteristics since they are at the same time ductile, abrasive and bad heat conductors. On thus needs tools for sharp edges and an important backing off which wears quickly.


• Strongly alloyed steels :
  Often abrasive and with strong machanical resistance, they generally require specialized tools

• Light alloys :
  The principal problem comes from the chip evacuation, which is particularly long and sticking, their ductibility also imposes also sharp edges on the tools.

• Irons and cast irons:
  very short chips (almost dust), therefore no evacuation problem, but the abrasive material requires a superficial treatment of the tool (nitriding).