CNC Machining of Transparent Materials

Alloy Steel

The workhorse for high-strength mechanical components. By adding elements like chromium and molybdenum, these steels achieve excellent hardness and toughness.

Common Grades: 4140, 4340 (Ideal for gears, shafts, fixtures, and high-stress applications).

Tool Steel

A class of ultra-hard, abrasion-resistant steels designed for extreme conditions. Machining them requires deep expertise.

Common Grades: A2, D2, S7, H13, P20 (Perfect for manufacturing molds, dies, and high-wear tooling).

Stainless Steel

Provides an excellent blend of strength, toughness, and superior corrosion resistance. Certain grades can be hardened to remarkable levels.

High-Strength Grades: 17-4 PH (precipitation-hardening), 440C (highest hardness stainless steel).

Titanium

The undisputed champion of the strength-to-weight ratio. Delivers the strength of steel at roughly half the weight, making it essential for aerospace and performance applications.

Common Grade: Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5).

High-Strength Aluminum

While known for being lightweight, certain aluminum alloys offer impressive strength, rivaling that of mild steel.

High-Strength Grade: 7075-T6 (One of the strongest aluminum alloys available, widely used for high-stress airframe structures).

PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone)

The strongest machinable plastic, offering incredible mechanical strength that can replace metal in many applications. It maintains its properties at high temperatures and in harsh chemical environments.

Common Grades: Unfilled, Glass-Filled, Carbon-Filled grades.

PA+GF30 (30% Glass-Filled Nylon)

A reinforced engineering plastic that provides significantly higher tensile strength and stiffness compared to standard nylon, making it suitable for structural applications under load.

PEI (Ultem)

A high-performance polymer offering a great combination of high strength, rigidity, and high temperature resistance, often used in aerospace and medical applications.