Top 3 Materials Our Shop Machined in Q1 2023
The Island Machine team works with a variety of materials. We decided to review our projects from the first quarter of 2023 to see which materials we most frequently machined.
Stainless steel, aluminum, and plastic were at the top of the list. Let’s explore how often we used these materials in our precision CNC machining services, the types of parts we created, and some of our proposed solutions for mitigating material sourcing challenges.
1. Stainless Steel
Our shop used stainless steel for nearly 75% of the parts we machined in Q1. This corrosion-resistant alloy—primarily composed of iron, chromium, and other elements—is known for its strength, durability, and aesthetic appeal. Standard finishing options for stainless steel parts include heat treatment, passivation, and chrome plating.
The most common type of stainless steel is 15-5. However, sourcing this material has been difficult since the beginning of the pandemic. Prices are high, lead times are long, and availability is limited. Even our vendor—a massive corporation with the best prices and inventory—has difficulty procuring 15-5 from mills.
Small diameter (less than 3”) round bars of 15-5 were particularly tough to find in Q1. Our aerospace machine shop needed these bars to provide a large aircraft company with small bolts and pins for a family of parts that are all heat treated.
Although we don’t usually buy extra materials, we’re considering purchasing a surplus of 15-5 when possible to prevent ongoing shortages from negatively impacting our customers.
2. Aluminum
Island Machine used aluminum for over 10% of the parts we machined in Q1. This lightweight and highly abundant metal is known for its excellent strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and conductivity. Aluminum parts are often anodized, hard anodized, or sent for primer and paint.
Unlike stainless steel, aluminum is much easier to source, and prices are relatively stable. The types of aluminum we used to provide precision CNC machining services during Q1 were 6061, 2024, and 7075.
When we receive a print that doesn’t specify a type of aluminum, we typically select 6061 because it’s inexpensive and easy to source. 2024 is an aerospace-specific aluminum that can be more difficult to procure. Aircraft grade 7075 can sometimes be challenging to source.
3. Plastic
Our team used plastic for less than 10% of the parts we machined in Q1.
Currently, there aren’t any availability issues with plastic, though some types have been hard to find in recent years. We make small aerospace parts out of plastic, particularly Delrin (acetal), PEEK, and nylon. Sometimes, the nylon is glass filled, which makes the material stronger and heavier than standard nylon.
We perform precision CNC machining services on raw plastics such as round bars or plates. One of our customers sends us plastic parts that require some machine finishing. Although many of the plastic parts we machine are small, we can machine large plastic parts with our equipment.
We Use Many Materials to Make Beautiful Precision Parts
Whether you need stainless steel, aluminum, plastic, or a different material for your parts, our goal is to delight you with speed and quality.
We have the equipment and the expertise to deliver beautiful precision parts that meet your prototype and production needs.
Contact us today to discuss your precision machining project.