Suitable Materials
Plastic
ACM
Particleboard
Stainless
Foamed PVC
Wood
HDPE
Hardwood
Plywood
Copper
Aluminium
Steel
PRODUCTS
What Material to Choose
-
M2 Steel
- 0% Cobalt
- Cheapest
- Good Entry-level material
- Versatile in all machines
-
M35 Steel (5% Cobalt)
- 5% Cobalt
- Better than M2
- Improves tool life
- Improves heat Resillience
- Versatile in all machines
-
M42 Steel (8% Cobalt)
- 8% Cobalt
- Better than M2 & M35
- Improves tool life
- Improves heat Resillience
- Versatile in all machines
-
Tungsten Carbide
- 10-20x longer life than M42
- Improves tool life
- Improves heat Resillience
- Extremely sharp, but can be brittle
- Use only in rigid machines i.e. Pedestal Drills or CNC mills/routers
What Coating to Choose
| Full Name | Heat Resilience | Colour | Friction Coefficient | Best For | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TiN | Titanium Nitride | 500–600°C | Gold | 0.4–0.6 | General-purpose steel / mild steel / plastics / wood |
| TiAlN | Titanium Aluminium Nitride | 750–800°C | Violet/Black | 0.4–0.55 | Hardened steel / stainless steel / high-temp alloys |
| TiCrN | Titanium Chromium Nitride | 700–750°C | Silver-Grey | 0.45–0.55 | High-strength steel / stainless steel / dies/molds |
| TiCN | Titanium CarboNitride | 400–500°C | Blue-Grey | 0.2–0.3 | Cast iron / carbon steel / aluminium (non-stick use) |
| TiSiN | Titanium Silicone Nitride | 1000°C+ | Dark Violet/Black | 0.45–0.5 | High-speed machining / aerospace alloys / hardened tool steels |
| AlTiN | Aluminium Titanium Nitride | 850–900°C | Dark Grey/Black | 0.35–0.5 | High-temp dry machining / nickel alloys / hard tool steel |
| AlCrN | Aluminium Chromium Nitride | 850–950°C | Black/Gunmetal | 0.3–0.45 | Stainless steel / die/mold work / abrasive materials |
| DLC | Diamond Like Carbon | 350–500°C | Black/Silver | 0.05–0.15 | Aluminium / copper / brass / plastics / wood (low friction / non-ferrous use) |
