Stainless Steel CNC Machining

The 300 series family (303, 304, etc.) are austenitic stainless steels (after their crystalline structure) and are the most widely produced grades worldwide. Austenitic stainless grades are known for their high corrosion resistance and high strength across wide temperature ranges. They are not heat-treatable except by cold working, and are generally non-magnetic.

400 series stainless steels are the martensitic family and not as common as austenitic grades. Martensitic steels are extremely strong and tough due to higher carbon content, but more susceptible to corrosion in certain environments. They can be heat-treated to greatly increase their hardness and are magnetic.

The 300 series family are the most widely used grades. 303 Stainless Steel is the fastest to machine. It maintains good corrosion resistance for industrial machining parts. 303 stainless steel is easily modified, making it ideal for a variety of parts, such as screws, nuts, bolts, gears & shafts.

Thin walls require extra care when CNC machining stainless steel. The absolute minimum thickness is 0.5mm for metals. To minimize costs and machining time, it’s recommended to increase the thickness of thin walls to at least 0.8mm. Unless weight is a determining factor thicker walls are more stable and less costly. Thin features are susceptible to vibration, creating extra complexity and requiring considerably more time in machining operations.

Yes, stainless steels tend to be one of the most difficult metals to work with in CNC machining. Stainless steel gets harder over time, instead of wearing, which combined with the high-heat generation in machining stainless steel, can contribute to tool failure. Getting speeds and feeds right as well as proper tooling is key.