Ionbond’s coating solution for machining of non-ferrous materials for EU manufacturing industry

Non-ferrous materials are extensively used in manufacturing applications in multiple industrial sectors, such as aerospace, automotive, marine, construction, electronics, energy, decorative and medicine. They have unique properties like rust and corrosion resistance, and are non-magnetic, lightweight, thermally conductive and malleable. This makes them invaluable materials for applications that contribute to the performance, efficiency, and longevity of systems and structures. What exactly are non-ferrous materials? They span a wide range, including noble metals, aluminum alloys, copper alloys, zinc alloys, magnesium alloys, plastics, ceramics and composite materials like fiberglass epoxy and CFRP.

One of the issues of machining most non-ferrous metals is thermal softening, which causes workpiece material to stick to the cutting edge. This increases tool wear and deteriorates performance. Sharp cutting edges can apply more concentrated cutting forces and minimize the ploughing effect. Another challenge of machining some non-ferrous materials, like aluminum alloys with high Si content, is excessive abrasive wear, due to the materials’ high hardness.