Engineering snapshot · Nº 04
The Machinability Ladder
26 alloys and plastics from our datasheet library, ranked by relative index. Family-specific scales: steels vs B1112, copper alloys vs C360, tool steels vs W1 = 100.
Digital MachineQuick-Turn CNCBar length = index rating
- 80–100 Easy
- 50–79 Moderate
- 20–49 Hard
- <20 Exotic
Fastest on the ladder
Brass C360 & Magnesium AZ31 · 100
Top of the index: chips break clean, feeds stay high.
Toughest on the ladder
Inconel 718 · 12
Index 12 of 100: every feature is earned slowly.
Lower number = slower feeds, premium tooling, more spindle time. It's why an Inconel part costs more than its aluminum twin.
The index is relative within each family; across families, read the ranking as a rough guide. Aluminum and magnesium values are capped at 100.