Guide
Why does machining titanium cost more, and what should you send with a titanium RFQ?
Machining titanium is slower and harder on tools than machining steel or aluminum, because titanium keeps the cutting heat at the tool edge, deflects under the cut and reacts with tool materials. Expect a higher price from material, cycle time and tooling, and a longer sourcing path for bar with mill certificates; you shorten both by stating the exact grade, specification, condition and certificates in the RFQ.
By Saola Manufacturing engineering team · Published · Updated
Thread galling, the most common titanium assembly problem, is covered in the galling guide. This page covers what drives the price and schedule of a titanium part and what the drawing and RFQ should say.
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Why is titanium hard to machine?
Titanium conducts heat poorly, so the heat of cutting goes into the tool instead of the chip; it is springy, so thin sections chatter; and it reacts chemically with many tool materials. Shops respond with lower cutting speeds, sharp tools, rigid setups and plenty of coolant, which all add time.
A NASA technical memorandum on titanium machining put it plainly: low thermal conductivity, a small chip-tool contact area and high chip velocities produce high tool tip temperatures and accelerated tool wear, so cutting speeds must come down substantially, and raising feed or depth to recover output can cause chatter (Sutherland, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, 1974). Fifty years of better tools have moved the numbers, but not the logic.
A machine-tool maker's overview lists the same properties for all titanium grades: low thermal conductivity, a strong alloying tendency and chemical reactivity with tool materials, easy deflection and chatter on thin walls, serrated chips, and cutting forces concentrated at the edge (Makino, Machining Titanium Part 1, 2021). The same Makino paper notes that Ti-6Al-4V, Grade 5, makes up about 50% of global titanium consumption, which is why most titanium machining advice is really advice for that alloy.
What makes a titanium part cost more than the same part in steel?
Four things add up: the bar itself, the material removed, the slower cycle, and the tooling consumed. Inspection and certification add a smaller share.
The table sets out the usual drivers and what a buyer can change. None of them are fixed percentages, because the mix depends heavily on the part shape.
| Driver | Why it costs more in titanium | What the buyer can do |
|---|---|---|
| Bar price | Titanium mill product costs much more per kilogram than steel or aluminum | Choose the lowest grade that meets function, such as commercially pure Grade 2 where strength allows |
| Material removed | Every kilogram turned into chips is paid for at the titanium price | Design close to standard bar sizes; ask about near-net blanks for large parts |
| Cycle time | Lower cutting speeds to control edge temperature | Open non-functional tolerances and finishes; avoid deep thin-walled pockets |
| Tool wear | Heat and chemical reactivity shorten tool life | Avoid small, deep features that need long, slender tools |
| Setup and rigidity | Springy material deflects and chatters | Add support features or machining stock that can be removed last |
| Bar sourcing | Bar with mill certificates in the exact grade, size and specification is stocked by fewer distributors | Allow the supplier to propose equivalent specifications, and give annual volume early |
| Certification | Mill certificates and any extra testing per the purchase specification | Ask only for the certificate type the end use needs |
Why does a titanium part take longer to source?
Mostly because of the material: titanium bar with mill certificates in a given grade, size and specification is less widely stocked than steel or aluminum bar, and some specifications require extra testing. Machining itself also runs slower.
ASTM B348/B348M covers annealed titanium and titanium alloy bars and billets across many unalloyed and alloy grades, from Grades 1 to 4 to Grade 5 and dozens of others (ASTM B348/B348M-25 scope). A distributor will stock the common sizes in the common grades; an unusual diameter in an uncommon grade, or bar supplied to an aerospace or implant specification on top of B348, may have to be ordered from a mill run.
The practical fix is to confirm material availability before you freeze the design. Ask the supplier to quote the bar it can actually source, with the specification and size, and size the part to it. For a part that will run every year, an agreed bar size and specification lets the supplier hold stock against your forecast.
Which grade and specification should the drawing call out?
Call the grade by its ASTM number and name the product specification, the condition and the certificate. Grade 2 and Grade 5 are the common choices for machined parts; Grade 23 is the low-interstitial version of Ti-6Al-4V used where toughness or implant standards require it.
A titanium callout that just says TITANIUM, or TI-6-4, leaves the supplier to guess. A complete callout reads like this: MATERIAL: TITANIUM GRADE 5 (TI-6AL-4V) BAR PER ASTM B348/B348M, ANNEALED. MILL CERTIFICATE EN 10204 TYPE 3.1 REQUIRED. If an industry specification governs instead, such as an aerospace material specification or a medical implant standard, name it and say whether B348 bar is acceptable as an alternative.
Two choices often save cost. If the part is a fitting, housing or bracket that needs corrosion resistance more than strength, commercially pure Grade 2 machines more easily than Grade 5 and is widely stocked. If the drawing asks for Grade 5 only for weight, check whether a stronger aluminum alloy would meet the load. The EN 10204 certificate guide explains which certificate type to ask for.
What else should a titanium RFQ include?
Send the drawing and model, the grade and specification, annual volume and lot size, the certificate type, any finish, and the cleaning and packaging requirements. Also flag any threads that will assemble against titanium or stainless.
Finish needs a word of its own. Titanium is often anodized for color or identification, or left as machined and passivated; these are titanium-specific processes and must be named on the drawing with their specification. Threads in titanium tend to gall against titanium or stainless mating parts, so state any thread coating or lubricant requirement; the galling guide lists the options.
For medical, food or fluid-handling parts, say which cleaning standard applies and whether parts must be bagged individually. Tell the supplier which features are functional so it can propose looser tolerances or finishes elsewhere; on titanium that saves more than on any common metal. The RFQ preparation guide covers the rest of the package, and the buy-to-fly ratio guide shows how to estimate how much bar ends up as chips.
Can Saola machine titanium parts?
Titanium is not on the lead plant's standard turning materials list, so whether a titanium part can be made, and where, is confirmed at drawing review before any quote. Do not assume it from this guide.
The standard bar materials on the CNC turning page are 52100, C1117 and 12L14 steel, 2011-T3 and 6061-T6 aluminum, silicon bronze and DOM steel tube, and the CNC milling page covers mostly second operations on castings. A titanium drawing is reviewed for material sourcing, machining and finishing before a decision is given, and the quote, if one is made, names the production site.
Send the drawing with the grade, specification and certificate written out, and say whether an alternative material would be acceptable.
Frequently asked
Is titanium harder to machine than stainless steel?
Generally yes for Ti-6Al-4V, mainly because of heat at the tool edge and chatter rather than hardness. Commercially pure grades are closer to stainless in difficulty.
Is Grade 23 the same as Grade 5?
Grade 23 is Ti-6Al-4V ELI, a version with lower interstitial elements such as oxygen, chosen for toughness and for implant standards. It is a separate grade under ASTM B348 and should not be substituted either way without approval.
Do titanium chips need special handling?
Yes. Fine titanium chips and dust can burn, so shops typically keep titanium swarf separate, avoid accumulations of fines and use coolant suited to the material. This affects shop setup more than your drawing.
Can a titanium part be anodized?
Yes, titanium anodizing is a common color and identification finish, but it is a different process from aluminum anodizing. Name the titanium finish and its specification on the drawing.
Will a titanium part be lighter than steel?
Yes, titanium is much less dense than steel. Makino's overview notes, though, that Ti-6Al-4V is weaker than typical aerospace steels and heavier than aluminum, so the weight saving depends on how the part is loaded.
Sources
- An investigation of chatter and tool wear when machining titanium, I. A. Sutherland, NASA TM, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, 1974
- Machining Titanium Part 1: Things to Consider When Machining Titanium, Makino (machine tool maker), 2021
- ASTM B348/B348M-25, Standard Specification for Titanium and Titanium Alloy Bars and Billets (scope), ASTM International, 2025