Our services list includes titanium screws made for a food processing plant, which is a good picture of titanium work: small, precise parts where the metal's strength and corrosion resistance matter most. For a plain answer on whether we machine it, see the question page. This page explains the metal.
At a glance
- We machine titanium at our Reno shop
- Titanium screws made for a food processing plant
- Commercially pure and Ti-6Al-4V as general grades
- Strong, light and corrosion resistant
- Slow, careful cutting with sharp tools
Love working with these guys, and gal. Great customer service and knowledgeable skill base. They have helped with many big projects and have always pulled though when our machines went down.
Grades, as general education
Titanium comes in commercially pure grades (grades 1 to 4) and in alloys. The grades below are general knowledge from published sources, not a list of what is in stock.
| Grade | What it is | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 2 (commercially pure) | Unalloyed titanium | Excellent corrosion resistance, formable |
| Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V) | Alloy with aluminum and vanadium | High strength, the most common alloy |
| Grade 9 | Ti-3Al-2.5V | Strong and easier to form than grade 5 |
Why titanium cuts slowly
Titanium is a poor conductor of heat, so the heat from the cut stays at the cutting edge instead of leaving with the chip. It also tends to stick to the tool, a problem known as galling, and the chip can ignite if fine dust builds up, so cuts are kept wet.
The usual practice is low cutting speed, a steady, positive feed, sharp tools and plenty of coolant. A tool that dwells in the cut or rubs causes the damage, so a firm setup matters. That slower process is why titanium parts take more machine time than the same part in steel.
What to tell us
Give the grade if you know it, the drawing or sample, the quantity and the surface finish needed. Titanium bar is bought to the grade you name, and the finish and hardness callouts should be on the print.
Send the quote request or call (775) 359-5570. To compare with another corrosion-resistant metal, read about stainless steel, and see the question page can you machine titanium for the short answer.
Sources
- Titanium alloys (overview) (2026-10-18)
