From Steels to Superalloys

When it comes to critical parts—whether it’s bearings for high-temperature corrosive environments, mold tools, or performance automotive parts—getting it right the first time is non-negotiable.

Often you know exactly what you need and what materials meet the application requirements. But sometimes the best material isn’t clear, or you might be interested in a higher-performing option.

From tool steels to superalloys, we have the expertise to guide you toward the best material for your application and the know-how to machine it.

  • Specialists in hard to machine, heat-resistant materials.
  • Expertise in functionally-graded, multi-alloy components.
A rectangular alloy block that has been wire-laser metal 3D printed and then the top half milled to a smooth finish within a hybrid manufacturing system.

Materials & Properties

The following table demonstrates materials we can accommodate and relative property applicability.

Materials & Properties

The following table demonstrates materials we can accommodate and relative property applicability.

Material Lightness Heat Resistance Corrosion Resistance Hardness / Wear Resistance ISO Group Example Brand Names & Grades
Nickel – ISO S
Heat-Resistant Superalloys		 Inconel®, Hastelloy®, Monel®, Techalloy® / Nickel 625, 718, X-750, C-276
Cobalt – ISO S
Heat-Resistant Superalloys		 Stellite®, Haynes®, Ultimet®, Polystel® / Cobalt 6, 20
Titanium – ISO S
Heat-Resistant Superalloys		 Grade 2, Grade 5
Stainless Steel – ISO M
Stainless Steel		 304, 316 H, 316 L, 440C, 17-4PH
Carbon Steel – – – ISO P
Steel		 1018, 1045, A36
Tool Steel – ISO H
Hardened Materials		 H11, H13, M2, M50, T1, D2
Aluminum – ISO N
Non-Ferrous Metals		 6061, 7075

Materials & Properties

The following list demonstrates materials we can accommodate and relative property applicability.

Nickel

ISO S: Heat-Resistant Superalloys

Example Brand Names & Grades:
Inconel®, Hastelloy®, Monel®, Techalloy®
Nickel 625, 718, X-750, C-276

Lightness: –
Heat Resistance:
Corrosion Resistance:
Hardness/Wear Resistance:

Cobalt

ISO S: Heat-Resistant Superalloys

Example Brand Names & Grades:
Stellite®, Haynes®, Ultimet®, Polystel®
Cobalt 6, 20

Lightness: –
Heat Resistance:
Corrosion Resistance:
Hardness/Wear Resistance:

Titanium

ISO S: Heat-Resistant Superalloys

Example Grades:
Grade 2, Grade 5

Lightness:
Heat Resistance:
Corrosion Resistance:
Hardness/Wear Resistance: –

Stainless Steel

ISO M: Stainless Steel

Example Grades:
304, 316 L, 316 H, 440C, 17-4PH

Lightness: –
Heat Resistance:
Corrosion Resistance:
Hardness/Wear Resistance:

Carbon Steel

ISO P: Steel

Example Grades:
1018, 1045, A36

Lightness: –
Heat Resistance: –
Corrosion Resistance: –
Hardness/Wear Resistance:

Tool Steel

ISO H: Hardened Materials

Example Grades:
H11, H13, M2, M50, T1, D2

Lightness: –
Heat Resistance:
Corrosion Resistance:
Hardness/Wear Resistance:

Aluminum

ISO N: Non-Ferrous Metals

Example Grades:
6061, 7075

Lightness:
Heat Resistance: –
Corrosion Resistance:
Hardness/Wear Resistance:

ISO Material Groups

ISO Material Groups classify different metal families by their machinability to help categorize the techniques and tooling required to work with different alloys.

Understanding these groups helps machinists ensure high precision and longer tool life, and sometimes material knowledge can even help engineer a better product through judicious material selection.

ISO 513:2012

Classification and application of hard cutting materials for metal removal with defined cutting edges.

View standards

ISO S

Heat-Resistant Superalloys

Superalloys include high-alloyed iron, nickel, cobalt, and titanium-based materials. They are difficult to machine due to their stickiness, tendency to create built-up edges, work hardening, and heat generation, which drastically reduces tool life.

Example Grades

Inconel® 625 Inconel® 718 Hastelloy® C-276 Hastelloy® X750 Stellite® 6 Haynes® 188 Ultimet® Titanium Grade 2 Titanium Grade 5

Nickel-based superalloys were developed in the early 20th century, finding their first major applications in the jet engines that revolutionized aviation during and after World War II. These alloys are specifically engineered to deliver exceptional mechanical properties under extreme conditions, including high temperatures that approach 80-90% of their melting points. This makes them indispensable in high-stress, high-temperature environments like aerospace, power generation, and chemical processing.

The superior performance of nickel alloys such as Inconel®, Incoloy®, and Hastelloy® stems from a combination of solid solution strengthening and the precipitation of carbides. These precipitates, often in an austenitic matrix, are responsible for the alloys’ remarkable creep resistance and tensile strength at elevated temperatures. However, the very features that provide these strengths can also contribute to rapid work hardening during machining. This leads to significant challenges like increased tool wear, chatter, and heat generation.

To overcome these hurdles, we utilize hybrid manufacturing to combine additive laser wire metal deposition with minimal subtractive finishing. This approach reduces material waste while allowing precise control over the alloy’s microstructure during the build process.

These alloys are best used in demanding applications such as turbine blades, exhaust systems, heat exchangers, and chemical reactors, where both high-temperature resilience and corrosion resistance are critical.

Cobalt-based alloys have been crucial to materials engineering since the early 20th century, when Elwood Haynes developed Stellite®, a cobalt-chromium alloy known for its wear resistance and hardness at high temperatures. Today, cobalt alloys remain essential in aerospace engines, medical implants, and cutting tools due to their exceptional high-temperature strength, corrosion resistance, and durability. This performance is driven by stable carbide and intermetallic phases in a cobalt-chromium matrix, allowing these alloys to maintain their properties where most others would soften.

However, cobalt’s high toughness and work-hardening behavior make it difficult to machine, leading to tool wear and extensive post-processing. Our hybrid manufacturing approach, using laser wire metal deposition, overcomes these challenges by enabling near-net-shape production with minimal material removal and integrated heat treatment, optimizing the alloy’s microstructure and reducing processing steps. Cobalt alloys are vital in applications like orthopedic implants, high-temperature valve seats, and cutting tools where both wear resistance and heat stability are critical.

Titanium alloys are renowned for their unmatched strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance, making them indispensable in industries where performance and reliability are critical. Since their commercialization in the mid-20th century, titanium alloys have become the material of choice for aerospace components, medical implants, and high-performance sporting goods.

The most common titanium alloy, Ti-6Al-4V, combines aluminum and vanadium to enhance both strength and thermal stability while maintaining the lightweight properties that titanium is known for. This alloy offers excellent corrosion resistance in a wide range of environments, from seawater to harsh chemicals, and retains its mechanical properties at elevated temperatures, making it ideal for aerospace applications like turbine blades, structural components, and engine parts.

However, titanium’s high reactivity at elevated temperatures and its tendency to gall and work-harden during machining present significant challenges. Traditional processing methods often lead to excessive tool wear, distortion, and even microstructural defects. Our hybrid manufacturing approach, integrating laser wire metal deposition, overcomes these issues by precisely controlling the build process while simultaneously minimizing material waste. The ability to tailor heat input and cooling rates ensures consistent grain structures, reducing the need for extensive post-processing.

Titanium’s biocompatibility also makes it a top choice for medical implants, where it can endure the body’s harsh environment without corroding or triggering adverse reactions. Beyond aerospace and medical uses, titanium alloys are increasingly applied in lightweight automotive components, advanced sports equipment, and even chemical processing plants where both strength and corrosion resistance are critical.

ISO M

Stainless Steel

Stainless steels are defined by a minimum of 12% chromium and may include other alloys like nickel and molybdenum. Variants include ferritic, martensitic, austenitic, and duplex. These materials challenge cutting edges with significant heat, notch wear, and built-up edge.

Example Grades

304 316 440C 17-4PH

Stainless steels are critical in applications demanding both corrosion resistance and strength. They fall into several main categories: austenitic, ferritic, martensitic, and duplex, each offering tailored properties.

Austenitic stainless steels like 304 and 316 are the most common. Known for their excellent corrosion resistance, ductility, and weldability, they are extensively used in chemical processing, food-grade equipment, and marine environments. 316, with added molybdenum, offers superior resistance to chlorides, making it a staple in saltwater applications.

Martensitic stainless steels like 440C prioritize hardness and wear resistance, making them ideal for cutting tools, bearings, and high-strength components. However, their high carbon content and complex phase transformations make them difficult to weld, with a high risk of cracking.

Duplex stainless steels like 2205 combine the best aspects of austenitic and ferritic microstructures, providing enhanced strength, stress corrosion resistance, and moderate weldability. Duplex grades are increasingly used in high-stress environments such as offshore platforms and chemical plants.

Hybrid manufacturing using laser wire metal deposition overcomes the challenges of welding dissimilar stainless steels. For instance, in chemical processing exhaust systems, our approach allows the joining of 316’s corrosion resistance with 440C’s hardness, optimizing both material properties in a single assembly. The precise control of heat input and cooling rates ensures strong, crack-free joints.

ISO P

Steel

Steel encompasses a broad range of materials, from unalloyed to high-alloyed, including ferritic and martensitic stainless steels. Machinability is generally good, though it varies with material hardness and mechanical properties.

Example Grades

1018 1045 A36

Carbon steels are the backbone of industry, offering strength, toughness, and cost-effectiveness. They range from low-carbon (mild) steels used in construction to high-carbon grades vital for tools and wear-resistant applications.

Our primary focus is welding carbon steels using industry-standard filler metals like ER70S-6, known for its excellent weld penetration and ability to handle light rust or mill scale. With a tensile strength of 70,000 psi and good deoxidizer content, ER70S-6 produces cleaner welds with fewer defects, making it ideal for structural fabrication and pressure vessels.

Carbon steels can be prone to distortion and cracking if not managed properly. Our hybrid manufacturing approach combines additive and subtractive processes to reduce waste, control heat input, and ensure consistent, high-quality results. From heavy equipment to pipelines, carbon steels deliver reliable performance in demanding applications.

ISO H

Hardened Materials

This group includes steels with hardness between 45–65 HRC and chilled cast iron with hardness around 400–600 HB. These materials are very hard, generating significant heat and being highly abrasive to cutting edges, making them challenging to machine

Example Grades

H11 H13 M2 M50 T1 D2

Hardened tool steels are engineered for top performance in demanding applications like forging dies and cutting tools. Two key types are hot work and high-speed steels.

Hot work tool steels like H11 and H13 are designed to withstand the extreme temperatures and stresses of forging, die casting, and extrusion. Their chromium content provides toughness and thermal fatigue resistance, with H13 being the industry standard for dies and molds due to its balance of strength and wear resistance at high temperatures.

High-speed steels like T1 (tungsten-based) and M2 (molybdenum-based) maintain hardness and edge retention even at red-hot temperatures. M2 is versatile and widely used in drills, end mills, and taps, while T1 is preferred for maximum wear resistance.

Traditional processing of these steels requires complex heat treatments. Our hybrid manufacturing approach integrates in situ heat treatment during laser wire metal deposition, streamlining production and optimizing microstructure for high performance. This enables reliable results in critical applications like forging dies, die-casting molds, and cutting tools.

ISO N

Non-Ferrous Metals

Non-ferrous metals like aluminum, copper, and brass are softer and generally allow high cutting speeds and long tool life with sharp-edged tools. Aluminum with high silicon content can be abrasive.

Example Grades

6061 7075

Aluminum alloys may not have the high-performance reputation of superalloys or tool steels, but they are essential in advanced engineering, particularly where weight reduction is critical. Since the late 19th century, aluminum’s combination of light weight, corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties has driven its widespread use in aerospace, automotive, and marine industries.

Aluminum alloys are classified by their primary alloying elements. The 2000 series (aluminum-copper) provides high strength, while the 6000 series (aluminum-silicon-magnesium) is valued for its machinability and weldability in structural applications. The 7000 series (aluminum-zinc) is popular in aerospace and sporting equipment for its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio.

While generally easier to machine than other metals, aluminum alloys still require careful management to avoid issues like galling and chip welding. Our expertise ensures clean cuts, minimal distortion, and high-quality surface finishes. Whether in aircraft structures or blow mold tooling, aluminum alloys remain key to lightweight, thermally efficient, high-performance solutions.

ISO K

Cast Iron

Cast iron is a short-chipping material. While gray cast irons (GCI) and malleable cast irons (MCI) are easier to machine, nodular (NCI), compact (CGI), and austempered (ADI) cast irons are tougher due to their silicon carbide content, which is abrasive to cutting edges.

Expert Guidance

Unsure of the best materials for your application? Contact us to discuss potential solutions.

Recommended Solutions

Design & Engineering

Custom engineering for specialized components and applications.

Production

Cutting-edge hybrid manufacturing for complex, novel, and bepoke parts.

a hybrid metal 3d printed bearings race still on the build plate after the additive manufacturing stage.

Rapid Prototyping

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