1040 – 05 – How Hardness and Strength Affect a Workpiece

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Two of the variables that affect the machinability of a workpiece are strength and hardness. Typically, a material that has more hardness has a lower machinability. More strength tends to have the same effect.

Even though hardness and strength make machining more difficult, having lower strength and hardness is not always optimal. Soft and ductile materials can be difficult to machine. The more ductile it is, the more cutting wears down the material as chip forms, worsening your finish and making chip disposal more difficult.

A material tends to have the best machinability when it is in the “goldilocks range:” Not too hard or soft.