Mill Titanium 6Al-4V with a solid carbide end mill at about 120 SFM: 917 RPM for a 1/2 inch cutter, 4 flutes, about 0.0025 inch per tooth.
What RPM and feed for Titanium 6Al-4V?
| Cutter | Ideal RPM | Chip load (in/tooth) | Flutes | Feed at ideal RPM (IPM) | Feed if capped at 2500 RPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.125" | 3,667 | 0.0006 | 4 | 9.2 | 6.3 |
| 0.1875" | 2,445 | 0.0009 | 4 | 9.2 | 9.2 |
| 0.25" | 1,833 | 0.0013 | 4 | 9.2 | 9.2 |
| 0.375" | 1,222 | 0.0019 | 4 | 9.2 | 9.2 |
| 0.5" | 917 | 0.0025 | 4 | 9.2 | 9.2 |
| 0.75" | 611 | 0.0037 | 4 | 9.2 | 9.2 |
Tools for cutting Titanium 6Al-4V
How does Titanium 6Al-4V machine?
Grade 5 titanium holds heat at the cutting edge and springs away from the tool. Low speed, a real feed and plenty of coolant. Fine titanium chips and dust are a fire hazard, so never let them accumulate.
Why a solid carbide end mill?
Solid carbide wants roughly three times the surface speed of HSS, which small cutters rarely get on a benchtop mill capped near 2,500 RPM. Carbide still earns its price in hard or abrasive material, but only in a rigid setup: it chips on chatter where HSS would just dull.
Adjust speeds with the RPM calculator and milling feeds with the feed rate calculator. The cutting speed chart compares every material.
Frequently asked questions
What SFM for Titanium 6Al-4V?
A starting surface speed of 30 SFM with HSS and 120 SFM with carbide, and 25 SFM for HSS drills. These are conservative for hobby machines; raise them in steps if the chips come off clean and the tool stays cool. Titanium 6Al-4V rates poor (about 22%) for machinability.
What happens if my machine cannot reach the RPM?
Run at your top speed. Running below the ideal surface speed only makes the job slower; it does not damage the tool. For milling and drilling, keep the chip load per tooth or feed per revolution the same so the edge keeps cutting instead of rubbing, which lowers the feed in inches per minute in proportion.
Other tools in Titanium 6Al-4V
Other materials with a carbide end mill
- 6061-T6 aluminum
- 7075-T6 aluminum
- 360 free-machining brass
- 932 bearing bronze
- 110 copper
- 12L14 leaded steel
- 1018 cold rolled steel
- 1045 medium carbon steel
- All