AL · aluminium
Aluminium 3003-H14
Very soft and very gummy, but it cuts predictably and the chip is easy to manage at light engagement. The problem is never the cut, it is the burr.
Quoting this material
- Typical lead time
- 7–12 working days
- Condition
- H14 - strain hardened to a half-hard temper
- Achievable finish
- Ra 3.2 µm typical · Ra 1.6 µm best
Machined in-house to your drawing: see the precision CNC machining service and the machine and inspection capability it runs on.
Machinability
Our own 1–10 shop ranking, not a published index: 10 is free-cutting brass C360, 1 is Inconel 718. It ranks how a material behaves on the floor - cycle time, chip control and tool life together. Where a published index exists it is quoted in the note.
Very soft and very gummy, but it cuts predictably and the chip is easy to manage at light engagement. The problem is never the cut, it is the burr.
Properties as supplied
| Parameter | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength | 152 | MPa |
| Yield strength (0.2%) | 145 | MPa |
| Elongation | 8 | % |
| Hardness | 40 | HB |
| Thermal conductivity | 193 | W/m·K |
| Modulus of elasticity | 68.9 | GPa |
Hardness, tensile and thermal figures are typical published values for the condition stated. Actual mill certificates govern; send the specification with the drawing and we confirm against the certificate before the material is cut.
Condition
H14 - strain hardened to a half-hard temper
Heat treatment
Not heat treatable; strength comes from cold work only.
Achievable surface finish
Ra 3.2 µm
Ra 1.6 µm
Usually supplied with a mill finish; machining is for features and edges rather than appearance.
Tooling and cutting parameters
Cutting speed
- 400–800 m/min (carbide)
Feed
- 0.10–0.25 mm/rev turning · 0.08–0.20 mm/tooth milling
Tooling
- Very sharp uncoated carbide, high rake, generous clearance
Coolant
- Mist or flood; lubrication is the priority
Starting points for carbide on a rigid setup, not a guarantee. The right numbers depend on the machine, the toolholder and the fixturing - ask and we will say what we would actually run.
Typical applications
- Heat exchanger and radiator parts
- Food and chemical equipment panels
- Cable and ducting hardware
- Signage and trim components
- Light-gauge formed brackets
DFM notes for this grade
- Not a structural alloy - 145 MPa yield means it is for panels, closures and light fittings
- The burr is the operation: a deburr step has to be quoted, and a sharp edge on 3003 rolls rather than breaks
- Excellent formability means it is often better formed than machined; ask whether a pressed or formed part would do the job
Questions buyers ask
- When would you machine 3003 rather than form it?
- For the features the forming cannot make: a machined boss, a groove, a flange face that has to be flat. On a 2 mm panel the answer is usually a formed part with the machined details added rather than a plate machined down to 2 mm.
- How do you stop the burrs on 3003?
- Sharp tools, light feeds on the last pass, and accepted that the deburr step is real work. Trying to cut a burr-free edge on a 40 HB alloy in one pass is how you break a cutter instead.
Grades we would quote instead
5052-H32
7/10Soft and gummy - it forms and welds beautifully, and that is exactly what makes it unpleasant to machine to a tolerance.
6063-T6
9/10Softer than 6061 and just as easy to cut - but it is an extrusion alloy, so the parts that suit it are usually extruded to near net shape and finished with light machining.
5083-H116
7/10The marine plate.