MG · magnesium
Magnesium Alloy AZ80A (wrought, high strength)
A wrought magnesium alloy with the highest strength of the common AZ grades: it machines like a harder aluminium and holds a better finished surface than the casting grades.
Quoting this material
- Typical lead time
- 15–25 working days
- Condition
- Extruded or forged, T5 aged
- Achievable finish
- Ra 1.6 µm typical · Ra 0.4 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.
A wrought magnesium alloy with the highest strength of the common AZ grades: it machines like a harder aluminium and holds a better finished surface than the casting grades.
Properties as supplied
| Parameter | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength | 380 | MPa |
| Yield strength (0.2%) | 250 | MPa |
| Elongation | 7 | % |
| Hardness | 70 | HB |
| Thermal conductivity | 77 | W/m·K |
| Modulus of elasticity | 45 | 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
Extruded or forged, T5 aged
Heat treatment
Responds to a T5 ageing treatment to develop the strength, which is the difference from AZ31: it is the wrought magnesium that is actually used for a loaded part.
Achievable surface finish
Ra 1.6 µm
Ra 0.4 µm
Takes a very good finish; a conversion coating or anodising is standard for corrosion protection.
Tooling and cutting parameters
Cutting speed
- 300–600 m/min (sharp uncoated carbide)
Feed
- 0.10–0.35 mm/rev turning · 0.10–0.30 mm/tooth milling
Tooling
- Sharp uncoated carbide with large clearance
Coolant
- Mineral-oil mist or dry; never water-based coolant on the swarf
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
- Aerospace structural fittings
- Motorsport components
- High-load portable equipment parts
- Defence hardware
- Wheel and hub components
DFM notes for this grade
- It is the wrought magnesium to specify where the part carries load: roughly 50% more strength than AZ31 with a similar density
- Formability is lower than AZ31, so a part that needs to be formed is usually a different grade from one that needs to be machined for strength
- Same fire and corrosion rules as every magnesium grade - the alloy changes the strength, not the process requirements
Questions buyers ask
- When is AZ80A the right magnesium grade?
- When the part carries real load and comes from wrought stock: a forged or extruded fitting, a bracket, a hub. AZ31 is more formable and the casting grades suit complex shapes, but AZ80 is the wrought grade with the strength for a structural part.
- Does the strength change the machining?
- Slightly - it cuts more like a hard aluminium and the finish holds better. The fire and chip rules are identical, and the corrosion protection requirement is identical too. Magnesium does not stop needing a coating because the alloy got stronger.
Grades we would quote instead
AZ31B
9/10Magnesium machines faster than aluminium with a sharper finish, provided the chip is kept moving and the swarf rules are respected.
AZ91D
8/10The most common die-casting magnesium: high aluminium content gives good castability and decent strength, and it machines fast with excellent finishes.
ZK60A
7/10A zirconium-containing magnesium alloy with the highest strength of the conventional grades.