NI · superalloy
Nickel Superalloy Nimonic 80A (UNS N07080)
A precipitation-hardened nickel-chromium alloy for exhaust valves and high-temperature springs. Machines like a hard superalloy: slow, tough and abrasive on the edge.
Quoting this material
- Typical lead time
- 22–40 working days
- Condition
- Solution treated and 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 precipitation-hardened nickel-chromium alloy for exhaust valves and high-temperature springs. Machines like a hard superalloy: slow, tough and abrasive on the edge.
Properties as supplied
| Parameter | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength (aged) | 1,100 | MPa |
| Yield strength (aged) | 700 | MPa |
| Elongation (aged) | 20 | % |
| Hardness (aged) | ~38 | HRC |
| Service temperature | To 800 | °C |
| Thermal conductivity | 11.2 | W/m·K |
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
Solution treated and aged
Heat treatment
Solution treat then age to precipitate the gamma-prime phase that gives it strength to 800 °C. Ageing after rough machining is the standard sequence for a close-tolerance part.
Achievable surface finish
Ra 1.6 µm
Ra 0.4 µm
Valve and spring applications are fatigue-critical, so surface integrity and shot peening are usually specified.
Tooling and cutting parameters
Cutting speed
- 20–40 m/min (carbide)
Feed
- 0.05–0.14 mm/rev turning · 0.04–0.10 mm/tooth milling
Tooling
- Fine-grain carbide, tough substrate, sharp positive geometry
Coolant
- High-pressure flood
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
- Engine exhaust valves
- High-temperature springs
- Gas turbine components
- Aerospace engine parts
- High-temperature bolting
DFM notes for this grade
- A valve or a spring is a fatigue part: the machining process and the finish are part of the fatigue design, not just a shape
- The ageing treatment is what develops the strength, so a part machined from the annealed stock and never aged will not meet the drawing
- Tool life is short and predictable - factor it into the quote rather than discovering it on the second part
Questions buyers ask
- What is Nimonic 80A used for?
- Exhaust valves and high-temperature springs are the classic applications - parts that get hot, cycle in load and have to keep their strength. It is a gamma-prime strengthened alloy with a service limit around 800 °C.
- How does it compare with 718 for machining?
- Similar bracket, slightly harder at the same strength because of the higher gamma-prime content. Both need low speeds, sharp tooling and high-pressure coolant; neither rewards impatience.
Grades we would quote instead
Inconel 718
1/10The bottom of our scale and the reason the scale exists.
Waspaloy
1/10A precipitation-hardened nickel alloy for turbine discs: harder than 718 at temperature and comparable to machine, which is to say slowly and with planned tool consumption.
Inconel 600
2/10The mildest of the common nickel alloys to machine - still awkward, but it work-hardens less aggressively than 625 and far less than 718.