NI · superalloy
Nickel Superalloy Waspaloy (UNS N07001)
A 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.
Quoting this material
- Typical lead time
- 25–45 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 alloy for turbine discs: harder than 718 at temperature and comparable to machine, which is to say slowly and with planned tool consumption.
Properties as supplied
| Parameter | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength (aged) | 1,275 | MPa |
| Yield strength (aged) | 795 | MPa |
| Elongation (aged) | 25 | % |
| Hardness (aged) | ~38 | HRC |
| Service temperature | To 870 | °C |
| Thermal conductivity | 11.5 | 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
Precipitation hardened by a solution treat and a two-step age. It retains more strength than 718 above 700 °C, which is why it is still specified for turbine discs despite the cost and the machining difficulty.
Achievable surface finish
Ra 1.6 µm
Ra 0.4 µm
Surface integrity is a certification item on rotating hardware: a machining mark is a fatigue site and the process is usually qualified.
Tooling and cutting parameters
Cutting speed
- 18–35 m/min (carbide)
Feed
- 0.05–0.12 mm/rev turning · 0.04–0.08 mm/tooth milling
Tooling
- Fine-grain carbide with a tough substrate; ceramic for stable roughing only
Coolant
- High-pressure through-tool, and plenty of it
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
- Gas turbine discs and rotors
- Aerospace engine rotating components
- High-temperature fasteners
- Rocket engine hardware
- Industrial turbine hot section
DFM notes for this grade
- Rotating hardware means the process is qualified: the tool path, the tooling and the parameters are part of the approval, not a shop choice
- Machine to a sequence: rough in the solution-treated state where possible, age, then finish - and keep the finishing stock consistent so the surface integrity is repeatable
- Expect the tooling cost to be a visible line in the quote; on a small Waspaloy part the inserts can exceed the material cost
Questions buyers ask
- Why use Waspaloy instead of Inconel 718?
- Temperature. 718 loses useful strength above roughly 650–700 °C; Waspaloy holds to 870 °C. For a turbine disc running hotter than 718 can take, Waspaloy is the answer even though it costs more and machines no better.
- Is Waspaloy workable in a normal machine shop?
- Mechanically yes, economically it needs care. The cutting speeds are very low, the tooling is consumed quickly and the setups have to be rigid and planned. It is the kind of job where the process planning is most of the work.