Titanium & Hard-Metal Machining Solutions

Bruce Lin     August 10, 2020 

PMT is deeply specialised in titanium and hard-metal machining, combining aerospace-grade engineering, advanced 5 Axis CNC Machine platforms and strong process know-how built through years of service to China’s aerospace and defence industries. Backed by a parent group that operates one of China’s largest titanium DED 3D printing capabilities, we provide end-to-end solutions for cutting titanium alloys, nickel-based superalloys, hardened steels, cobalt-chrome and other difficult-to-cut materials with high accuracy, stable productivity and competitive cost-per-part.


Why Titanium & Hard Metals Are Different

Titanium and hard metals bring major advantages in strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance and fatigue performance—but they are also demanding to machine:

  • Low thermal conductivity concentrates heat at the cutting edge, accelerating tool wear.
  • High strength and elasticity can cause chatter, deflection and unpredictable surface finish.
  • Long cycle times and high tool cost make process efficiency and stability critical to profitability.

PMT’s machine tools, structures and processes are designed specifically to handle these challenges in real production environments, not just in test cuts.


Machine Tool Design For Difficult-To-Cut Materials

Our titanium and hard-metal machining capability is built into the foundation of our machines:

  • High-rigidity structures with optimised casting design and wide guideway spans minimise vibration and deflection under heavy cutting loads.
  • Thermally stable designs with controlled heat paths, coolant management and compensation strategies to maintain geometry over long cycles.
  • High-torque spindle configurations suitable for low-speed, high-chip-load roughing as well as high-speed finishing of critical surfaces.
  • Precision rotary axes and robust 5-axis heads on our 5 Axis CNC Machines, allowing stable machining of complex multi-surface parts in a single setup.

This enables aggressive yet controlled cutting strategies in titanium, Inconel, hardened steels and similar alloys while maintaining dimensional accuracy and surface integrity.


5 Axis CNC Machining For Complex Titanium Components

Many titanium and superalloy parts feature complex 3D geometries, deep pockets, thin walls and difficult access angles. PMT’s 5 Axis CNC Machine platforms are optimised for such parts:

  • Simultaneous 5-axis contouring for blisks, impellers, blades, structural brackets, engine mounts and high-strength connectors.
  • 3+2 positioning for multi-face machining of structural components, housings, frames and thick sections with precise datum control.
  • Toolpath strategies developed in UG NX, hyperMILL and other high-end CAM systems to maintain constant tool engagement and smooth transitions while controlling heat and cutting forces.

By machining more features in a single clamping, we reduce stack-up errors, improve part consistency and shorten total process time for complex titanium components.


Integration With Titanium Additive Manufacturing

As part of a group focused on large-scale titanium DED 3D printing for aerospace and defence, PMT is uniquely positioned to support hybrid manufacturing:

  • Near-net-shape titanium structures produced via DED to reduce buy-to-fly ratio and part count.
  • Dedicated finishing processes on PMT 5 Axis CNC Machines to achieve precise mating features, sealing surfaces and critical radii.
  • Coordinated process design between additive and subtractive stages to minimise distortion, ensure machinability and simplify quality validation.

This integrated approach allows customers to exploit the full benefits of titanium—lightweight, strong, corrosion-resistant—without being constrained by traditional subtractive-only limitations.


Process Engineering & Application Support

Titanium and hard-metal machining success depends as much on process as on hardware. PMT supports customers with:

  • Cutting-strategy development for roughing, semi-finishing and finishing operations, including step-down/step-over optimisation, chip-thinning strategies and adaptive toolpaths.
  • Tool and holder selection appropriate for high-load, high-heat environments—balancing tool life, cost and cycle time.
  • Fixture and clamping design to reduce vibration, maintain stiffness and protect sensitive surfaces or thin-walled features.
  • Trial cuts, process capability studies and parameter optimisation to achieve stable, repeatable results before full production.

Our engineers bring experience from aerospace, energy, defence, medical and high-performance industrial projects where titanium and hard metals are standard, not exotic.


Quality, Surface Integrity & Fatigue Performance

For many titanium and superalloy components, surface integrity and subsurface conditions are as important as dimensional tolerances. PMT’s approach ensures:

  • Controlled cutting conditions to limit work hardening, white layers and micro-cracking on fatigue-critical parts.
  • Fine finishing strategies for tight surface roughness requirements on sealing and mating surfaces.
  • Integration of probing and inspection routines to verify geometry, thickness and alignment of critical features.
  • Support for CMM measurement, surface roughness evaluation and specialised tests where needed for aerospace or medical qualifications.

This is especially valuable for parts used in engines, structures, implants and other mission-critical applications.


Automation, FMS & High-Value Part Handling

Titanium and hard-metal parts are often high-value, low-volume and long-cycle. PMT offers automation concepts tailored to this reality:

  • Pallet systems and flexible cells that allow multiple complex parts to be queued and machined without continuous operator presence.
  • Robotic handling with controlled gripping and orientation for delicate or partially finished components.
  • FMS solutions linking multiple machines, storage and measurement to maximise spindle utilisation while maintaining high part quality and traceability.

This enables manufacturers to run long titanium and superalloy programs reliably during nights and weekends, improving capacity and ROI on high-end equipment.


Cost-Performance Advantage In Difficult Materials

Despite operating at a technology level close to global first-tier machine builders, PMT offers advantageous economics for titanium and hard-metal machining:

  • Equipment investment typically around one-half to two-thirds of comparable German and Japanese machines with similar capabilities.
  • Process optimisation and rigid machine design often deliver equal or higher productivity under the same accuracy and surface requirements, lowering cost-per-part.
  • This combination allows manufacturers to expand their titanium and hard-metal machining capacity, add redundancy and reduce risk without exceeding capital budgets.

For industries such as aerospace, defence, energy, medical, high-performance automotive and advanced general engineering, this balance of capability and cost is a key differentiator.


Your Partner For Advanced Titanium & Hard-Metal Machining

With roots in China’s leading aerospace and defence programs and integration into a top-tier titanium additive manufacturing group, PMT (Chengdu Precise CNC Machine Tool Co., Ltd.) offers more than just machines—we provide a complete platform for titanium and hard-metal machining success:

  • Aerospace-grade 5 Axis CNC Machines and machining centers tailored for tough alloys
  • Deep process expertise from roughing to finishing, including hybrid additive/subtractive workflows
  • Automation and FMS solutions for high-value, long-cycle components
  • Quality systems and engineering support aligned with demanding international standards

Whether you are expanding into titanium for the first time or scaling existing hard-metal production, PMT helps you achieve stable accuracy, predictable cost-per-part and world-class performance in the most demanding materials.

Bruce Lin

Dr. Bruce Lin is a preeminent authority in the machine tool industry, with a distinguished career spanning over 40 years. For more than two decades, he has been the cornerstone of technological excellence at PMT (Chengdu Precise CNC Machine Tool Co., Ltd.), serving as our Chief Engineer. He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and graduated with honors with a Bachelor’s degree in the same field from a leading Chinese university. Dr. Lin’s profound journey began over four decades ago, encompassing pivotal roles at several globally recognized industrial and precision manufacturing corporations prior to joining PMT. This extensive tenure provided…

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