Titanium: The Light, Strong Metal For CNC Machining Projects

What is Titanium?

Titanium is a metal. It is light. It is strong. It is the 9th most found thing in the dirt of our world. [^1]

Titanium has a name tag. Its name tag is Ti. Its number is 22.

Titanium is special because it is 45% lighter than steel but just as strong! [^2]

A man named William Gregor found titanium in 1791. But people did not use it a lot until they found a good way to make it.

What Makes Titanium So Good?

Titanium has some very good things about it:

It is light but strong
It does not rust in sea water
It is safe to put in human bodies
It can be very hot or very cold

Titanium comes in many types. The most used type is called Ti-6Al-4V. This type is used in the sky for planes and in the body for doctor tools. [^2]

Where Do We Use Titanium?

Titanium is used in many cool places!

In the Sky

Planes and space ships use a lot of titanium. NASA uses titanium. Jet engines use titanium parts. The parts that hold planes together use titanium. [^2]

The Boeing 787 plane uses 15% titanium to make it lighter. This helps it use less gas! [^4]

In the Body

Doctors use titanium for new hips and new knees. These parts last for a very long time – more than 25 years!

Titanium is safe in our bodies. Our body does not try to push it out.

In Our Hands

The new iPhone 15 Pro has a titanium case. It makes the phone 10% lighter and 4 times harder than steel. [^3]

Fancy watches use titanium too.

In Big Machines

Places that take salt out of water use titanium. Big tanks that hold strong water use titanium too. This is because titanium does not rust like other metals.

At Istar Machining, we use our CNC machines to make titanium parts for many uses.

How Does Titanium Compare to Other Metals?

Let’s see how titanium is different from other metals:

Metal	Weight	Strength	Rust?	Cost
Titanium	Medium	Very Strong	No	Very High
Steel	Heavy	Very Strong	Yes	Low
Aluminum	Light	Medium	Some	Medium

Titanium vs. Steel: Titanium is 45% lighter than steel but just as strong. Steel rusts, but titanium does not.
Titanium vs. Aluminum: Titanium is 60% heavier than aluminum but 2 times stronger. Titanium can be hotter than aluminum without getting soft.

At Istar Machining, we can help you pick the best metal for your project.

Good Things and Bad Things About Titanium

Good Things

Lives Long: Does not get tired. Can be very hot (600°C) or very cold (-250°C).
Good for Earth: Can be used again and again. Does not hurt the earth.

Bad Things

Costs a Lot: Titanium costs 6-10 times more than steel. This is because it is hard to get out of the dirt.
Hard to Cut: Tools wear out fast when cutting titanium. You need special tools to join titanium parts.

Our team at Istar Machining knows how to work with titanium even though it is hard to cut.

What’s New With Titanium?

3D Printing

Now we can 3D print with titanium! This lets us make shapes that we could not make before.

Helping with Energy

Titanium can help store hydrogen. This might help us make clean energy in the future.

Tiny Titanium

Very small titanium bits can help clean the air and make sun power work better.

Big Numbers About Titanium

The titanium world is worth $27.1 billion in 2023. [^1] It will grow by 5.2% each year from 2024 to 2029. [^1] Almost half of all titanium is used to make planes and space ships. [^1] The world has about 600 million tons of titanium in the ground. Australia has the most with 31%. China is next with 23%. [^3] The USA makes 500 tons of titanium each year. That is not much! [^2]

Questions People Ask About Titanium

Is titanium bullet-proof?

No, titanium is not bullet-proof by itself. But it is used in armor to help stop bullets because it is light and strong.

Why is titanium used in rings and necklaces?

Titanium does not make your skin itch like some metals. It also does not get scratched easily.

Is titanium a good thing to buy to make money?

Titanium can be a good investment because many companies need it. But the price goes up and down a lot. [^4]

How We Make Titanium Parts at Istar Machining

At Istar Machining, we are experts in working with titanium. We know it can be hard to cut, but we have the right tools and know-how.

We use CNC milling to make precise titanium parts. Our CNC milling machines can cut titanium into any shape you need.

We also do titanium CNC machining for many industries:

Planes and Space parts
Doctor Tools
Sports Gear
Cars and Trucks
Boats

Real Stories of Titanium Use

Planes That Use Less Gas

The Boeing 787 plane uses 15% titanium. This helped make the plane 20% lighter. Now it uses less gas to fly! [^4]

New Hips That Last Long

Titanium hip parts last 25+ years. Other metal hip parts only last 10-15 years.

Clean Water Plants

In hot places like the Middle East, titanium parts in water cleaning plants last a very long time. They don’t rust even with all the salt water! [^5]

Why Pick Istar Machining for Your Titanium Parts?

We know that titanium can be hard to work with. But at Istar Machining, we have the skills and tools to make perfect titanium parts.

We can make:

Small parts for doctor tools
Big parts for planes
Strong parts for cars
Light parts for sports gear

We know how to make titanium parts that are just right for what you need.

End Words

Titanium is a special metal. It is light but strong. It does not rust. It is safe for human bodies.

Titanium costs more than other metals. It is also harder to work with. But the good things about titanium make it worth it for many uses.

At Istar Machining, we can help you with all your titanium needs. We can cut, shape, and finish titanium to make the parts you need.

Call us today to learn how we can help with your next titanium project!

[^1]: Mordor Intelligence, “Titanium Alloy Market Report,” 2023 [^2]: USGS Minerals Information, “Titanium Statistics and Information,” 2023 [^3]: Ulbrich, “Titanium Facts and Characteristics,” 2023 [^4]: The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, “Titanium in the Boeing 787,” 2010 [^5]: IQS Directory, “All About Titanium Metal,” 2023