Pipe CNC Machining Service

Aluminum (Common Grades: 6061, 7075, 5052, 2024) is lightweight, offers good corrosion resistance (especially when anodized), possesses excellent thermal and electrical conductivity, and is highly machinable, allowing for complex features on pipes and tubes.

Good for:

• Low-pressure fluid and air lines
• Structural tubing for frames and supports (e.g., robotics, automation)
• Heat exchanger components and cooling systems
• Telescoping tube applications
• Custom pneumatic or hydraulic manifolds (machined from tube stock)
• Lightweight housings and enclosures made from tubing
• Architectural and decorative tubing

Why customers love it: “It provides an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, good machinability leading to faster production times and lower costs, and natural corrosion resistance suitable for many environments.”

Stainless Steel (Common Grades: 304, 316/316L, 303, 17-4 PH) offers excellent corrosion resistance, high strength and durability, and good high/low-temperature resistance. 316/316L is particularly resistant to chlorides and acids.

Good for:

• Food and beverage processing pipes and fittings
• Medical device components and tubing
• Chemical processing and transport pipes
• Marine application tubing and hardware
• High-pressure fluid systems
• Exhaust system components
• Sanitary and hygienic applications

Why customers love it: “Its superior corrosion resistance ensures longevity in harsh environments and compliance for sanitary applications, combined with high strength and a clean aesthetic finish.”

Carbon Steel (Common Grades: 1018, 1020, 1045, A36) is a cost-effective, strong, and versatile material known for its good machinability and weldability. Often available in various pipe schedules. Requires coating (paint, galvanizing, plating) to prevent rust.

Good for:

• General purpose structural tubing (frames, supports, rollers)
• Low-pressure water, oil, and gas piping
• Hydraulic lines (specific grades)
• Conduit and protective sleeves
• Cost-sensitive industrial applications
• Machining custom fittings and connectors

Why customers love it: “It’s an economical choice offering good strength and ease of fabrication for a wide range of non-corrosive structural and fluid handling applications.”

Alloy Steel (Common Grades: 4130, 4140, 4340) contains additional alloying elements (like chromium, molybdenum, nickel) enhancing properties like strength, hardness, toughness, and heat resistance compared to carbon steel.

Good for:

• High-strength structural tubing (e.g., roll cages, bicycle frames, aerospace)
• High-pressure hydraulic and pneumatic systems
• Components requiring high wear resistance (machined onto tubes)
• Axles and power transmission tubing
• Tooling and fixtures involving tubular components

Why customers love it: “Provides significantly higher strength and toughness than carbon steel, making it suitable for demanding mechanical applications requiring durability under high stress or load.”

Brass (Common Alloys: C360, C260) is an alloy of copper and zinc, known for its excellent machinability, good corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, and attractive gold-like appearance.

Good for:

• Plumbing fittings and connectors
• Low-pressure pipe systems for air, water
• Decorative tubing and architectural elements
• Bushings and bearings machined from tube stock
• Musical instrument components
• Nozzles and valve components

Why customers love it: “It’s one of the easiest metals to machine, reducing costs, while offering good corrosion resistance and an appealing look, especially for fittings and decorative parts.”

Copper (Common Grades: C101, C110) is renowned for its outstanding electrical and thermal conductivity, good corrosion resistance, and antimicrobial properties. It’s relatively soft and ductile.

Good for:

• Heat exchanger tubes and heat sinks
• Plumbing and refrigerant lines
• Electrical bus bars and connectors (machined from tube/bar)
• High-purity gas lines
• Architectural features

Why customers love it: “Its unparalleled thermal and electrical conductivity is essential for heat transfer and electrical applications, coupled with good corrosion resistance and ease of joining (soldering/brazing).”

Titanium (Common Grades: Grade 2, Grade 5/Ti-6Al-4V) offers an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, outstanding corrosion resistance (especially in saltwater and chemical environments), and biocompatibility. It is more challenging and costly to machine.

Good for:

• Aerospace hydraulic lines and structural components
• Medical implants and surgical instruments
• Marine hardware and piping systems
• High-performance automotive/motorsport components (e.g., exhaust tubing)
• Chemical processing equipment exposed to corrosive media
• Lightweight, high-strength tubular frames

Why customers love it: “It delivers high strength comparable to steel at nearly half the weight, combined with exceptional corrosion resistance and biocompatibility for critical applications.”

Nickel Alloys (Examples: Inconel®, Monel®, Hastelloy®) are superalloys designed for extreme environments, offering excellent high-temperature strength, creep resistance, and outstanding corrosion resistance to specific aggressive chemicals. Difficult and expensive to machine.

Good for:

• Aerospace engine components and exhaust systems
• Chemical and petrochemical processing pipes under extreme conditions
• Oil and gas industry components (downhole, sour gas)
• Marine applications in highly corrosive seawater
• Heat treatment fixture components

Why customers love it: “They provide unparalleled performance in extreme temperature and highly corrosive environments where other metals would fail, ensuring reliability in critical applications.”