The austenitic stainless steel grades (the 300 series) are more difficult to machine that the ferritic and martensitic stainless steel grade families. Austenitic stainless steels are more highly alloyed and more prone to higher work-hardening rates. This leads to the need for higher horsepower and more rigid setup. Milling of stainless steel involve generally high cutting forces and powerful machines are necessary. As for turning, it is recommended to use coated carbide tools or inserts. For carbide end milling tools, cutting speeds between 90 and 200 m/min are possible for free-machining grades (like X8CrNiS18-9/1.4305 – AISI 304 grade with high sulphur content) and between 50 and 150 m/min for regular materials (like 1.4301 – AISI 304). Feed rates vary between 0.012 and 0.125 mm/rev/tooth, depending on the cutter diameter. For face milling equipped with carbide inserts, cutting speeds range from 80 to 400 m/min for free-machining grades and from about 50 to 300 m/min for standard alloys. Feed rates are between 0.05 and 0.20 mm/rev/tooth.
Machining setup recommendation for turning austenitic stainless steel AISI 304, depth of cut, in: 0.3;
- High-speed steel tool: speed (fpm): 60, feed (irp): 0.020, tool material AISI M2 and M3
- Coated tool: speed (fpm): 325, feed (irp): 0.020, tool material CC-2
References:
1. Michael McGuire, Stainless Steels for Design Engineers, ASM International 2008
2. P.J. Cunat, Working with stainless steel, Euro-Inox, 1998
Thank for your reply. This information is very much helpful for my project.
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