In the world of CNC machining, and even manufacturing in general, titanium seems to be held in the highest of regards. NASA uses it, so there has to be some validity to that. We see and hear it all the time from customers and those interested in buying a Tormach CNC Machine: “So, can this thing cut titanium?” Now, that’s a valid question if you’re planning on running a CNC machined titanium project, but more often than not people only use titanium as a litmus test for a CNC machine because the thought is often ‘If it can cut titanium, it can cut anything/'

When you’re picking out cutting tools, the first challenge is to figure out which style to buy. The second is to select what material and coating combination you’ll need. You might be questioning why coatings matter – surely it’s just a marketing ploy to get you to spend an extra couple bucks, right?

We recently had a customer ask about the PCNC 770 and its cutting capabilities. After some conversation about the machine’s ability to cut anything that you can put under the spindle – it all just depends on feeds, speeds, and how long it takes to cut – the customer cut to the chase: “Can it mill Tantalum?”

As the world of manufacturing trends toward being smaller and more customized, many industries are doing the same. Customized jewelry has often been relegated to work done in castings, but customized jewelry is becoming a much bigger industry, and CNC machinery is helping to lead the way.

There are a number of Tormach customers that use their PCNC mills to help race cars and motorcycles go faster. In fact, we have a whole customer success story section dedicated to just that. Adam Silver is a race enthusiast who fabricates vintage race car parts.