Comparison of CNC Machining Materials

Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) is lighter than water, soft and tough, with excellent acid and alkali resistance as well as electrical insulation properties. It is widely used in fields such as packaging, agriculture, electronics, and daily necessities.

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is a lightweight, chemically resistant, and high-strength material. It is flexible and tough, commonly used in applications such as food packaging (e.g., food containers), agricultural films, daily necessities (e.g., storage boxes), and water tanks.

PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is a common thermoplastic polyester with excellent mechanical properties and strong chemical resistance. It also offers glass-like transparency and luster, with a high light transmittance of about 88–92%, and is widely used in beverage bottles, food packaging, and engineering plastics.

Acrylic (also known as polymethyl methacrylate, PMMA) boasts not only excellent optical performance but also outstanding UV resistance. With a light transmittance of up to 92%—comparable to glass—it has become a popular material in scenarios ranging from neon signs in shopping malls and display case panels in museums to precision optical lenses and stage light covers.

PEEK (Polyetheretherketone) is a top-performing thermoplastic engineering plastic, featuring excellent high-temperature resistance, robust mechanical properties, versatile corrosion resistance, top-tier biocompatibility, exceptional dimensional stability, and outstanding electrical insulation and radiation resistance. It is widely used in high-end fields such as aerospace, high-end medical care, and electronic semiconductors.

Titanium alloys are high-performance materials that combine exceptional strength, a superior strength-to-weight ratio, outstanding corrosion resistance, high-temperature stability, and excellent biocompatibility. While costlier and more difficult to process than steels or aluminum alloys, their unique advantages—high strength, light weight, and durability in extreme environments—make them indispensable in aerospace, advanced medical, and deep-sea applications, where performance takes priority over cost.

Low carbon steel (with carbon content not exceeding 0.25%) is one of the most commonly used types of steel in both industry and daily life, thanks to its excellent plasticity, weldability, and low cost. It is widely applied in components such as pistons, screws, and drive shafts. However, due to its limited strength, it usually requires post-treatment.

Aluminum 7075 alloy is a high-strength wrought alloy with zinc as its primary alloying element. It exhibits excellent mechanical properties, characterized by outstanding strength, toughness, and fatigue resistance. In addition, compared with most aluminum alloys, it demonstrates superior corrosion resistance, which makes it widely used in aerospace and other fields where lightweight structures and comprehensive performance are critically required.