Cast iron contains more than 2% carbon and often includes silicon, chromium, or nickel to improve flow properties. The finished components are highly corrosion-resistant but also brittle, making further machining possible only by stock removal. The machinability of cast iron varies by grade, and process reliability is crucial due to potential seasonal fluctuations in batch quality.

Here are a few main cast iron materials and their machining challenges:

• EN-JS-1060 (GGG60): A low-cost cast iron with nodular graphite (material number 0.7060). It has excellent mechanical properties and is used in automotive (engines, crankshafts/camshafts), rail (wheels), and general engineering (pump cases) applications. Challenges include high tool wear, blowholes, and sand residue from the mold that can damage cutting tools.
• EN-GJL-250 (GG25): This material (material number 0.6025) has carbon in the form of flake graphite. It conducts heat well, is rigid, absorbs vibrations, and is highly resistant to pressure. It is used in automotive and general engineering for vibration-absorbing machine bases, steam turbine cases, and gearboxes. Machining challenges include increased tool wear due to sand residue from the mold.
• EN-GJMW-350-04 (EN-JM1010): Also known as white malleable cast iron, this material is used for extremely thin-walled components. It has superior galvanizing properties, is tough, corrosion-resistant, absorbs vibrations, and is easy to machine. It is used in the automotive sector for steering, chassis, and transmission parts.

When machining cast iron components, the specific properties of the material must be considered. For example, there are differences in machining cast iron with flake graphite versus nodular graphite. Regardless of the type of cast iron, ZCC Cutting Tools (ZCC CT) offers a wide assortment of high-quality machining tools to meet your needs.