Has anyone here ever machined ELGILOY?

Pitglc · Apr 13, 2012

Just the name sounds scary! I have been asked to quote a job made from the material ELGILOY.I have never heard of it before,looked it up on the internet and from the makeup of it,
40% cobalt,15% nickel and 20% Chromium, it seems very nasty. I am guessing it is in the Hastelloy,Waspalloy,Inconel range. I wanted to know about the machinability of it. Can
anyone clue me in on this stuff?Thanks in advance for your help!

sfriedberg · Apr 13, 2012

I haven't worked with it, but many orthodontic dentists certainly have. It's a non-corrosive spring material that's often used in braces for straightening teeth, also other medical purposes. I think it's only stocked as wire and small-ish strip (appropriate for springs). If your job calls for any sort of bulk material, the first obstacle will be seeing if you can get it at all.

A quick look says the material is available in four tempers (with different intended uses), and no doubt the machining behavior differs widely between the tempers. Does your job specify either the original temper or the post-heat-treat condition?

escott · Apr 16, 2012

I've done a tiny bit of it, more forming though. I did a bit of trimming on the parts before forming, and it wasn't that nice. Still didn't burr as bad as some stuff. It forms rather well, so I would guess that any more machining than what I did would be a nightmare.

IronReb · Apr 16, 2012

If you get the job I would be sure to call in your tool rep for advice on tooling,speeds and feeds.I have never heard of it either but no doubt you will need the right grade of tooling for the job.
I would imagine this stuff could eat rex95 and crap sparks.

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Has anyone here ever machined ELGILOY?

Pitglc

Aluminum

sfriedberg

Diamond

escott

Aluminum

IronReb

Stainless

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