Free Cutting Steels

A free cutting steel is a steel that is optimized for the machining processes turning and drilling (continuous cutting) on ​​automated machine tools. Alloying with phosphorus or sulfur creates brittle bullets where the chips can break. Alloying with lead creates finely divided, heterogeneous lead inclusions in the steel, at which the chips can break. Free-cutting steels for very high cutting speeds are alloyed with lead. As toxic lead vapors are released from the melt during alloying, special equipment from the steelworks must be used to extract and separate the vapors. Therefore lead-alloyed free-cutting steels are no longer produced in large quantities. By alloying with sulfur (0.08% - 0.4%) and manganese (0.7% - 1.7%) similar properties can be set as with the lead alloy. The addition of sulfur creates soft, line-shaped manganese sulfide inclusions in the steel, at which the chips break. Free-cutting steels are mainly used in series production on automatic lathes and combined machining centers. The most important free cutting steels are listed in DIN 1651 / EN 10087 and EN 10277-3. Free-cutting steels are mainly used in series production on automatic lathes and combined machining centers. The most important free cutting steels are listed in DIN 1651 / EN 10087 and EN 10277-3. Below you 'll find steel materials which belongs to material group: "Free cutting steels"