Feed & Speed Calculator for Titanium (Ti-6Al-4V)
Low speed, steady feed, rigid setup — titanium punishes hesitation and dwelling far more than it punishes an aggressive chip load.
Ti-6Al-4V starting ranges
| Tool | Cutting speed (SFM) | Chip load, 1/2" 4-flute (in) |
|---|---|---|
| Carbide (coated, sharp edge) | 100–180 | 0.003–0.006 |
| HSS/Cobalt | 20–30 | 0.002–0.004 |
Speed is deliberately low; chip load is not — titanium wants a healthy bite per tooth even though SFM looks conservative next to steel.
Why low speed is non-negotiable
Titanium has very poor thermal conductivity, so heat generated at the cutting edge stays concentrated right at the tool tip instead of spreading into the chip and workpiece the way it does in steel or aluminum — running titanium at steel-like speeds concentrates enough heat to soften the tool edge almost immediately, regardless of how good the tool is.
Work hardening punishes hesitation, not aggression
Titanium work-hardens the instant a cutting edge rubs instead of shears — a tool that dwells, a light finishing pass taken too slow, or a chip load that's too conservative all leave a hardened layer that the next pass then has to cut through, accelerating tool wear dramatically. This is why titanium wants a confident, consistent chip load more than it wants a cautious one.
Never let the tool sit still while spinning
Any dwell time with the spindle turning and the tool in contact with titanium generates heat with nowhere to go and immediately work-hardens the surface — keep the tool constantly engaged and moving, use climb milling to keep chip thickness maximum at the start of engagement, and back off before a pass ever pauses mid-cut.
Rigidity matters more here than almost any other material
Titanium's cutting forces combined with its poor heat dissipation make chatter and deflection especially damaging — a light machine or long tool stickout in titanium accelerates tool failure far faster than the same setup would in steel. Check the Tool Deflection Calculator before committing to a long-reach titanium operation.