CNC Machining Materials

PTFE

At a glance

Processes

CNC Mill
CNC Lathe

Lead Time

As fast as 2 days

Colors

Black, white

Tolerance

With drawing: as low as +/- 0.005 mm
No drawing: ISO 2768 medium

Price

$

Applications

Sliding/rolling parts, bearings, gears

About the material

Commonly known as Teflon, PTFE resists high temperatures and chemicals/solvents excellently in and is also a great insulator. It is also a very slippery plastic, which makes it a good material for low-friction applications such as bearings.

Material Properties

Yield Strength (tensile)

4,500 psi

Elongation at Break

300%

Hardness

Rockwell R60

Density

0.046 lbs / cu. in.

Maximum Temp

400° F

McMaster Part Number

8545K1

Material Finish

PTFE comes in an opaque white or black color and has a slippery surface texture. In addition to its overall texture, many different surface finishes can be achieved during machining.

Design Recommendations

Min Wall Thickness

0.5 mm

Min End Mill Size

0.8 mm (0.03 in)

Min Drill Size

0.5 mm (0.02 in)

Max Part Size

1200 x 500 x 152 mm [x,y,z] (mill)
152 x 394 mm [d,h] (lathe)

Undercuts

Square profile, full radius, dovetail profiles

Radii : Depth

Depth must not exceed 12x drill bit diameter.
For end mills, depth must not exceed 10x tool diameter.

Cost Saving Tip

To reduce costs, limit the number of part setups, the number of inspection dimensions or tight tolerances, and deep pockets with small radii.

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN

DFM for CNC Machining Checklist

Get our DFM for CNC machining checklist, which summarizes the essential design for manfuacturability rules engineers should apply.

Learn More

DFM for CNC Master Class: How to Optimize DFM for Complex Mechanical Designs

In this webinar, we explore how to reduce manufacturing effort in the most complex designs applicable to industries such as medical devices, robotics, and aerospace. Here we will specify key risk mitigation strategies for high precision, high geometric complexity, and extreme part sizes (large and small). You’ll walk away knowing: Costs and benefit trade-offs at […]

Learn More