ðŠķ MAGNESIUM
Magnesium Machining and Fabrication in Wausau, WI
Magnesium alloys deliver the best strength-to-weight ratio of any structural metal, and sourcing them from Wausau connects buyers to a manufacturing corridor where precision CNC work is the daily standard. North-central Wisconsin shops have long served heavy-equipment and construction OEMs that demand dimensional accuracy well inside 0.001 inch on complex geometries. Whether the application calls for the formability of AZ31B sheet, the die-cast density of AZ91D, or the elevated-temperature performance of WE43, Wausau-area suppliers bring the tooling discipline and environmental controls that magnesium's reactivity demands.
ISO 9001AS9100NADCAP
Why Magnesium Belongs in Heavy-Equipment and Construction Assemblies
Magnesium is roughly 35 percent lighter than aluminum and about 75 percent lighter than steel, a differential that matters enormously in mobile heavy-equipment where every kilogram of unsprung or reciprocating mass translates to fuel consumption, brake wear, and operator fatigue. Wausau sits in a region where construction-equipment suppliers and their Tier 2 machining partners routinely challenge themselves to hit aggressive weight targets without sacrificing load-bearing capacity. Magnesium housings, gearbox covers, and structural brackets are a logical answer when an aluminum component is already at its weight ceiling.
AZ31B is the workhorse wrought alloy for this segment, available in sheet, plate, and extruded bar. Its yield strength runs approximately 200 MPa with elongation around 11 percent, making it suitable for formed brackets and welded enclosures. Wausau fabricators experienced in aluminum TIG welding can adapt to magnesium with proper shielding-gas protocols and pre-heat management, since magnesium's thermal conductivity is lower than aluminum's and burn-through risk is real on thin wall sections below 0.090 inch.
For cast components in the same equipment category, AZ91D is the dominant die-cast alloy, offering tensile strength near 230 MPa and excellent fluidity that fills thin-wall cavities cleanly. Regional foundry and casting-network partners accessible from Wausau can supply AZ91D near-net-shape blanks that local CNC shops then finish-machine to drawing. This split-source model keeps lead times competitive and minimizes the amount of highly reactive raw magnesium chip generated during machining.
Machining Magnesium Safely: What Wausau Shops Need to Control
Magnesium is machinable at very high cutting speeds â surface footage up to 3,000 ft/min is achievable â but the fine chips and dust it produces are flammable, and a thermal event in a chip bin or coolant sump is a serious hazard. Responsible Wausau-area shops working magnesium will use sharp, high-positive-rake carbide or PCD tooling, keep chip loads high enough to form thick chips rather than dust, and collect swarf in dry, dedicated steel containers away from water sources. Flood coolant with straight mineral oil or a dry-cut approach is preferred; water-based coolants risk hydrogen liberation if chips ignite.
For AZ31B plate work, typical finishing passes hold tolerances of plus or minus 0.0005 inch on critical bores with surface finishes of 32 Ra or better, achievable on modern 4- and 5-axis CNC machining centers. WE43, which contains yttrium and rare-earth additions for creep resistance above 150 degrees Celsius, is harder to source and somewhat more abrasive to cut, but its application in aerospace-adjacent and high-performance industrial components justifies the premium tooling cost. Buyers specifying WE43 should communicate the end-use temperature environment clearly so the shop can confirm alloy certification traceability back to a qualified melt.
Wausau's manufacturing community includes shops that hold AS9100 certification for aerospace supply chains, which imposes first-article inspection requirements, material traceability, and process documentation discipline that benefits any buyer ordering magnesium components for critical applications â even outside aerospace. Requesting AS9100-certified suppliers when sourcing WE43 or precision AZ31B is a low-cost risk-mitigation step that pays dividends at incoming inspection.
Grade Selection Guide: AZ31B vs AZ91D vs WE43 for Wausau Applications
Choosing the right magnesium grade starts with understanding the processing route. AZ31B is the standard choice for wrought products â sheet metal work, machined-from-plate components, and extruded profiles. Its zinc and aluminum additions (nominally 3 percent Al, 1 percent Zn) give a solid combination of room-temperature strength and ductility. For Wausau buyers sourcing formed or welded enclosures for outdoor construction equipment, AZ31B H24 temper balances work-hardening with enough residual ductility to survive the forming operations without edge cracking.
AZ91D is optimized for high-pressure die casting and is not available in wrought form. If a design calls for a complex net-shape housing with integrated bosses and ribs, AZ91D die casting followed by CNC finish machining of critical interfaces is typically the lowest-cost route. The alloy's 9 percent aluminum content improves fluidity and corrosion resistance relative to lower-aluminum grades but makes it unsuitable for welding or significant post-cast forming. Buyers working with Wausau-region casting partners should specify T4 (solution treat) or T6 (age) heat treatment when the application demands the alloy's full mechanical properties rather than the as-cast condition.
WE43 occupies a specialty niche: yttrium (nominally 4 percent) and rare-earth elements suppress creep and maintain tensile strength above 250 MPa at temperatures that would soften AZ91D significantly. It is the grade of choice for aerospace brackets, high-performance motorsport components, and select military hardware. Wausau suppliers with AS9100 or NADCAP certifications and documented experience with reactive-metal handling are the right partners for WE43 work. Buyers should expect longer lead times and higher material cost â WE43 billet can run three to five times the price of AZ31B â but the trade-off is justified where operating conditions exceed 150 degrees Celsius continuously.
How to Qualify a Wausau Magnesium Supplier on ManufacturingBase
When posting a magnesium RFQ on ManufacturingBase, include the alloy designation and temper, the processing route (wrought plate, extrusion, or die-cast blank with finish machining), critical tolerances, surface finish requirements, and any required certifications. Wausau-area suppliers responding to magnesium RFQs will typically ask for material certification (mill cert or casting cert tracing heat number to chemistry), drawing revision level, and annual volume to size their quoting response appropriately.
For prototype and low-volume work on AZ31B plate, expect 2 to 4 week lead times from a capable CNC shop if material is in stock. Production runs of AZ91D die-cast plus machined components will have longer lead times tied to tooling amortization and casting cycle scheduling. WE43 components should be quoted with 6 to 10 week lead times for first article unless the supplier already carries certified billet.
Ask prospective Wausau suppliers specifically how they manage magnesium swarf disposal and whether their facility is rated for reactive-metal work. Shops that have invested in compliant chip-handling infrastructure signal the kind of operational maturity that translates into consistent, defect-free parts rather than shortcuts that create quality escapes downstream. ManufacturingBase's supplier profiles surface certifications and capability tags to help buyers filter for shops that have already done the groundwork.
Frequently Asked Questions
AZ31B in plate and bar form is the most readily stocked wrought magnesium alloy accessible to Wausau-area CNC machining operations. It is the default starting point for machined-from-solid components because its balanced mechanical properties and relatively low reactivity (in bulk form) make it manageable on standard 3- and 5-axis machining centers with proper chip-handling protocols in place. AZ91D is not available in wrought form but is the dominant grade for die-cast blanks that regional casting partners can supply for secondary machining. WE43 is a specialty alloy requiring specific sourcing channels and is typically procured through aerospace-qualified distributors; Wausau shops with AS9100 certification and reactive-metal experience are the appropriate partners for WE43 work. When posting an RFQ, specify the alloy, temper, and stock form explicitly so suppliers can confirm material availability and quote accurately without assumptions.
Responsible magnesium machining starts with tooling and chip-load selection that favors thick, curled chips over fine dust. Sharp, high-positive-rake carbide tooling run at aggressive feeds minimizes the finely divided swarf that presents the greatest ignition risk. Wausau shops equipped for magnesium work use dry machining or straight mineral-oil mist rather than water-based coolants, since water reacts with burning magnesium chips and can accelerate rather than suppress a thermal event. Swarf is collected in dry steel containers, never plastic, and removed from the machine envelope promptly. Fire suppression in the machining area uses Class D extinguishers rated for metal fires â standard CO2 or water systems are not appropriate. Buyers sourcing magnesium from Wausau should ask suppliers directly about their reactive-metal work procedures and whether their facility risk assessment covers magnesium-specific hazards. Shops that can provide documented procedures demonstrate the operational discipline that also produces consistent dimensional quality.
AZ31B is weldable using TIG (GTAW) welding with AZ61A or AZ92A filler wire and high-purity argon shielding gas. Wausau welding fabricators experienced in aluminum TIG work can make the transition to magnesium with attention to a few key differences: magnesium's oxide layer melts at roughly 2,750 degrees Fahrenheit versus the base metal at around 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, so aggressive AC cleaning action on the TIG torch is essential to break the oxide without burning through the base material. Pre-heat to 300 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit reduces cracking risk on thicker sections. Post-weld stress relief at approximately 500 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour per inch of thickness is recommended for structural assemblies. AZ91D die castings are not weldable due to porosity and alloy chemistry; repair welding of AZ91D castings is generally not recommended for structural applications. Buyers should specify weld procedures and qualification requirements (AWS D1.2 adapted for magnesium, or customer-specific WPS) in the RFQ package so Wausau fabricators can confirm capability before quoting.
Magnesium has relatively poor corrosion resistance in bare form â galvanic coupling with steel fasteners or standing water exposure will cause rapid pitting without surface protection. Common treatments accessible through Wausau's regional finishing network include chromate conversion coating (though hexavalent chromium is being phased out under environmental regulations in favor of trivalent alternatives), anodizing (specifically DOW-17 or HAE process anodizing for magnesium, distinct from aluminum anodizing lines), and powder coating or liquid paint over a properly prepared conversion-coated substrate. For indoor or hermetically sealed assemblies, a chromate-free conversion coat plus epoxy primer is often sufficient. For outdoor construction-equipment applications where AZ31B brackets or housings are exposed to road salt and moisture, a full primer plus topcoat system with sealed fastener interfaces is recommended. Buyers should identify the end-use corrosion environment in the RFQ so finishing suppliers can specify the appropriate system and the magnesium machining shop can sequence operations to protect critical dimensions through the coating process.
Magnesium alloy stock costs more per pound than 6061 or 7075 aluminum in standard plate and bar forms, though the density advantage means less material is consumed per part by volume. AZ31B plate typically prices at a 20 to 40 percent premium over comparable 6061 aluminum plate depending on market conditions and order quantity. Machining labor rates are similar to aluminum since cutting speeds are actually higher for magnesium, but the added overhead cost of proper chip handling, disposal, and facility compliance for reactive metals is real and will be reflected in shop rates. Lead times for prototype work in AZ31B from Wausau-area shops are comparable to aluminum â 2 to 4 weeks for cut-to-size and machined parts if material is in stock. WE43 specialty billet carries significantly longer procurement lead times of 6 to 12 weeks from qualified aerospace distributors. Buyers evaluating aluminum versus magnesium for a Wausau-sourced component should model total system cost including the weight savings value (fuel, payload, shipping) rather than just piece-part price.
Last updated: July 2026
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