Titanium Machining & Supply in Savannah, GA

Both are the Ti-6Al-4V alloy, but Grade 23 is the ELI (extra-low interstitial) version with tighter limits on oxygen, nitrogen, and iron. Those lower interstitials give Grade 23 improved fracture toughness and ductility compared to standard Grade 5, at the cost of slightly lower strength. The practical effect is that Grade 23 performs better in damage-tolerant and fatigue-critical applications, which is why it's the standard for medical implants and why aerospace drawings sometimes specify it for damage-tolerant structure. Grade 5 is the general aerospace workhorse used for the majority of structural fittings and brackets where its strength-to-weight is the priority. Critically, the two are not interchangeable when a drawing calls out one specifically — substituting Grade 5 where Grade 23 is required, or vice versa, is an engineering decision that belongs to the design authority, not the buyer. Always machine and certify to the grade the drawing specifies.

Titanium's physical properties make it inherently harder and slower to machine. It has low thermal conductivity, so heat generated at the cutting edge doesn't dissipate into the chip or part — it concentrates right where the tool meets the metal, accelerating tool wear. Titanium is also chemically reactive at high temperature and tends to gall and weld to tooling, and it work-hardens if you dwell or rub. Add a relatively low modulus that causes springback and fights tight tolerances, and you get a material that demands rigid machine setups, very sharp and frequently replaced carbide or specialized tooling, generous flood coolant, and conservative feeds and speeds. All of that translates to longer cycle times and higher tooling consumption than aluminum, which cuts fast and cool. The cost is real and unavoidable, but Savannah shops that run titanium for the aerospace supply chain have the rigidity, coolant strategy, and tooling discipline to do it efficiently and hold aerospace tolerances repeatably.

Generally yes, because Savannah's aerospace concentration around Gulfstream supports a local special-process chain. Titanium aerospace parts often require NADCAP-accredited operations such as heat treatment, chemical processing or etching, and nondestructive testing, and these capabilities are available within or near the metro precisely because the regional supply chain serves airframe programs that demand them. The advantage to a buyer is that a titanium fitting can frequently be machined, special-processed, inspected, and certified inside one geographic loop, which shortens the traceability chain and reduces shipping of high-value parts between distant vendors. When you plan a titanium job, identify every required special process and its specification on the RFQ, and confirm the supplier or its qualified subcontractors hold the relevant NADCAP accreditations. Lining this up before the part is cut prevents the costly scenario of finishing machining only to discover a required process isn't covered.

Grade 2 is the right choice when corrosion resistance and formability matter more than high strength. It's commercially pure titanium, meaning lower strength than the Ti-6Al-4V alloys but excellent resistance to corrosion, including in chloride-bearing and marine-adjacent environments like Savannah's coastal setting. It also forms and welds more readily than Grade 5. Typical applications include fluid-system components, heat exchangers, marine hardware, and lower-stress parts where the environment is the dominant concern rather than mechanical load. If your part needs to survive aggressive corrosion but doesn't carry significant structural load, Grade 2 delivers the titanium corrosion advantage without paying for alloy strength you won't use. For load-bearing structural parts, step up to Grade 5 or, for damage-tolerant requirements, Grade 23. As always, specify the grade and applicable AMS or ASTM specification on the RFQ, and require certification appropriate to the application.