Machining Beryllium

Manufacturing workpieces with unique material characteristics can provide machining challenges. The metal beryllium is an excellent example. Beryllium is two-thirds the weight of aluminum and six times as stiff as steel. It has a high melting point and a very low range of thermal expansion. Those attributes deliver performance that is crucial in precision applications such as aircraft components, spacecraft, communication satellites and optics. However, beryllium is also hard and brittle and produces powder instead of chips when machined, therefore requiring special machining techniques to avoid cracking. It is also expensive, about $1,500 a pound. And finally, it is toxic and causes severe allergic reactions in those sensitive to it. As such, only a few shops in the United States are the lone providers of parts made from this tricky material.