Free-Cutting Steel round Bar/hex bar

Free cutting steels also known as free machining steels are those steels which form small chips when machined. This increases the machinability of the material by breaking the chips into small pieces, thus avoiding their entanglement in the machinery. This enables automatic run of the equipment without human interaction. Free cutting steels with lead also allow for higher machining rates. As a thumb rule, free cutting steel normally costs 15 % to 20 % more than the standard steel. However this is made up by increased machining speeds, larger cuts, and longer tool life.

Free cutting steel which is the alloy steel be added certain amount of sulfur, phosphorus, lead, calcium, selenium, tellurium and other elements to improve the machinability. As the development of machining technology, the requirements for machinability of steel is more and more important. It has great impact in the industry.