6061 vs 7075 vs Titanium: An Alloy Selection Guide for Machined Parts

Three alloys cover most of the RFQs we quote: 6061-T6 for general work, 7075-T651 when strength decides, and Ti-6Al-4V when the environment or the application leaves no substitute. Buyers often send drawings already labeled with one of the three, and the engineering review agrees most of the time. The disagreements are worth writing down, because they usually cost money in one direction or the other: titanium specified where 7075 would carry the load, or 6061 specified into a salt environment it cannot survive.

The numbers side by side

All values below are typical for the common tempers. Where a drawing calls out a specific standard, the mill certificate governs, not this table.

Two rows decide most selections. The strength row separates 6061 from 7075: at nearly double the yield, 7075 earns its cost on any part where weight and load meet. The machinability row separates both aluminums from titanium, because a difficult alloy changes cycle time, tooling, and scrap risk, and those show up in the unit price long before the material invoice does.

Where each alloy wins

6061-T6 is the default for fixtures, enclosures, manifolds, and brackets that see moderate load. It welds well, anodizes to a clean uniform finish, and machines fast with predictable tool life. On parts where the drawing leaves material open, this is where the quote usually lands.

7075-T651 carries the structural work: robotic arm links, aerospace fittings, clamping components, any part loaded near its limit. The trade-offs are corrosion and joining. Bare 7075 in a wet or salt environment exfoliates, so it needs coating discipline, and welding it is a repair in the making rather than a process. A common floor note: 7075 anodizes to a slightly grayer, less uniform color than 6061, which matters on cosmetic assemblies.

Ti-6Al-4V owns the applications the other two cannot touch: medical implants that need biocompatibility, components running above 150 C where aluminum loses strength, seawater service, and high fatigue-life parts. It also holds up against many chemicals that attack aluminum outright.

What each alloy does to the quote

Machinability is the hidden line item. The bands below come from our production data on the 100+ machines on the floor, including 11 five-axis centers.

Titanium machining is not mysterious, it is disciplined. The heat has nowhere to go except into the tool, so the process runs lower speeds with firm feeds, keeps the tool engaged, and never lets the coolant stop. Shops that treat Ti-6Al-4V like slow aluminum produce burned edges and short tool life; shops that run it on purpose quote it honestly. Our titanium machining page lists the grades we stock and the process notes for each.

A decision table by part class

Before you lock the callout

Two checks settle most alloy questions in minutes. First, trace the load path: if the part survives at a quarter of its yield with margin, 6061 is the honest choice, and the drawing should say so. Second, trace the environment: condensation, washdown, salt, or process chemicals disqualify bare 7075 faster than any strength argument saves it. When the checks land in the middle, quote both; the price difference between 6061 and 7075 is smaller than most buyers expect at production quantities.

The materials library lists every alloy and polymer we run with machining notes, including the aluminum grades and their stock sizes. For parts crossing industries, the robotics and aerospace pages show which alloys each application class tends to specify. Send the drawing through the quote form with the load and environment noted, and the review will return the alloy recommendation with its reasoning alongside the price.

Frequently asked questions