The lightest structural metal. 30% lighter than aluminum.

Magnesium chips are flammable and burn at very high temperature (1,100 °C). Fine dust is explosive when airborne. Safety precautions are mandatory: dedicated machining area isolated from aluminum/steel chips, wet-collection of chips (keep submerged in oil or water), Class D fire extinguishers nearby, no water-based coolant (water intensifies magnesium fire). Our magnesium machining is done on dedicated equipment with proper safety protocols. Finished parts are perfectly safe.

Bare magnesium corrodes very rapidly — within days in humid environments, worse in salt spray. For outdoor service, magnesium must be coated: chromate conversion + paint, powder coat, or anodize + paint. Even with coating, lifetime is shorter than aluminum. For marine or severe outdoor, aluminum or stainless is usually the better choice.

Choose magnesium when: weight is the dominant driver (aerospace, drones, racing), EMI shielding matters (consumer electronics), or vibration damping matters (precision instruments). Choose aluminum when: corrosion environment, cost matters, weldability needed, or production volumes are high enough that machining safety overhead impacts economics. For most parts, aluminum is easier and cheaper.

Machinability is excellent — faster than aluminum, comparable to brass. Tolerances match aluminum: ±0.05 mm standard, ±0.01 mm precision. Surface finish Ra 0.8 µm single-pass. The machining is easy; the hazards require attention.

Magnesium is actually a biocompatible metal — it's present in the body. Used in dissolvable orthopedic implants that gradually absorb into bone tissue. However, medical magnesium implants require specialized grades (WE43 MEO, AZ31B Mg) and heat treatments not part of our standard offering. For research biodegradable implants, we can source these through specialized medical material distributors.