G10 Material Machining

G10 material is a very stiff, flame resistant material that is often used in the circuit board industry.  It is a type of fiberglass that will require some special drill bits and machinery in order to do the G10 material machining.  You will need diamond tips on your drill bits to cut through the G10.  

Fiberglass is made by adding layers of resin over layers of glass.  This is a process that forms a very strong material that is hard to cut and machine.  However, this material is very moisture-proof, strong for applications that require strength, has a low coefficient of thermal expansion, and extremely durable.  Because of this, it is used for a wide variety of applications.  The majority of applications that we use G10 materials are in marine parts as well as circuit boards.  The materials are steady, it doesn’t move due to drops in temperatures or heat.  It doesn’t absorb moisture so it doesn’t expand that way.  Because of these properties, it is a great material for the circuit boards as well as marine engine part applications.  

Marine parts are exposed to the water almost all of the time.  It needs to be durable but also not something that will absorb water.  That is why you will find that the G10 material is used all over the marine world.  However, because it is so hard to machine, most places have to find qualified machines to assist.  

The two categories of G10

G10 Material Machining

There are two categories of G10, which are called FR4 and FR10.  FR10 is the fire retardant grade of the normal G10, meaning it has that added additive.  This will not affect the machining of G10 but should be mentioned.  These categories were made through the National Electrical Manufacturers Associations.  They grade thermoset materials like G10.  

What is a thermoset material?

A thermoset material is a material or grade of plastics that cannot be melted down or recycled.   There are two different types of plastic on the market thermoplastic and thermosets.  Thermoplastics are plastics that can be remelted down, things like your car bumper, the milk jug, and plastic packaging are good examples of this. 

Thermosets are similar to making a cake.  You bake the cake but there is never a way to get the egg back out of it or make it back to its original state.  Tires are another great example of a thermoset material as well as G10.  These materials are created due to a chemical reaction to form the material.  Epoxy is a household material that we use that is a thermoset.  Quite often you have to mix 1/2 and 1/2 into a cup and then apply and wait for it to set up.  This chemical reaction cannot be undone, but will burn should it be heated too high.  

Cutting G10 material

G10 is an epoxy laminate actually. So, the materials are mixed together and poured onto a sheet of glass fabric.  Cutting the various layers of glass fabric will take diamond tip tools and a strong motor on your machines.  The common names for this material are Garolite, Bakelite, and Micarta.  If you should need some G10 fabrication done, give us a call. We offer G10 material machining and do this every day.