Metal cutting tools using tungsten carbide and it applications

In previous blog we see about how we choose metal cutting tools and what the types of tools based on the materials. Now this blog we see about tungsten and carbide tools and its applications. The material carbide gives hardness to the material but in the real life, due to the cost of that material it is used with tungsten but in some cases solid carbide tool is inserted in to the part of the tool. It also gives the effectiveness in the metal cutting.

Tungsten carbide cutting tools contain equal parts of tungsten and carbon atoms. Basic form of the tungsten carbide is fine gray powder, after pressing and forging die, it develops as steel that is used for machineries and metal cutting tools.  These types of tools have high abrasive rate, this nature of tungsten carbide is very helpful for cutting metals. Especially rotary tools are made by solid carbide for giving fast in that tools such as milling tools.

Tungsten and Solid carbide tools:
There are many tools are available using solid carbide and tungsten carbide tools, Tips & Inserts, Rounds, Rod, Plug, Flats, Tip Tool as per IS & special, Carbide End mill, Drill, Slot mill, Reamer, Taps, Tipped index able milling cutters & Face mill cutters,  Rotary Burrres cutters, Boring Tool, Parting Tool.

Carbide Tips and Inserts:
Inserts and tips are the small inserts for tipped tool whose shank is made of another material, usually carbon tool steel. This gives the benefit of using carbide at the cutting interface without the high cost. Insert tools have ability to cut hard or abrasive materials. To increase the life of carbide inserts, they are sometimes coated. A coating allows the cutting edge of a tool to cleanly pass through the material without having the material gall or stick to it.

Carbide rounds and rods:
Carbide round bars have good abrasive resistance with bending strength, so it is used to make special cutters with various tools.

Carbide plugs and flats:
Plug is used along the die to maintain the Inner bore of the pipe. Plug gages are one such inspection tool that is used for checking and verifying the dimensional accuracy of a hole in a component.

Solid carbide mills and drills:
Carbide mills are used in various milling application in different industries such as general machining, mold and die, power generation and aerospace. Solid carbide drills are used to giving dimensional accuracy and improved finishing surface.

Solid carbide reamers and taps
Solid carbide taps are used to cut alloys and it gives higher removal rate so it gives smoother finishing operations. In this reamer is used to rotator type cutting, mostly the reamers are used to putting the hole.

How to Choose Metal Cutting Tools

Cutting of the metal refers “getting metal to use”. In olden days tools are used to perform these operations that are operated by hand but now-a-days that are all operated using machineries. The high level machineries also use these basic types of tools for its operations.

The metal cutting operation refers not only cutting commonly it refers shaping of the metal. The shaping refers, bend, cut, stretch and shrink metal. To perform these are all the operations required separate tools. The work efficiency of the tool is based on the work adaptation of the tools. So choosing tools based on the work is important.

In growing technology there are many tools are available. Here I explained some types of tools and its uses. Tools are categorized under

       1.  High speed Steel and tungsten carbide tools
       2.  Diamond cutting tools

High speed steel and tungsten carbide tools

High speed Steel and tungsten carbide tools are the material or steel to be used to cut the metal. The high speed steel have higher rate of carbon for giving its hardness. Tungsten carbide steel has the equal part of carbon and tungsten.

Diamond cutting tools

Diamond is the hardest material than other material. It gives high strength through good wear resistance and low friction coefficient. This type of tool is used with bond types. This is best suited for non-metallic and non-ferrous tools.

The metal cutting tools are made up of any one of these material based on the hardness of the material would be cutting. So choosing tools gives also choosing material work. Cutting method gives abrasive to cut the metal.  Method of cutting metal is also the important in metal cutting process such ad laser, plasma, oxy-fuel and water jet. Mostly the cutting method is based on the metal to be cut.

In above explained cutting tools material, the high speed steel and tungsten carbide tools are mostly used because cost expensive of the tools, diamond cutting tools are also give good efficiency but it cost is higher than normal cutting tools. The diamond cutting tools does not produce heat and it has good life span based on the cost.