Tungsten carbide is an extremely useful material option for those looking for high quality cutting tools. Carbide cutters come with an exceptional surface finish, allowing for faster machining compared to high-speed steel and other tool steels. Standard high-speed steel tools have their limitations when dealing with high temperatures – they usually can handle half of what your TC tools can take.
Carbide is often the best option for cutting solid materials such as stainless steel and carbon steel, as well as cast iron, and the very popular titanium alloys. It is also the best option in instances where you are concerned about other tools wearing off quite quickly – this is usually the case with high-quantity manufacturing runs.
Tungsten Carbide Grades
Truly TC tools have their benefits, but you get these only when you connect with the best tungsten carbide company. You have to pay attention to different types and grades of tungsten carbide because the performance greatly depends on these metrics.
A wide variety of carbide grades may be produced by combining various kinds of tungsten carbide powder, varying mixture compositions and amounts of metal binders, varying types and quantities of grain development inhibitors, and so on.
These factors will determine both the microstructure and the characteristics of the tungsten carbide. It is now possible to classify a variety of carbide grades because particular performance combinations have evolved to the point where they are the first option for particular processing applications.
A good tungsten carbide company can help you understand these grades better and teach you how to pick the right one for your tools and application. However, the ISO and C grade systems are the two types of carbide machining classification systems that are utilized for cutting and milling applications the most frequently.
Although none of these systems completely represents the material attributes that affect your decision, they give a starting point for debate and help you decide for yourself. Because of many different manufacturers, you might come across a tungsten carbide company with their unique grades for each classification, which can make it somewhat confusing considering the total number of carbide grades available is rather large.
Conclusion
The fact of the matter is that tungsten carbide delivers exceptional performance when used for cutting tools, but it can be used in different industries depending on its grades. The grading can be a bit confusing because it is pretty extensive, and that is why you should pick a tungsten carbide company willing to explain it to you and help you choose the best grade for your use.
