It's Time to Upgrade to Carbide Cutting Tools

Manufacturing with computer numerical control is a great way to produce parts quickly and efficiently. While this process has helped to revolutionize modern machining, the efficiency of a milling machine depends on two things: the material being cut and the cutting tools being used. If you want to get the most out of your milling machine then you need to be using carbide cutting tools.

Milling cutters have to deal with extreme amounts of fatigue. As high speed tools, end mills have to deal with a lot of friction. This extreme friction can eventually cause the tool to reach extreme temperatures. For tools made of metal, this can quickly become a problem. Steel tools are hardened through a process known as tempering. When metal is tempered, it is cycled through specific temperatures that lock the internal structure of the tool into its strongest form. This process results in tools with strong cutting edges that will not wear as quickly as an untempered tool.

Because tempering is a heat based process, it is possible to undo a tool's temper by overheating it. Even tools made from high speed steel can still reach operating temperatures that would jeopardize their tempered strength. In order to avoid this issue entirely you need tools made from materials that are not affected by heat tempering. That is where carbide cutting tools come into play.

A carbide tool may look metallic and it does contain metal, but the carbide itself is a powdered ceramic material. Ceramics like tungsten carbide, the most common tool carbide, are extremely hard and dense. They are also extremely resistant to heat, maintaining their strength even at extreme temperatures. Carbide tool stock is made by cementing grains of tungsten carbide together using cobalt metal in a process known as sintering.

One of the biggest advantages to using carbide cutting tools is their longer lifespan. Carbide tools last several times longer than their steel counterparts. They also need to be sharpened and maintained less often than steel tools. In order to get the most out of your carbide tools, many come coated with special materials like titanium aluminum nitride or TiAlN. This material is extremely hard and lowers the coefficient of friction along the tool's cutting edges. It also forms a layer of insulating aluminum nitride that helps to protect the tool from heat and extend its working life.

If you are looking for high quality carbide cutting tools for your milling machine, then you need to visit www.onlinecarbide.com. Online Carbide specializes in manufacturing high performance milling cutters right here in the US. All of their tools are manufactured using extremely precise computer controlled grinding machines and many are treated with coating like TiAlN to extend their lifespan even further. If you need any additional information about any of the tools that they carry, you can always reach out to a member of their team by sending an email to sales@onlinecarbide.com.

Posted September 30, 2021 08:45

Reply

Why You Should Be Using Carbide Cutting Tools

When it comes to hard working tools like end mills and drill bits, there are a lot of different options available on the market. If you are looking for the best options when purchasing tools for your shop, then carbide cutting tools are the clearly superior choice. If you have been wondering about the functionality of carbide tools vs steel tools, today we will be looking at both of these materials and their differences.

What is Carbide?
While carbide tools may look similar to metal to the layman, the two materials are actually quite different. The actual carbide within a carbide tool is a ceramic material made up of tungsten and carbon. In its natural state carbide is a grey powder, not suited for cutting applications. In order to make a material for tool construction, this powder is mixed with a binding metal that acts like cement in concrete, while the carbide itself is like the aggregate material. The resulting material has advantages of both ceramics and metals.

What About High Speed Steel?
One of the most popular materials used in the construction of milling cutters is HSS or high speed steel. This is a term used to describe a class of steel alloys that are designed to operate at high temperatures. All steels have to be tempered, a process of heat cycling that locks the metal into its strongest internal structure. If a tempered steel cutting tool becomes too hot, its internal structure will change, softening the cutting edges and reducing the tool life. HSS tools can withstand higher temperatures than conventional steel tools, but they still have limits.

Working Hard and Fast
In many milling applications, speed is the name of the game. Carbide cutting tools are built to handle heat better than steel tools. This is because their cutting strength comes from their ceramic content. Ceramic does not have to deal with tempering, which means that high heat will not soften the tool’s cutting edges in the same way. Instead, the ceramic will remain strong even under the extreme temperatures that come with high speed machining. This means that you can run your tools faster and speed up production runs when you make the switch to solid carbide tools.

If you are interested in finding some high performance carbide cutting tools for your shop, then you need to visit Online Carbide. At www.onlinecarbide.com, you will find a wide range of cutters including end mills and drill bits. All of their cutting tools are precision ground from high quality solid carbide and many are available in a semi finished option or with coatings to provide extra wear resistance. In addition to making great tools, they also offer them at manufacturer direct prices, helping their customers save big on the tools they need. If you have any questions about any of the tools they carry, feel free to reach out to a member of their team by sending an email to sales@onlinecarbide.com.

Posted February 24, 2021 07:36

Reply