Category: Face Milling

All About Carbide: Technical Insights into Cutting Tools

11/15/2023

compiled and edited from information from Hannibal Carbide by Bernard Martin

The Cutting Process Chip Formation Hannibal Carbide

Carbide cutting tools have long been at the forefront of machining technology, revolutionizing various industries through their remarkable hardness, heat resistance, and longevity. In this article, we delve into the technical aspects of carbide, exploring the intricacies of the cutting process and the production of these extraordinary tools.

The Cutting Process
To understand the essence of carbide cutting tools, it's essential to comprehend the cutting process itself. At the heart of this process is an intense, concentrated force applied at the cutting edge, effectively separating the metal's individual crystals. This separation results in the creation of a continuous flowing chip, which eventually moves up the cutting tool face until internal stresses cause it to fracture, breaking away as a segmented or discontinuous chip.

During this process, a substantial amount of heat is generated at the cutting edge. This heat is primarily due to the friction between the tool and the workpiece as the chip is formed and flows along the cutting tool's face. Remarkably, individual carbide grains are so incredibly hard that they do not deform or flow under these intense forces and high temperatures, ensuring the tool's longevity and efficiency.

CARBIDE PRODUCTION

Carbide's unique properties play a crucial role in chip formation.

As we magnify the tungsten carbide at 1000X, we see the results of carbide production, which involves controlling parameters such as cobalt binder content and carbide grain size.

C2 Tungsten Carbide High Magnification (1000X)

Increasing % Cobalt Binder: The cobalt binder is a major factor in determining carbide's hardness and toughness. Increasing the cobalt content enhances the toughness, enabling the carbide to withstand mechanical shock or impact loads, which are typical during the cutting process.
Decreasing Carbide Grain Size: Carbide grain size is another critical parameter. Smaller carbide grains contribute to a more wear-resistant cutting edge. It's a balance, as smaller grains can lead to decreased toughness.

Carbide Technical Specs

Cemented Carbide Techncial Specifications

The production of carbide tools involves a series of precise steps to achieve the desired physical properties and performance characteristics:

Carbide Powder Creation: Metal powders, usually tungsten, and carbon, are heated to extremely high temperatures, exceeding 2800ºF. This process results in the creation of tungsten carbide powder grains that are exceptionally hard and stable at elevated temperatures.
Powder Sorting and Mixing: The carbide powders are sorted by grain size and then recombined in appropriate ratios to achieve specific physical properties. Cobalt metal powders are mixed thoroughly with the tungsten powders.
High-Pressure Compaction: The tungsten-carbide-cobalt mixture is forced under high pressure (30,000 psi) into molds of the desired shape and size. This forms the initial carbide blanks.
Pre-Sintering: Carbide blanks undergo a low-temperature pre-sintering process, developing sufficient physical strength for handling.
High-Temperature Sintering: Finally, the carbide blanks are sintered at temperatures ranging from 2500ºF to 2900ºF. This high-temperature sintering causes a dramatic shrinkage, almost 40% volume reduction, resulting in an extremely dense and hard material.

Carbide cutting tools have revolutionized various industries with their exceptional hardness, heat resistance, and longevity. Understanding the intricate details of the cutting process and the meticulous production of carbide tools sheds light on their unmatched performance in the world of machining. Whether it's the intense forces at the cutting edge or the precise control of cobalt binder content and carbide grain size, carbide tools continue to shape the future of manufacturing and engineering.

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Horn USA Introduces New carbide grades for system DAH8

6/14/2023

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Paul Horn GmbH is expanding the range of carbide grades for the DAH milling system to enable its use for machining a wider range of materials. The new grades SC6A and IG6B complement the tool system for high feed milling. The expansion gives customers the opportunity to choose grades best adapted to their machining applications.

The SC6A grade is suitable for machining the ISO M material group, as well as ISO S materials as a secondary application. Horn has developed the IG6B grade for machining the ISO P group, while it is also suitable as a multi-purpose grade for other material groups.

With the DAH82 and DAH84 systems, Horn introduces a new generation of tools for high feed milling. The eight usable cutting edges of the precision-sintered insert offer a competitive price per cutting edge and hence economical and efficient machining. The positive cutting edge geometry ensures a soft and quiet cut as well as good chip flow despite the negative mounting position.

Horn offers the inserts in the substrates SA4B, SC6A and IG6B, which are suitable for universal use machining various materials. The large radius of the main cutting edge of the insert produces a soft cut, ensures an even distribution of cutting forces and thus ensures long tool life.

The maximum cutting depth is ap = 1.0 mm (DAH82) and ap = 1.5 mm (DAH84).

The DAH82 variant is available as an end mill and as a screw-in milling cutter in the following diameters (z denotes the number of inserts):

20 mm (z = 2)
25 mm (z = 3)
32 mm (z = 4)
35 mm (z = 4)
40 mm (z = 5)

As an arbour milling cutter it is available in diameters of:

40 mm (z = 5)
42 mm (z = 5)
50 mm (z = 6)

Horn USA DAH8 Milling Cutter

For diameters in excess of 50 mm, the larger DAH84 system is used. The variants are available only as arbour milling cutters in the following diameters:

50 mm (z = 4)
52 mm (z = 4)
63 mm (z = 5)
66 mm (z = 5)
80 mm (z = 6)
85 mm (z = 6)
100 mm (z = 7)
125 mm (z = 8)

DAH.84.030.S.12 Has 8 POSITIVE usable cutting edges!

All tool bodies receive a special surface treatment of high strength and hardness, imparting long-term protection against abrasive wear from chips. "z" denotes the number of inserts.

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All About Carbide: Technical Insights into Cutting Tools

CARBIDE PRODUCTION

Carbide Technical Specs

Horn USA Introduces New carbide grades for system DAH8

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