Benefits of Carbide for Tooling

Carbides are compounded metals made by blending carbon with other metals or semi-metals. In manufacturing applications, such as stamping, drilling, and cutting, tungsten carbide is a common choice for tooling. It combines the properties of both materials, resulting in high-strength tools that are wear and heat-resistant, extremely hard, and highly durable over time. In fact, carbides can be up to three times stronger than steel and as strong as diamond.

Here, you’ll learn more about the benefits of carbide metals used to manufacture tooling for operations like cutting, milling, drilling, punching, and reaming.

Advantages of Solid Carbide Tooling

Carbide has several advantages over other materials, such as steel, for tooling:

Improved Tool Life and Durability

Solid carbide has superior wear resistance and overall hardness than traditional materials used for tooling. The result is cutting tools that hold their dimensions and edges for longer, create higher-precision parts, and need to be replaced far less frequently than tooling made from steel or other materials.

Increased Heat Resistance

Carbide is highly heat-resistant, which is beneficial for high-speed cutting and material removal applications that generate high temperatures. Carbide also dissipates heat efficiently, which helps avoid overheating, wear, and breakage.

Reduced Tool Deflection

Because it is rigid and strong under pressure, carbide minimizes push-off and deflection when tools are pressed on a workpiece or raw material. This improves accuracy and precision in cutting and material removal, which reduces waste.

Cost-Effectiveness of Solid Carbide Tooling

Manufacturers frequently use solid carbide tooling because it is cost-effective to produce using powder metallurgy and sintering processes.

Long-Term Savings

Because tools made from carbide have a long service life and hold their dimensions and edges for longer, they save on tool replacement costs and the associated downtime or dips in productivity.

Improved Production Efficiency

As a highly heat-resistant material, carbide can be used for high-volume and high-speed cutting and stamping operations. This helps maintain efficient production without risking damage to tooling or the components being manufactured.

Carbide Metals in the Tooling Industry

Carbide metals, such as tungsten carbide, are a popular choice for tools used for many cutting, drilling, stamping, drawing, and reaming operations.

Carbide Tooling

The strength, hardness, and wear resistance of carbide tooling contribute to faster cycle times and the ability to hold tight tolerances over time. Carbide also tolerates temperatures without cracking or other damage, keeping tooling intact and functional for longer.

Thanks to their long lifespan and cost-effective powder metallurgy manufacturing process, carbide tooling products will ultimately save money in the long term.

Benefits of Carbide Tools

There are multiple benefits of choosing carbide tooling over those made with other metals, including:

• Affordable powder materials and precision blending to meet customer requirements
• Wear resistance at extreme temperatures and high operating speeds
• Superior overall durability for increased service life
• Hardness contributes to lasting sharpness and dimensional stability

Use in the Tool and Die Industry

Carbide tooling is used in many tool and die and material removal applications. Some examples include, but are not limited to:

Carbide is a material of choice in these and other applications because it stands up to the extreme temperatures, forces, and pressures that accompany high speed operations. As a result, tools last longer, cycle times are maintained, and productivity stays on track.

Contact Allied Sinterings About Your Powdered Metal Projects

Allied Sinterings specializes in powder metallurgy manufacturing, where we use carbide metal tooling for the manufacture of parts and components used in small or miniature applications. We work with small and large OEMs in the industrial and manufacturing, medical, industrial, commercial, and consumer products industries.

Contact us today for more information about our capabilities or to request a sample.