Approach to Selecting Cutting Materials for CNC Machining Tools
The cutting portion of a tool directly carries out the material removal task, and its material selection must take into account the machining method and operating conditions. This article summarizes the basic differences between high-speed steel, cemented carbide, superhard materials and coatings, as well as the material selection approach for indexable insert tools, tools that users must regrind, and special machining scenarios.
The tool body and the cutting portion of a tool serve different purposes. The cutting portion directly contacts the workpiece, and its material selection affects the scenarios in which the tool can be used. Starting from commonly used materials and how they are used, the original article on Duigou.com introduces the characteristics of several types of cutting materials used in CNC machining.
Illustrative image: VPsharpen equipment reference image.
Basic Differences Between High-Speed Steel and Cemented Carbide
High-speed steel is a tool material formed by adding alloying elements such as tungsten, chromium, molybdenum and vanadium to steel. Using common grades as examples, the original article explains that this type of material can be used to manufacture tools with complex shapes, and notes that high-performance high-speed steel has also been developed for special requirements.
Cemented carbide is made by sintering metal carbides and a metal binder through a powder metallurgy process. The original article lists categories such as tungsten-cobalt, tungsten-cobalt-titanium and general-purpose cemented carbide. When selecting materials, the material category should be considered together with the tool structure and how the tool is used.
The role of special materials and surface coatings
The original text includes ceramics, cubic boron nitride, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride and diamond within the scope of special cutting materials, and mentions application scenarios such as high-speed cutting, dry cutting, cutting of difficult-to-machine materials and turning instead of grinding. These materials place corresponding demands on machine rigidity, cutting speed and sharpening conditions, and cost also needs to be taken into account.
Coating is one way to improve tool performance, and common materials include titanium carbide, titanium nitride and aluminum oxide. The original text also introduces composite coatings, but material and coating names alone cannot replace the judgment of specific machining conditions.
Organizing selection directions according to how tools are used
In terms of material selection thinking, the original text proposes that for indexable insert tools, cemented carbide and coated inserts can be given priority consideration; for tools that need to be reground by the user, high-speed steel can be considered; and when there are special machining requirements, the corresponding special cutting materials should then be evaluated. This content is suitable as a starting point for understanding material differences, while specific selection should still be combined with the machining task and equipment conditions.
Source and Compilation Notes
Source: VTOALL machining encyclopedia; original publication date: 2024-07-03. This article is a summarized compilation of technical reference material.