Does your shop work with difficult metals like aluminum and stainless steel? Maybe you are in the fabrication business and you need sharp tools which last a long time. So often, many businesses try their best to make do with HSS tools even though may have to re-sharpen or grind them frequently. This is usually done to avoid the higher price of tungsten carbide (WC) tools. However, this could be a big mistake and here are several reasons why.
Carbide Cutting Tools are Superior to High Speed Steel
Carbide tipped cutting edges are very hard. In fact, they are significantly harder than their HSS counterparts. So, what does this mean? It means several things:
- Faster cutting – with harder tools you can cut or bore through material faster. This allows you to turn more work pieces into finished products by the end of the day. If you can increase your production, you raise efficiency and profits.
- Sharper tools – carbide tools are sharper. This is an important consideration when working with stainless steel or aluminum.
- Easier machining – because carbide is harder and sharper, you won’t experience problems like chip buildup, which can hurt the quality of your work or cause you to slow down. This is especially true with softer metals.
- Longer tool life – even though the price of tungsten carbide is higher, you’ll enjoy longer tool life and your tools will stay sharper longer. This can help to balance out the price difference.
Recycling Your Tungsten Carbide
Because it is a rare metal, the price of tungsten carbide scrap makes it well worth recycling. When you add up all the benefits and include recycling, you may actually save money by buying high quality carbide tipped tools for your business.