![]() Tungsten carbide (chemical formula: WC) is a chemical compound containing equal parts of tungsten and carbon atoms. Tungsten carbide starts as a fine gray powder, in its most basic form. It can be pressed and formed into shapes for usage in industrial machinery, cutting tools, abrasives, armor-piercing rounds, other tools and instruments, and jewelry. Tungsten carbide is approximately two times harder than steel and has a much higher density than steel or titanium. Its hardness is comparable with corundum, sapphire, and ruby and can only be polished and finished with abrasives of superior hardness such as cubic boron nitride and diamond. Here list a few applications of tungsten carbide. Cutting tools for machining Sintered tungsten carbide cutting tools have better resistance to abrasion, moreover, can handle higher temperatures better than high-speed steel tools. Carbide cutting tools are often used for machining through materials such as carbon steel or stainless steel, as well as in situations where other materials would wear away, such as in high-quantity production runs. Carbide tools’ sharp cutting edge lasts longer than other tools, produce a better roughness on parts, and their temperature resistance allows faster machining. Punches and Dies Tungsten carbide is of super hardness about 85-92HRA, and thus of superior wear resistance. Tungsten carbide often used to make carbide punch and die, and the carbide button dies which is used in the punching process. Punching is a forming process that uses a punch press to force a tool, called a punch, through the workpiece to create a hole via shearing. Punching is applicable to a wide variety of materials that come in sheet form, including sheet metal, paper, vulcanized fiber, and some forms of plastic sheet. The punch often passes through the work into a die. Ammunition Tungsten carbide is often used in armor-piercing ammunition. WC projectiles were first used by German Luftwaffe tank-hunter squadrons in World War II. It is an effective penetrator due to its combination of great hardness and very high density. Tungsten carbide ammunition can be one of two types: the sabot type (a large arrow surrounded by a discarding push cylinder) or subcaliber ammunition. Subcaliber ammunition is where copper or other relatively soft material is used to encase the hard penetrating core, the two parts being separated only on impact. Subcaliber ammunition is more common in small-caliber arms, while sabots are usually reserved for tank guns. Nuclear Tungsten carbide is also an effective neutron reflector and as such was used during early investigations into nuclear chain reactions, particularly for weapons. Sports Tungsten carbide is used by athletes for poles that strike hard surfaces. Trekking poles, used by hikers for balance and to reduce pressure on leg joints, commonly use carbide tips to gain traction when placed on hard surfaces, such as rock. Carbide tips last much longer than other types of tips. Sharpened carbide tipped spikes can be inserted into the drive tracks of snowmobiles. These spikes greatly improve traction on icy surfaces. Longer v-shaped segments fit into grooved rods called wear rods under each snowmobile ski. The sharp carbide edges help to enhance steering on harder icy surfaces. The carbide tips and segments reduce wear from crossing roads and other abrasive surfaces. Some tire companies offer bicycle tires with tungsten carbide studs for better traction on ice. These are often referred to as steel studs because of their superior resistance to wear. Surgical instruments Tungsten carbide is also used for making surgical instruments for use in open surgery (scissors, forceps, hemostats, blade-handles, etc.) and laparoscopic surgery (graspers, scissors/cutter, needle holder, cautery, etc.). They are much more costly than their stainless-steel counterparts but perform better. Jewelry Tungsten carbide has become a popular option for bridal jewelry due to its extreme hardness and high resistance to scratching. The extreme hardness also means that it can occasionally be shattered under certain circumstances. Tungsten carbide is roughly 10 times harder than 18k gold.
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![]() Stamping (known as pressing) is the process of placing flat sheet metal in either blank or coil form into a stamping press where a punch and die surface forms the metal into a net shape. Stamping includes a variety of sheet-metal forming manufacturing processes, such as punching using a machine press or stamping press, blanking, embossing, bending, flanging, and coining. This could be a single stage operation where every stroke of the press produces the desired form on the sheet metal part or could occur through a series of stages. The process is usually carried out on sheet metal, but can also be used on other materials, such as polystyrene. The Metals used in automotive metal stamping are aluminum, steel, brass, copper, and stainless steel. The growth of the global automotive metal stamping market is expected to be driven by the booming automotive industry and the rapid increase in demand for smart automobiles. The increase in competition in the automotive industry is also leading to the rising demand for the metal stamping market. The process of metal stamping is applied in various stages of manufacturing in the automotive industry, such as panels, brackets, bonnets, roofs, hangers, and others, thus constantly inducing demand in the automotive metal stamping market. An increase in the use of metal sheets for the manufacturing of automobile chassis, transmission components, interior & exterior structural components, is projected to drive the growth of the global automotive stamping market over the forecast period. The Global automotive stamping market can be divided into seven geographical locations such as North America, Latin America, Western and Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific region, Japan, Middle East, and Africa. The Asia-Pacific market is anticipated to grow steeply in the stamped components, as the automotive sector in China, Japan, and India is growing at a rapid pace. In Latin America, Brazil is the strongest automotive stamped components market preceded by Mexico and Argentina, due to improved production and sales of automobiles in these regions. European countries such as the U.K. and Germany are also expected to grow in the stamped component market as demand for vehicles in these regions has increased exponentially. India is expected to grow a CAGR of 9.2% over the forecast period on account of the rising demand for vehicles coupled with initiatives taken by the government to promote vehicle manufacturing in the country. In addition, the growing investment of the major vehicle manufacturers is likely to drive the demand for stamped parts in the country. Recovering Eurozone and rapid economic growth in Asia Pacific countries, primarily in Indian and China is expected to fuel demand in the automotive sector, driving the demand for the automotive metal stamping market over the forecast period. However, tightening access to finances is affecting the Brazilian manufacturing growth hamper demand in the country. ![]() Titanium nitride (TiN) (also known as Tinite) is a super hard ceramic material, often used as a coating on punch and die, carbide button dies, titanium alloys, steel, and aluminum components to improve the substrate's surface properties. TiN is used as a thin coating to harden and protect surfaces, for decorative purposes (its golden appearance), and as a non-toxic exterior for medical implants. In most cases, a coating of fewer than 5 micrometers (0.00020 in) is applied. A well-known use for TiN coating is for corrosion resistance on machine tooling, such as carbide dies, drill bits, and milling cutters, usually improving their lifetime by a factor of three or more. Due to TiN's metallic gold color, it is used to coat jewelry and automotive trim for decorative purposes. TiN is also widely used as a top-layer coating, usually with nickel (Ni) or chromium (Cr) plated substrates, on consumer door hardware and plumbing fixtures. As a coating, it is used in aerospace and military applications and to protect the sliding surfaces of suspension forks of bicycles and motorcycles as well as the shock shafts of radio-controlled cars. TiN is non-toxic, meets FDA guidelines, and has seen use in medical devices such as scalpel blades and orthopedic bone saw blades where sharpness and edge retention are important. TiN coatings have also been used in implanted prostheses (especially hip replacement implants) and other medical implants. Though less visible, thin films of TiN are also used in microelectronics, where they serve as a conductive connection between the active device and the metal contacts used to operate the circuit, while acting as a diffusion barrier to block the diffusion of the metal into the silicon. In this context, TiN is classified as a "barrier metal", even though it is clearly a ceramic from the perspective of chemistry or mechanical behavior. Recent chip design in the 45 nm technology and beyond also makes use of TiN as a ‘metal’ for improved transistor performance. In combination with gate dielectrics that have a higher permittivity compared to standard SiO2, the gate length can be scaled down with low leakage, higher drive current, and the same or better threshold voltage. ![]() Steel forming can be achieved by machining, roll forming, or stamping. This article is focusing on the usage of carbide dies for steel forming. Obviously, people use carbide dies since carbide is three times harder than steel alloy. Carbide dies, a way of carbide tooling, are used to form steel in a wide variety of industries and using a wide variety of methods in the tool and die industry. Types of Carbide Dies as follows: Cold Forming Die (Cold Heading Dies) Tungsten Carbide Cold Forming Dies, or cold heading, starts with a cold metal slug placed into a die that is hit with a heavy strike to shape it into its desired form. The force from the strike causes the metal to flow into the desired shape inside the carbide die by exceeding the metal’s yield strength. Modern cold forming is commonly used for rapidly forming metal parts such as screws, bolts, and many other fasteners. Carbide Drawing Dies (or Draw Dies) Drawing dies are normally used to shape wire, rod, bar, and tube. Commonly drawn materials include steel, aluminum, and copper. Drawn materials include mild steel, stainless steel, and high carbon steel as well as other steel alloys. Softer materials, like aluminum and copper alloys, are frequently drawn as well. Tungsten carbide has a high compressible strength allowing it to withstand extreme pressure; this makes the tungsten carbide ideal for usage in drawing dies. A major of manufacturers use carbide dies in the drawing process. The wire drawing process includes drawing the wire through a die to reduce the diameter of the wire to the desired size and tolerance, while the volume remains the same. Wires are sized by drawing them through a series of drawing dies, with each die having slightly smaller bore diameter than the one preceding it to gradually reduce the width of the wire. The final die in the series forms the wire to its target size. Tube, or pipe, drawing dies are commonly round, hex or square, but can be made into any shape desired by the manufacturer. The process of drawing tubing is similar to the wire drawing process; however, a mandrel is used to form the inner dimensions of the tubing. The mandrel is inside the tube, or pipe, and situated inside the die. As the tube is drawn through the die it is being shaped on the inside by the mandrel, which establishes the wall thickness and inner diameter. A properly formed mandrel will provide for a smooth surface on the inside of the tube or pipe. Bars and rods are drawn in a similar fashion to wire; only they tend to be much thicker. Extrusion dies are typically used in a process where a slug is pushed through the die, forming the desired cross-sectional area. A mandrel is used in the process if the application is for tubing or pipes. Extrusion can be performed on a wide variety of materials and at various temperatures to obtain the desired properties of the extruded product. Materials that can be formed with an extrusion die to include steel, copper, aluminum, tin, lead, nickel, and even plastic. Products formed through extrusion operations include pipe, wire, rods, bars, tubes, and welding electrodes. Carbide Shaving Dies Shaving dies are typically used to remove surface defects that are produced during the drawing process. The shaving process can be used on steel alloys, aluminum alloys, and copper alloys. Carbide Swaging Dies Swaging dies are generally used in a manufacturing process called rotary swaging. The rotary swaging process is usually a cold working process, used to reduce the diameter, add a taper, or make a point to a round workpiece. It can also provide internal shapes in hollow workpieces with the help of a mandrel. ![]() Hardness is the answer. Tungsten carbide is almost three times harder compared with steel and it is of high density than titanium. What this means for companies who use dies is that a tungsten carbide die has a superior wear resistance when compared to dies made out of other materials. When dies last longer that is equal to a reduced cost of money in not having the cost of replacing them and in reduced downtime for machinery waiting for new dies to be installed. Tungsten carbide has a hardness between 8.5HRA and 9.2HRA. Diamond has a hardness rating of 10, however, diamonds aren’t as versatile and are obviously a very expensive die material. In particular, it has the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of any bulk material. Those properties determine the major industrial applications of diamond in cutting and polishing tools. The tungsten carbide used for die making comes in a wide variety of grades; these different grades have different properties and therefore different applications. The amount of tungsten compared to the amount of carbon in these grades is what makes this difference. By adjusting the tungsten to carbon ratio, dies with better wear properties or greater resistance to impact can be manufactured. In general, superior hardness combined with the versatility of tungsten carbide results in its wide usage in many industrial applications. Products produced using tungsten carbide dies to include nuts, nails, and tubing. Actually, a list of these products would be very, very long, and that’s where the versatility part of the equation comes in to play. ![]() In this article, we focus on the advantage of three typically used material for dies in the wire drawing process. Wire drawing dies are typically available in tool steel, tungsten carbide, synthetic and natural diamond. The best die material is determined by the applications and depending on the product's needs. Steel dies are the least expensive and quite suitable in many applications. These are versatile in that they can be reworked to use for drawing larger wire sizes after they wear or are damaged. In some cases where the use of steel dies is appropriate, it might be a waste of money to apply carbide or diamond, so steel die would be the best. Tungsten carbide dies have improved durability at a higher cost and for many multi-die operations, where die change isn't frequently done, the carbide button dies to offer a cost-effective best solution. It improved productivity and reduced downtime; High hardness both at room temperature and high temperatures encountered in drawing operations; Having high resistance against deformation under load; Smaller thermal coefficient of expansion. As a result, variation in size of dies due to rising working temperatures is minimal; its property to receive and maintain the high surface finish up to 1 micro inch. Diamond, being the hardest material, offers the highest wear resistance and is often used when a very narrow dimensional tolerance is needed on the wire. These are the most expensive and best used when needed to support product quality. Who is JLS and What is its Capabilities?
Located in Dongguan, JLS is highly capable of producing precision tungsten punches, buttons, and bushings, ejector pins, mold components according to your specific CAD drawing. Our certified raw material is imported from reputable companies CB-CERATIZIT, Kennametal, or other specified. Tungsten carbide is of excellent toughness, wear&corrosion resistance. The increased life of Super-hard tungsten carbide can offer greater productivity through improved performance. Our products reach extremely close tolerances up to 0.001mm through continuous efforts over the past 20 years. Moreover, the inner hole surface and outside surface can be processed with mirror surface grinding. TiN, TiCN, TiALN coating, and PG grinding can be processed with tungsten and fine polishing before coating and after the coating is available. Carbide mold components we are able to manufacture non-standard carbide punches&bushings and standard wear parts according to Misumi, Punch, Din, Dayton, and other standards. TiN, TiCN, TiALN coating, mirror surface grinding can be processed according to demands. It is our commitment to make your tool long-lasting and no added costs. Precision ceramic parts JLS is capable of making precision ceramic parts according to your drawing. our ‘know-how’ personnel are continually developing customized products to meet customers’ evolving needs. Components for Positioning We supply a variety of positioning components made to customers’ design for the injection molding industry, including tapered block set, tapered pin set, straight block sets, locking block set, slide block set, locating block set, etc. TiN, TiCN, TiALN coating can be processed according to demands. Below is a list of factors affecting the performance of cemented tungsten carbide, also a list we should consider when selecting the correct tungsten carbide for your die punches and buttons.
The things we were talking about is cemented tungsten carbide, which is tungsten carbide grains cemented with by the binder-cobalt. When you get more cobalt you get a softer grade. If you have less cobalt you get better wear but the part will break more easily. Hardness vs. Wear Resistance More cobalt means it will be more difficult to break but it will also wear out faster. Grain size: Smaller grains give better wear and larger grains give better impact resistance. Very fine grain tungsten carbides give very high hardness while coarse grains are ideal in extremely high wear and impact applications such as rock drilling and mining applications. Tungsten carbide as used here means WC grains in a cobalt binder. Cobalt is softer than the tungsten carbide grains so the more cobalt means the softer the overall materials will be. In the very early days, people made carbide tougher or harder by changing the amount of Cobalt in the binder. Cobalt is metal and softer than carbide grains so more cobalt made it tougher and less made it harder. Bigger grains made carbide tougher and smaller grains made it harder. By changing grain size and cobalt percentage we can make carbide a lot tougher or a lot harder. If we add more Cobalt to large grains then you get even more toughness. However, there is a limit to how tough we can make carbide or want to make carbide. If we get it too “tough” then it is too soft. If the grains are too large and there is too much Cobalt then the carbide will move and deform under pressure. One of the major properties of carbide is its ability to handle pressure or compressive force. If it is too soft it loses its strengths. But neither Cobalt percentage nor grain size alone determines how a grade will perform. Electrochemical Effects Electrical Conductivity - Tungsten carbide is at the same level as tool steel and carbon steel while Cermet II grades conduct more like glass. By adding titanium carbide and tantalum carbide, the high-temperature wear resistance, the hot hardness and the oxidation stability of hard metals have been considerably improved, and the WC-TiC-(Ta, Nb)C-Co hard metals are excellent cutting tools for the machining of steel. Compared to high-speed steel, the cutting speed increased from 25 to 50 m/min to 250 m/min for turning and milling of steel, which revolutionized productivity in many industries. As a 20-years experienced tungsten carbide punch, carbide buttons dies company, JLS purchased (imports) various brands of tungsten carbide from reputable companies domestically and abroad. These reputable companies include Ceratizit, Kennametal, Axismateria, etc. Grades such as WF30, WF20, KG7, KG3, WF15, CD65O, AF312 is widely accepted by industrial specialists. ![]() Corrosion resistance is considered one of the most important properties for tungsten carbides, it shows significant importance when it comes to applications such as seal rings, fluid control components, choke valves, nozzles, and bearings. Although tungsten carbide is of better corrosion resistance compared with other steel alloys in general, there are still things we need to pay attention to when choosing the correct corrosion-resistant strength tungsten carbide. Cobalt is the most widely added binder or ‘cement’ in cemented tungsten carbides due to its function to wet tungsten carbide grains on the process of liquid phase sintering. So, cobalt is considered to be superior to other binders when it comes to eliminating residual porosity and gaining high strength and toughness properties in sintered products. Nevertheless, the failure of cemented carbides in corrosive conditions is mostly due to the chemical reaction of cobalt with corrosive agents. The corrosion process includes the dissolution of cobalt binder on the contact surface leaving a loosely knit skeleton of tungsten carbide grains with rarely structural integrity. This process is often defined as cobalt “leaching” and is typically accompanied by a spalling of unsupported carbide grains on the exposed surfaces. Although tungsten carbide with Cobalt binder grains has a nice resistance to corrosion of gasoline, acetone, ethanol, other organic solvents, ammonia, bases, weak acids, and tap water. However, the binder can be rapidly deteriorated after exposure to hydrochloric, hydrofluoric, and other strong acids. Corrosion strength is also affected by temperature, density, and electric conductivity of the corrosive agents. Alloying cobalt with chromium, molybdenum, or nickel can improve the corrosion resistance of the binder, but the total substitution of nickel for cobalt has proven to be the most effective means of increasing the lifespan of tungsten carbides in strong corrosive environments. Dongguan JLS Precision Mold Parts Co., Ltd imports tungsten carbide with fair corrosion and excellent corrosion resistance strengths depending on the different applications. For normal die punches and buttons, the carbide button dies for stamping die, the cemented carbide with “fair corrosion resistance strengths ” is working fine. The selection of tungsten carbides depends on which circumstances of the carbide punch being used in. |
AuthorAbby Zhang Archives
August 2021
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