The Production Process of carbide insert

The Production Process of carbide insert

1. Powder

Tungsten oxide is mixed with carbon and processed into tungsten carbide in a special furnace, which is the main raw material for cemented carbide inserts. Tungsten carbide is an extremely hard and fragile material that is used as the main component of cemented carbide. Tungsten carbide is mixed with cobalt, which is crucial to the properties of cemented carbide. The more cobalt, the better the toughness of the cemented carbide; on the contrary, the harder and more wear-resistant. The weight ratio of different components is carried out with the highest precision. The error of a batch of 420 kilograms of raw materials cannot be greater than 20 grams. Therefore, mixing is a precision metallurgical operation. Finally, the mixture is ground into a fine and delicate powder in a large ball mill. The mixture must be spray dried to obtain the correct fluidity. After grinding, the particle size of the powder reaches Ø 0.5-2.0 um.

2. Pressing

First, press with punches and dies in a highly automated CNC controlled press to obtain the basic shape and size. After pressing, the inserts looks very similar to a real carbide insert, but the hardness is far from reaching the standard. The robot transfers the pressing inserts to a disc made of heat-resistant material.

3. Sintering

For hardening, the insert is heat treated at 1500 degrees Celsius for 15 hours. Through the sintering process, the molten cobalt and tungsten carbide particles are bonded together. The sintering furnace treatment process does two things: the insert shrinks significantly, and the shrinkage must be accurate to obtain the correct tolerance; secondly, the powder mixture is transformed into a new metallic material, which becomes cemented carbide. Now, the insert has reached the expected hardness, but it has not reached the point where it can be delivered. Before proceeding to the next step of production, we will carefully check the size of the insert in the coordinate measuring machine.

4. Grinding

Through diamond grinding to makethe carbide insert has an accurate shape. The inserts is subjected to various grinding processes according to the geometrical angle requirements. The grinder has a built-in measurement control that checks and measures the insert in several stages.

5. Cutting edge treatment

The cutting edge is processed to obtain the correct shape to achieve the maximum wear resistance required for machining. Brush these inserts with a special brush with a silicon carbide coating. Ensure that there are no foreign particles on the surface of the insert to prevent such particles from adhering under the coating, thereby affecting the performance of the insert.

6. Coating

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD) are two existing coating methods, and the choice of method depends on the material and processing method. The thickness of the coating depends on the insert application, and the coating determines the durability and life of the insert. The technical trick is that the surface of the cemented carbide is coated with many very thin coatings, such as titanium carbide, aluminum oxide and titanium nitride, which can greatly increase the service life and durability.

If the CVD method is used for coating, put the insert in the furnace, and add chloride and oxide in gas form together with methane and hydrogen. When the temperature reaches 1000 degrees Celsius, these gases interact and also act on the surface of the cemented carbide to make the insert A homogeneous coating that is only a few thousandths of a millimeter thick is obtained. Some coated inserts get a golden surface and become more valuable, and their durability is 5 times higher than that of uncoated inserts.

In PVD, the insert is sprayed at 400 degrees Celsius.

7. Final inspection, labeling and packaging

The insert passes the automated inspection, and then we will laser mark the material on the insert, and finally pack it. The insert box is marked with product information, serial number and date.