Cemented carbide is a composite consisting of a hard material and a very tough binder metal. The material is extremely hard, characterised by high wear resistance and high hot hardness. It is used wherever tools or components are exposed to high wear, as is the case when cutting hard materials. Carbide improves the quality of tools and components, gives them a longer service life and ensures that processes are safe and reliable.
CERATIZIT manages the entire production process chain of cemented carbide and cemented carbide components, from powder preparation to forming, sintering, finishing and surface treatment. The blanks are subjected to grinding, polishing and EDM machining and are then given an innovative wear-resistant coating, when necessary. This ensures that our carbide products have the properties required for industrial applications.
Cemented carbide and cemented carbide components are made from extremely hard tungsten carbide and ductile cobalt. The two substances are mixed in the form of powder.
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To make a finished carbide part from a powder mix, you first need to press it into a mould. The resulting green compact or carbide blank can then be machined. But only after the sintering process does it become a homogeneous and dense cemented carbide.
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The machining of the cemented carbide has a decisive impact on the properties and characteristics of the tools and preforms. Qualitative accuracy of the individual machining stages can make a real difference to tool life.
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Most common joining techniques can be used for cemented carbide. They can be divided into three categories: material joints, power joints and shape joints.
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Cemented carbides are used today in numerous industries and production processes, which would be unthinkable without them. Complex products and modern materials make ever higher demands, in terms of tooling and material standards and call for machining accuracy, in the following fields for example:
Unbreakable carbide drills for medical and dental technology
CERATIZIT produces tailor-made carbide products for medical technology, including solid carbide bone drills as well as ‘as sintered’ and cobalt-coated and sanded pins, rods and moulds for the dental treatment. We also manufacture needle holder tips for surgical instruments.
Drill plates for stone working
Stone is a particularly hard and abrasive material, and stone work places high demands on both tools and machines. CERATIZIT has developed particular carbide grades to cope with this type of application: These carbide drill plates are both hard and extremely tough, and are used to make tailor-made parts. Their unique coating makes them suitable for soldering and welding.
Extremely hard forms of carbide for composites
CERATIZIT produces particularly solid carbide rods for the machining of composites, as used in automobile manufacturing (valves) or aircraft construction. They come close to approaching the hardness of pure tungsten carbide. Compared to conventional carbide grades, tools ground from solid carbide have doubly long service lives and are an economical alternative to PCD or diamond tools.
Maximum service lives for the machining of brake disks thanks to the carbide clamping claw
When producing brake disks, car manufacturers make use of our C-Clamp carbide claw for the clamping of inserts. This unique tool-holder system with carbide clamping claw guarantees a high clamping force and reduces vibrations and outbreaks. Compared to conventional tools, service life is dramatically improved as the wear resistance of the carbide clamping claw on contact with the chips has been increased by several orders of magnitude compared to traditional steel clamps.
Corrosion-resistant forms of carbide for toolmaking
Tools used for the cutting, stamping and erosion processes of toolmaking are particularly susceptible to corrosion. To increase their service life, CERATIZIT has developed the CF carbide grade range: Made from a particularly corrosion-resistant form of carbide, the tools corrode 80 times slower than existing tools and guarantee maximum service life and safe processes.
High-quality carbide milling rolls
CERATIZIT produces milling rolls from a particularly tough grade of carbide used for hot rolling wires, rods, strips and tubes. These rolls are resistant to frequent temperature changes: If tears form they are limited to the surface, thereby maintaining the quality of the milling roll.
Corrosion-resistant carbide for the oil industry
Oil production involves the use of components such as valves, which come into contact with abrasive substances (e.g. sand). To combat deterioration, CERATIZIT offers particularly corrosion-resistant carbide grades that contain a special, corrosion-proof binding alloy based on nickel.
Carbide rods for precision tools
CERATIZIT is the largest global producer of carbide rods. The precision tools industry processes CTS carbide rods and moulded parts into drills and milling cutters. These are particularly tough and heat resistant under high loads.
Carbide tools for tunneling and mining
Carbide tools are used in the tunneling and mining industries, where they are exposed to several tons of pressure as well as high humidity and temperatures. CERATIZIT and our joint venture CB-CERATIZIT manufacture particularly tough, corrosion and wear-resistant carbide tool components, used for example for conveyor belts when drilling tunnels. The same carbide technologies are also optimally suited for the milling off of road surfaces or the drilling of foundations.
Carbide machining solutions for the energy and aerospace industries
The energy and aerospace industries use inserts made from CTC5235 and CTC5240 carbide grades for the milling of materials that are difficult to machine, such as high-alloyed steels and super alloys. CERATIZIT carbide machining solutions and cutting materials enable the reliable and super-efficient processing of high-alloyed steel turbine blades as well as titanium integral components.
