Carbide Tools 101: What Makes Them Great
If you're getting ready to expand your fabrication shop to work with more complex metals and projects, you might want to think about upgrading your cutting tools, too. One of the best options for particularly difficult materials is a carbide cutting tool. If you've never used carbide tools before, you may wonder why they are such a big deal. Here are a few things you should know about these tools before you make a decision.
Carbide Tools Are Highly Durable
Carbide is strong and durable, and it also maintains its cutting edge much longer than some other cutting materials. That can save you significantly over time in replacement cost and production efficiency, because it will hold up to higher temperatures generated by high-speed cuts, and it will not require replacement near as often as other tools.
Carbide-Tipped Tools Are Better Than Solid Carbide
Solid carbide tools are great, but they have a higher risk of cracking if they meet a hard spot or significant resistance in the metal that's being cut. Carbide-tipped tools, on the other hand, are far more durable because the core is usually made from solid steel and the cutting edge is made from carbide. The steel body will provide more resistance against any kind of fractures, even when faced with hard spots in the material.
In addition, carbide-tipped tools are usually more cost-effective than a solid carbide tool. That's because it costs less to produce a tool with a steel core than it does to produce one that is completely made from carbide. This makes it well worth considering carbide-tipped options instead of the solid carbide ones, because your initial investment will be less and you'll get better results in terms of durability.
Carbide Tools Produce Cleaner Products
Any time you use a lower quality cutting edge, you always end up with burrs and rough spots in the finished product. It's virtually impossible to get a clean, smooth cut and flawless surface finish from a low-quality cutting tool.
Since carbide is so strong and holds its cutting edge for so long, you'll eliminate the risk of material waste and unsightly finished edges when you use these cutting tools. Instead, you'll get a smoother, cleaner surface finish from every cut. This saves you significantly in the final cleanup, polishing, and finishing stages of your production schedule.
As you can see, there are many reasons to consider investing in carbide cutting tools for your fabrication shop. Talk with a local supplier today, like Olson Carbide, to see what options are available to you.
