The difference between ceramic milling cutter and carbide milling cutter

The difference between ceramic milling cutter and carbide milling cutter

There are significant differences between ceramic milling cutters and carbide milling cutters in terms of material, performance and applicable scenarios. The specific analysis is as follows:

I. Material Composition

1.Ceramic milling cutters: Generally, zirconia ceramics, alumina ceramics or silicon carbide ceramics are used as blade materials. These ceramic materials feature high hardness, wear resistance and high-temperature resistance.

2. Hard alloy milling cutter: It is mainly made of hard phases (such as tungsten carbide, titanium carbide, etc.) and binder phases (such as cobalt, nickel, etc.) through powder metallurgy process, featuring both high hardness and certain toughness.

 II. Performance Characteristics

1. Hardness and Wear Resistance

Ceramic Milling Cutters: They have extremely high hardness, typically above HRA90, which is much higher than that of carbide cutters. Therefore, they possess superior wear resistance and anti-wear capability, enabling them to process high-hardness and high-strength metal materials, and they have a long tool life.

Carbide Milling Cutters: They also have high hardness, but it is slightly lower than that of ceramic cutters. They have good wear resistance, but when processing ultra-high hardness materials, their wear rate may be faster than that of ceramic cutters.

2. Heat Resistance

Ceramic Milling Cutters: They have good stability at high temperatures and can maintain a relatively low cutting edge temperature during high-speed cutting, reducing thermal deformation and thermal cracking of the workpiece. They are suitable for high-speed cutting of materials sensitive to thermal deformation, such as titanium alloys and nickel-based alloys.

Cemented Carbide Milling Cutters: Although they have a certain degree of heat resistance, their hardness decreases at high temperatures. Therefore, when processing materials like high-temperature alloys, the cutting speed and feed rate may be limited.

3. Chemical Stability

Ceramic milling cutters: They have good chemical stability and are less likely to undergo chemical reactions with the processed materials. Therefore, during the processing, there will be no adhesion or corrosion phenomena, which is conducive to improving the processing quality and tool life.

Hard alloy milling cutters: When processing certain materials, they may undergo chemical reactions with the materials, leading to accelerated tool wear or a decline in the surface quality of the processed parts.

4. Toughness and Brittleness

Ceramic milling cutters: They are relatively brittle, with relatively weak bending strength and impact resistance. They are prone to chipping or breaking when subjected to significant impact forces. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid vibration and impact during use.

Cemented carbide milling cutters: They possess a certain degree of toughness, with better bending strength and impact resistance. They can withstand a certain amount of impact force and are less likely to chip or break.

III. Applicable Scenarios

1. Ceramic Milling Cutters

Processing High-Hardness Materials: Suitable for processing materials with hardness above HRA65, such as hardened steel, high-speed steel, and cemented carbide, achieving high-precision and high-efficiency machining.

High-Speed Cutting: Due to their excellent high-temperature resistance, they can maintain stable cutting performance at high cutting speeds, making them suitable for high-speed cutting and enhancing processing efficiency.

Precision Machining: Can be used for parts with high precision requirements, such as mold cavities and aerospace components, ensuring the quality of the machined surface and dimensional accuracy.

2. Hard Alloy Milling Cutters

Versatility: They are suitable for processing various metal materials, including cast iron, steel, aluminum alloys, copper alloys, etc., and are a type of tool with strong versatility.

Rough and Semi-Finishing: They are often used in rough and semi-finishing processes, capable of quickly removing large amounts of material and improving processing efficiency.

Complex Shape Processing: They can be used to process parts with complex shapes, such as spiral grooves and blades, meeting different processing requirements.

In conclusion, both ceramic milling cutters and carbide milling cutters have their own advantages. When choosing, it is necessary to comprehensively consider factors such as the material to be processed, processing requirements, and cost to achieve the best processing effect and economic benefits.

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