Carbide VS HSS, Which is best material for cutting tools
Faced with the wide variety of cutting tools available in today’s metalworking industry, you may be wondering, “Should I use high-speed steel or carbide for my solid rotary tools?”
There is no definitive answer to this question, as the choice depends on your project requirements:
- Tool material
- Tool size
- Cutting depth
- Total product volume
- Cutting speed
- Cost
Each requirement presents different challenges. This article will break down the issues step by step to help you make an informed decision for your project.
High-speed steel and cemented carbide: different material properties
High-speed steel properties
Let’s start with material properties.
High-speed steel has a high machining hardness of 63-67 HRC and excellent toughness and wear resistance. Powder metallurgy high-speed steel can achieve a hardness of 66-70 HRC. It can maintain a Rockwell hardness of HRC 40 or above even under machining conditions at 600°C. Its low cost gives it strong competitive advantages. It is typically an ideal solution for small-batch, diverse product processing.
Properties of Tungsten Carbide
Tungsten carbide exhibits extremely high hardness, wear resistance, and red hardness. Its hardness typically reaches 89-93 HRA, with exceptional high-temperature hardness retention, maintaining 77-85 HRA even at 760°C. Due to its high carbon content, the material is brittle with low toughness. It is commonly used for mass production or cutting high-hardness materials.
High-Speed Steel vs. Tungsten Carbide
Compared to traditional high-speed steel tools, tungsten carbide tools have higher hardness, resulting in longer tool life and faster cutting speeds. However, their brittle nature means that the cutting edges of tungsten carbide tools are prone to breaking or chipping in certain conditions.
In practical applications, carbide tools achieve cutting speeds 4–7 times higher and tool life 5–80 times longer than high-speed steel. Due to their higher efficiency and longer lifespan, most modern machining operations now use carbide tools.
In specific situations, high-speed steel tools are preferable to carbide:
- Applications requiring high toughness and intermittent cutting with heavy impact loads
- Low machine power, only capable of low-speed cutting
- Cost-sensitive applications
- Applications requiring regrinding and reuse.
Cost comparison
The initial purchase cost of carbide tools is typically 3–5 times that of high-speed steel tools. However, due to their durability and stability, in high-volume production, the cost difference decreases as production volume increases, and may even become cheaper than high-speed steel tools when averaged out.
In small-batch processing or projects where tooling costs account for a low proportion of the budget, high-speed steel tools are a good choice, and they are easier to regrind and can be reused.
Cost comparison
High-speed steel tools are suitable for:
- Small-batch processing
- Low-speed processing
- Soft metal processing
- Low tooling budget scenarios.
Carbide tools are suitable for:
- Mass production
- High-speed cutting
- High-strength material processing
- Scenarios with high requirements for continuous production.
If you have a sufficient budget and want precise, efficient machining results, carbide tools are the best choice.
FAQ
Q: Which is better, high-speed steel drill bits or carbide drill bits?
A: High-speed steel drill bits are cost-effective and versatile, suitable for low-speed machining and soft metal machining tasks with lower strength requirements. Carbide tools are more expensive but offer higher performance and longer service life. In the long run, carbide drill bits are superior.
Q: How can I determine if the tool I purchased is made of carbide?
A: Use a magnet near the tool. Carbide tools will only have a weak magnetic attraction, while high-speed steel tools will be directly attracted to the magnet.
Q: Is high-speed steel (HSS) better than carbide tools for cutting stainless steel?
A: No, high-speed steel is the preferred choice for cutting stainless steel, and carbide tools are also the preferred choice for machining cast iron, high-hardness steel, and titanium alloys.
Q: What is the main composition of carbide tools?
A: Tungsten carbide is the most commonly used carbide material in cutting tools.
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