Carbide Cutting Tools

Carbide cutting machinery and tools are a major investment for a company and they'll compare customer service, as well as cost, when considering that kind of purchase. Reputable manufacturers can design and manufacture just about any tool a customer might need. However, they'll often offer to recondition equipment for new and existing clients, in order to maximize performance and extend the life of a dull tool by grinding it back to "like new" condition.

Drills, end mills and reamers are just some of the tools that can be reconditioned. Dimensional requirements must be met, of course. In recent years, CNC (computer numerical control) machine conditioning has been replacing manual grinding because CNC renews all surfaces instead of missing one or some.

The same companies who recondition carbide cutting tools also tend to manufacture solid carbide radius tools, carbide engraving tools, fuel injection systems, and boring bars and groove tools. A number of manufacturers specialize by industry, since it can be efficient and cost effective to do so. Others serve the aerospace and automotive industries, or the medical and woodworking industries.

Special Coatings for Carbide Cutting Tools

Cutting tool manufacturers also offer many special coatings for cutting tools. An excellent general purpose coating is Titanium Nitride (TiN); it improves and extends tool life in many applications. Another coating is Titanium Carbon Nitride (TiCN), a multilayered film that is extremely hard. For situations where extreme heat is generated during machining, a high performance coating is Titanium Aluminum Nitride (TiALN).