When you choose woodworking tools, the seller may ask you whether you need tungsten carbide or high-speed steel. How should you choose at this time, and what are the differences between them. After reading this article, when you choose your woodworking tools again, you may have a clearer understanding of the choice of these two materials.
First of all, what is high speed steel and what is tungsten steel?
HIGH SPEED STEEL
High-speed steel (HSS) is a tool steel with high hardness, high wear resistance, and high heat resistance. It is also called wind steel or edge steel, which means it can harden and be sharp even when cooled. Air during quenching. Some are called white steel.
High-speed steel is an alloy steel with complex composition, containing carbide-forming elements such as tungsten, molybdenum, chromium, vanadium, and cobalt. The total amount of alloying elements is approximately 10-25%. High-speed steel cutting tools can be divided into tungsten series and tungsten-molybdenum series steel according to their chemical composition. They can be divided into ordinary high-speed steel and high-performance high-speed steel according to their cutting performance.
When high-speed steel is quenched, the iron, chromium, part of tungsten and carbon in the high-speed steel form extremely hard carbides, which can improve the wear resistance of the steel and make its hardness reach HRC64-68. Another part of tungsten is dissolved in the matrix, increasing the red hardness of the steel. The red hardness of high-speed steel can reach 650 degrees.
High-speed steel is mainly used to manufacture complex thin-edged, impact-resistant metal cutting tools as well as high-temperature bearings and cold extrusion molds, such as turning tools, end mills, hobs, machine saw blades and molds. High demands.
TUNGSTEN CARBIDE
The main components of tungsten steel are tungsten carbide and cobalt, accounting for 99% of all components, and other metals accounting for 1%. Therefore, it is called tungsten steel, also known as cemented carbide.
Tungsten steel (tungsten carbide or tungsten carbide) has a series of excellent properties such as high hardness, wear resistance, good strength and toughness, heat resistance, and corrosion resistance. In particular, its high hardness and wear resistance remain basically unchanged even at 500°C, and its hardness is very high at 1000°C.
Tungsten steel is a sintered composite material composed of at least one metal carbide. It uses cobalt, molybdenum and nickel as binders and is sintered under high temperature and high pressure. Its hardness is as high as HRC75-80. At the same time, the red hardness of cemented carbide can reach 800-1000 degrees.
Secondly, we will briefly analyze the advantages and disadvantages of high-speed steel cutting tools and tungsten steel cutting tools:
HIGH SPEED STEEL CUTTING TOOLS
Advantages: low price, high strength, good toughness, and high degree of standardization.
Disadvantages: poor wear resistance, low hardness, not resistant to high temperatures, low cutting efficiency, and processing dimensions are easily affected by temperature.
TUNGSTEN CARBIDE CUTTING TOOLS
Advantages: high cutting efficiency, high hardness, wear resistance, high temperature resistance, stable processing quality, good precision processing effect, stable processing size, not easily affected by temperature, often used in the field of precision processing.
Disadvantages: low bending strength, poor impact toughness, high brittleness, low ability to withstand shock and vibration, and high price.
Many customers order high-speed steel molds or blades to save purchasing costs; but in the processing of metal and wood products, carbide cutting tools are still more competitive and cost-effective.
1 1/4″ X 1″ Pitch Wood 1075 High Carbon Steel Blade 10in Saw 13 Inch Tct Bandsaw Blades