Ceramic Tools For Machining

Ceramic cutting tools are becoming more and more popular with rise in demand for higher productivity improvement in machine capabilities and growth of automotive energy and aerospace markets.

Ceramic tools for machining.

Oxide ceramics are aluminium oxide based al2o3 with added zirconia zro2 for crack inhibition. Additionally materials like silicon carbide sic may not fit the precise definition of a ceramic material but they can still be classified as part of the ceramic family. All ceramic cutting tools have excellent wear resistance at high cutting speeds. If you do machine macor wear breathing protection.

The ideal cutting temperature in nickel alloy is about 1 800 degrees f for example. It starts with round on the outside edge being strongest and moves to 35 which is the weakest. That facilitates the removal of material and a reduction in cutting forces. Following a final firing when as fired tolerances are not sufficient fine diamond machining grinding using diamond impregnated cutters is often required.

All cutting tools have a recommended cutting speed for any given material. This generates a material that is chemically very stable but which lacks thermal shock. Softer metals like aluminum and mild steel have higher cutting speeds than do nasty metals like titanium or inconel. With reinforced ceramic cutting tools the objective in machining is to generate high temperatures ahead of the cutting tool to soften or plasticize the workpiece material.

Also recent developments in machine technology leading to higher power as well as higher cutting speed have enabled a wider use of ceramic based. So too can carbide and ceramic cutting tools achieve higher speeds regardless of the workpiece material than do ones made of high speed. This chart shows the relative strengths of various insert shapes. Fine diamond machining full density parts ceramic parts fired to their full density are too hard for machining with tool steel cutters or even conventional methods.

I have used a white colored ceramic called macor which can be machined even with hss tools although it does wear them away a bit faster than tough steels. I used macor in applications where it had to withstand moderatly powerful laser hits and remain white. The technical properties of typical ceramic tools are indicated in table i applications of ceramic cutting tool materials cast iron machining machining of cast iron brake drums and discs for the automotive industry remains the largest application area for ceramics and all three categories of ceramic can be used depending upon the application. New ceramic insert grade for efficient and reliable cast iron machining with excellent wear resistance and reduced heat at the cutting edge.

Indexable and micro tool products for the automotive aerospace medical energy and pcb industries. There are a range of ceramic grades available for a variety of applications. Ceramics can be made from several different types of hard metal oxides or nitrides.