In the field of industrial manufacturing, inserts are used as the core blade for cutting and machining, and the choice of material is directly related to machining efficiency, product quality and production costs. In this article, we will discuss in detail the ten materials most commonly used in the manufacture of industrial inserts: High-carbon steel, Stainless steel, Tungsten carbides, High-carbon high-chromium tool steels, High speed steels, 52100 high-carbon chromium alloy steel, M-2 molybdenum high-speed steel, D-2 air-hardening high-carbon, high-chromium tool steel. carbon, high-chromium tool steel, CPM 10V high-vanadium tool steel and Ceramics, and analyze their advantages and disadvantages, as well as the correlation and comparison between them.
1. High-Carbon Steel
High carbon steel, with its high hardness and good wear resistance, has a wide range of applications in industrial blade making. Its composition contains 0.6% to 1.5% carbon, which makes high carbon steel knives harder than normal steel and less prone to deformation or loss of sharpness. As a result, high carbon steel knives stay sharp for a relatively long time and can be easily resharpened. In addition, high carbon steel tools are tough and flexible, making them ideal for blades that require fine design and detail work.
However, there are some drawbacks to high carbon steel cutting blades. Due to its inherent lack of a rust and corrosion resistant coating, knives are more prone to rusting and darkening. If left unused for a long time or exposed to moisture for a long period of time, the sharpness will deteriorate and may even lead to permanent damage. Therefore, the use and maintenance of high carbon steel knives requires more attention and patience, and they need to be kept dry, clean, and regularly maintained with grease, acid, and oxidizers.
Due to their excellent cutting performance and relatively low cost, high carbon steel blades are widely used in automobile manufacturing, aerospace and other industrial fields in the production of cutting blades such as scissors, saw blades and files. These blades play an important role in industrial manufacturing, providing productivity and product quality.
2. Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is a commonly used rust-resistant blade material that has good chemical stability and corrosion resistance, and can usually be used for long periods of time in wet environments without rusting. At the same time, stainless steel also has a high degree of hardness and toughness, is not easy to deformation or wear, can maintain the blade lasting sharpness.
The disadvantages of stainless steel blades are the complexity and high cost of the process.
However, due to its excellent corrosion resistance and beautiful appearance, stainless steel blades are widely used in food processing, chemical and other industrial fields. In the field of food processing, stainless steel blades can ensure the hygiene and safety of food to avoid contamination; in the chemical industry, the corrosion resistance and good biocompatibility of stainless steel blades make them the preferred material for making equipment such as reactor stirrers and pipe cutters.
3. Tungsten Carbides
Tungsten carbide is an extremely hard material with wear resistance far exceeding that of most metals. Tungsten carbide blades are commonly used in high-speed cutting and heavy-duty cutting, and can withstand extremely high cutting temperatures and pressures. The high hardness and good wear resistance of tungsten carbide blades enable them to maintain their sharpness for a longer period of time during the cutting process, thus improving machining efficiency.
However, tungsten carbide has low toughness and is easy to break. As a result, tungsten carbide blades are not suitable for use in applications that require them to withstand shock and vibration. In addition, tungsten carbide is more costly and difficult to machine, which limits its application in certain fields.
Due to its excellent cutting performance and wear resistance, tungsten carbide blades are widely used in metal processing, stone processing and other industrial fields. In the field of metal processing, tungsten carbide blades can efficiently cut a variety of metal materials, such as steel, aluminum alloy, etc. In the field of stone processing, tungsten carbide blades can easily cope with a variety of hardness of stone, such as marble, granite and so on.
4. High-Carbon High-Chromium Tool Steels
High-carbon, high-chromium tool steels combine high hardness and good toughness with excellent wear resistance and resistance to thermal fatigue. Its composition contains high levels of carbon and chromium, enabling the blade to maintain high hardness and wear resistance during the cutting process. At the same time, high carbon high chrome tool steel also has good thermal fatigue resistance, can maintain stable cutting performance at high temperatures.
However, high carbon high chrome tool steel is difficult to process, requiring special mechanical equipment and processes. In addition, its toughness is relatively low and easy to crack. Therefore, special attention needs to be paid to its conditions of use in situations where it needs to withstand shock and vibration.
High-carbon, high-chromium tool steel is widely used in cold work molds and punching dies in mold making, automobile manufacturing and other industrial fields due to its excellent wear resistance and thermal fatigue resistance. These molds need to withstand large cutting force and impact, but also need to maintain high hardness and wear resistance. High-carbon, high-chromium tool steel meets these requirements and has become the ideal material for making these molds.
5. High Speed Steels
HSS is a tool steel with high hardness, high wear resistance and high heat resistance. Its composition contains more tungsten, molybdenum, chromium, vanadium and other alloying elements, the addition of these elements makes high-speed steel has excellent cutting performance and heat resistance. High-speed steel can withstand a cutting temperature of 550-600 ℃, cutting general steel can be used 25-30m/min cutting speed, so that its machining efficiency than alloy tool steel to improve 215 times.
High-speed steel also has good thermal stability and toughness, can maintain high hardness and strength at high temperatures. This enables HSS to maintain sharpness for a longer period of time during the cutting process, while being able to withstand greater cutting force and impact.
Because of its excellent cutting performance and heat resistance, HSS is widely used in metal processing, machinery manufacturing and other industrial fields. In the field of metal processing, HSS blades can efficiently cut various metal materials, such as steel, aluminum alloy, etc.; in the field of machinery manufacturing, HSS blades are used to manufacture a variety of complex cutting tools, such as drills, milling cutters and so on.
6. 52100 High-Carbon Chromium Alloy Steel
52100 high carbon chromium alloy steel is a kind of steel with excellent mechanical properties and wear resistance. Its composition contains high carbon and chromium elements, which makes the steel has high hardness and wear resistance. At the same time, 52100 high carbon chrome alloy steel also has good toughness and fatigue resistance, can withstand large cutting force and impact while maintaining stable cutting performance.
The hardness of 52100 high carbon chrome alloy steel is usually between HRC64 and 66, which makes it one of the ideal materials for manufacturing cutting blades and industrial parts. However, 52100 high carbon chrome alloy steel is difficult to machine and requires special machinery and processes. In addition, its relatively poor corrosion resistance requires care and maintenance during use.
Due to its excellent mechanical properties and wear resistance, 52100 high carbon chrome alloy steel is widely used in aerospace, automotive manufacturing and other industrial fields for precision mechanical parts such as bearings and gears, as well as in blade manufacturing. These parts and blades need to withstand large cutting forces and impacts, and at the same time need to maintain a high degree of precision and wear resistance. 52100 high carbon chrome alloy steel meets these requirements and has become the ideal material for making these parts and blades.
7. M-2 molybdenum high-speed steel
M-2 Molybdenum HSS is a type of HSS with better heat and wear resistance. Its composition contains a high level of molybdenum, which enables the steel to maintain high hardness and strength at high temperatures. At the same time, M-2 molybdenum high-speed steel also has good toughness and impact resistance, can be subjected to large cutting force and impact at the same time to maintain stable cutting performance.
M-2 Molybdenum HSS is widely used in aerospace, petrochemical and other industries for cutting difficult-to-machine materials due to its excellent heat and wear resistance. These difficult-to-machine materials include stainless steel, titanium alloys, and other high-strength, high-hardness materials, and M-2 Molybdenum HSS blades are able to cut these materials efficiently while maintaining sharpness for extended periods of time.
However, its high cost, poor malleability, stringent heat treatment requirements, and potentially limited performance at extreme high temperatures have somewhat limited its application in certain industrial fields.
8. D-2 air-hardening high-carbon, high-chromium tool steel
D-2 Air Hardened High Carbon High Chromium Tool Steel is a steel with excellent hardness and wear resistance. Its composition contains high levels of carbon and chromium, which allows the steel to achieve high hardness after the air-hardening process. At the same time, D-2 Air Hardened High Carbon High Chromium Tool Steel also has good toughness and fatigue resistance, and is able to withstand large cutting forces and impacts while maintaining stable cutting performance.
However, D-2 air-hardened high-carbon, high-chromium tool steel has relatively low toughness and is prone to cracking. Therefore, in the need to withstand shock and vibration, need to pay special attention to its conditions of use.
Due to its excellent hardness and wear resistance, D-2 air-hardened high-carbon, high-chromium tool steel is widely used in cold work molds, punching dies and other areas of industry such as mold making and automotive manufacturing. These molds need to withstand high cutting and impact forces while maintaining high precision and wear resistance. d-2 air-hardened high-carbon, high-chromium tool steel meets these requirements and has become the ideal material for making these molds.
9. CPM 10V high-vanadium tool steel
CPM 10V high vanadium tool steel is a steel with extremely high hardness and wear resistance. The high vanadium content in its composition allows the steel to be heat treated to a very high hardness. CPM 10V High Vanadium Tool Steel also has good toughness and thermal fatigue resistance, enabling it to withstand high cutting forces and impacts while maintaining stable cutting performance.
However, CPM 10V high vanadium tool steel is expensive and difficult to machine. In addition, its relatively low toughness requires care to avoid shock and vibration during use.
Due to its extremely high hardness and wear resistance, CPM 10V high vanadium tool steel is used in a wide range of applications such as blanking dies and precision cutting blades in aerospace, automotive manufacturing and other industries. CPM 10V high vanadium tool steel meets the requirements of these dies and blades, which need to withstand high cutting and impact forces while maintaining high precision and wear resistance.
10. Ceramics
Ceramics, as a new type of cutting blade material, has extremely high hardness and wear resistance. The hardness of ceramic blades is much higher than that of traditional metal blades, which can withstand high temperature cutting and heavy-duty cutting. At the same time, ceramic blades also have good chemical stability and thermal shock resistance, and can maintain stable cutting performance in the harsh cutting environment.
However, ceramic blades have very low toughness and are prone to breakage. As a result, ceramic blades may not be the best choice for applications that require shock and vibration. In addition, ceramics are more difficult and expensive to machine, which limits their use in certain applications.
Ceramic blades are widely used for high-speed cutting, heavy-duty cutting, and precision machining in aerospace, automotive manufacturing, and other industrial fields due to their extremely high hardness and wear resistance. These areas need to withstand high cutting forces and impacts, while also maintaining high precision and wear resistance. Ceramic blades meet these requirements
Comparison Of 10 Common Industrial Blade Materials
The selection of industrial blade materials is based on their performance characteristics and cost-effectiveness. Choosing the appropriate material is crucial as it directly impacts the blade’s hardness, toughness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and overall service life. The following comparison of 10 materials highlights their key properties and typical application scenarios.
Material | Hardness | Toughness | Wear Resistance | Corrosion Resistance | Cost Level | Typical Applications |
High-Carbon Steel | Medium | Medium | Low–Medium | Low | Low | General cutting, low-cost tools |
Stainless Steel | Medium | Medium | Medium | High | Medium | Food processing, medical, packaging |
Tungsten Carbide | Very High | Low | Very High | Medium | High | Paper, corrugated board, metal cutting |
High-Carbon High-Chromium Tool Steel | High | Medium | High | Medium | Medium | Shearing, punching, wear-resistant knives |
High Speed Steel (HSS) | High | Medium–High | High | Medium | Medium–High | Cutting tools, machine blades |
52100 High-Carbon Chromium Alloy Steel | High | Medium | High | Low | Medium | Bearings, precision cutting tools |
M2 Molybdenum High-Speed Steel | High | Medium–High | High | Medium | Medium–High | Precision cutting, metalworking |
D2 Air-Hardening High-Carbon, High-Chromium Tool Steel | Very High | Medium | Very High | Medium | High | Industrial knives, stamping dies |
CPM 10V High-Vanadium Tool Steel | Very High | Medium | Extremely High | Medium | Very High | Abrasive cutting, long-life blades |
Ceramic | Extremely High | Very Low | Extremely High | Very High | High | Precision cutting, high-wear environments |
In summary, the choice of materials for manufacturing industrial inserts needs to be considered in the light of the specific use environment and cutting requirements. In practical application, you can choose the right material according to the advantages and disadvantages of the material as well as the correlation and comparison between each other, in order to improve the processing efficiency, product quality and production costs.
