Ceramic tools are known to feature higher resistance to heat and even wear & tear. Therefore, these are being utilized for machining metals that tend to be extremely hard. This is because ceramic tools are known to be stable chemically. The given attributes enable them to be utilized for machining metals at improved cutting speeds –even in dry machining conditions. This is because it is not imperative to reduce the overall temperatures on the given tools.
However, the given set of favorable properties gets exchanged in machining for a lower value of toughness when the given tools are compared with the respective carbide tools. The deficiency can be balanced through the selection of the right ceramic cutting level & its tool.
Ceramic tools are known to be primarily based on Ai203 (Alumina) & Silicon Nitride compounds. Moreover, these tools are available in a wide range of grades for including ceramics blended with other materials. Some of the common types of ceramic cutting tools include:
Oxide Ceramics: Tools made out of cemented oxide or ceramic are known to be produced primarily out of alumina. These are known to contain additions of magnesium, zirconium, titanium, or chromium oxides or even silicon-carbide grains. These are distributed homogenously across the alumina matrix for improving the overall toughness.
Cemented oxides tend to be relatively brittle while requiring vibration-free and highly rigid setups & machines. The materials get molded at pressures over 4,000 psi while being sintered at around 3,000 Degrees F. Oxide ceramics are known to be utilized for finish and rough turning & continuous cutting at higher speeds without using any coolant.
Whiskered Ceramics: Whiskered or reinforced, ceramics are known to make use of silicon carbide crystals that are fine-grained. These are referred to as “Whiskers.” This is because these are known to resemble small hair-like structures under a microscope for reinforcing and toughening the basic ceramic compounds.
The given whiskers are known to feature a higher tensile strength of around 1 million psi while dramatically improving the fracture toughness of the given material for tooling. These are also highly effective in blocking and preventing the propagation of cracks. With the help of reinforced ceramic cutting tools, the main purpose in machining is the generation of high temperatures for softening or plasticizing the workpiece material.
Silicon Nitrides: Ceramics that are based on silicon nitrides are known to provide increased resistance to thermal shock and abrasion while featuring higher fracture toughness. The given set of ceramic tools from leading providers like Cutting tools Ceratizit, feature a needle-like structure that has been embedded in grain boundary that is temperature resistant. The given structures help in enhancing crack deflection, pull-out effects, crack bridging while leading to superior fracture toughness.
Silicon nitrides are known to be favorable for cast iron rough machining – even in case of unfavorable conditions like interrupted cuts & multiple depths of cut.
Make the most of the top-grade ceramic-based cutting tools that deliver optimum performance and efficiency.