At first blush, hardness and toughness may seem like interchangeable concepts, but they actually exist at opposite ends of a continuum that defines indexable and solid tool performance, particularly when it comes to carbide inserts. Harder inserts offer greater wear resistance for superior performance and tool life in hot cutting environments, while tough inserts can handle greater impacts and stressors for the highest feed and depth of cut. For any given application, there is an optimal balance of hardness and toughness – and toolmakers have worked diligently to establish metallurgic principles to offer a range of tools that can meet the diverse needs of manufacturers.
Imported from the CTE archive to seed discussion on MFGAxis.
Originally published on CTE: 2019-10-04
CTE source: https://ctemag.com/news/turn-fine-balance-between-insert-hardness-and-toughness/
Legacy path: /turn-fine-balance-between-insert-hardness-and-toughness