When it comes to choosing tools for your milling machine, carbide is clearly the best option available. Not only are these tools going to allow you to machine harder materials at higher speeds, but they also outlast cutters made from steel alloys. Taking the time to find tools from a reliable solid carbide end mills manufacturer will help ensure that your shop gets the best value when ordering new cutters.

Why Carbide?
Carbide is practically a miracle material when it comes to the production of cutting tools. While tool carbide might look like a metallic alloy, it is actually a finely powdered carbide ceramic(tungsten carbide) mixed into a metal binding material(cobalt). The resulting composite material has the strength of the cobalt to prevent it from shattering, while the dense carbide ceramic helps to keep the tool rigid and the cutting edges sharp.

All metallic tools have to be properly tempered during manufacturing. The tempering process involves heating and cooling the metal in a way that helps to properly harden the cutter so the edges will stay sharp for longer. When heated beyond a certain point, these tools can lose their temper and their edges can soften, leading to premature tool failure.

Because the sharpness of carbide tools is a result of their ceramic content, the temper of the metal does not have a significant impact on the integrity of their cutting edges. This means that they can operate at high speeds that would overheat steel tools. Carbide cutters will even outperform high speed steel alloys.

Finding A Manufacturer
When it comes to ordering carbide cutting tools, the source of your tools matters. A lot of shops try to save money by purchasing cheap end mills from overseas manufacturers. While these tools might be less expensive, that low cost comes with a lower material quality and practically non existent customer service.

Ordering your tools from an American solid carbide end mills manufacturer means that you will be able to trust the material quality of your tools. Just like different alloys with metallic tools, there are various grades of carbides and overseas manufacturers tend to cut cost by using lower quality carbide stock. Dealing with a domestic manufacturer also means that, in the event of difficulty with your cutters, there will actually be a team that can hop on a call and assist you when you need help.

One reliable solid carbide end mills manufacturer is Online Carbide. They make all of their end mills and drill bits from high quality micro grain tungsten carbide. By using computer guided 5 axis CNC grinders, they are able to produce extremely precise tools for their customers. They carry stand end mills, thread mills, drill mills, spot drills, and other tools. All of their tools are available at manufacturer direct prices so you can get a great deal of the tools that your shop needs. If you have any questions about their tools, feel free to reach out to a member of their team by sending an email to [email protected].