High Speed Steel vs Carbide Endmills – Heat Resistance
Industrial machining and tooling involves drilling, boring, and cutting hard materials until the desired shape is reached. This generates a massive amount of heat and pressure, all of which is endured entirely by your end mill! This makes overheating a serious issue that cannot be overlooked, as it can result in damage to machines and tool bits.
Managing this is far easier with carbide end mills, as their inherent thermal resistance provides a much higher tolerance to heat. Because of this, carbide end mills can consistently work under incredibly high temperatures without suffering from deformation or depreciating performance. High Speed Steel (HSS), while still able to withstand high temperatures, does not compare to carbide on thermal resistance.
High Speed Steel vs Carbide Endmills – Hardness
As well as being able to withstand far higher temperatures, carbide end mills also have a higher hardness rating. HSS is a very hard material with a score of up to 750 on the Vickers Hardness Scale, but it’s blown out of the water by tungsten carbide, which scores as high as 2600! Carbide is second only to diamond in terms of hardness. Because of this incredible hardness, carbide can be used for machining any raw material without fear of a harder material damaging or excessively wearing down your tool tip. This also gives carbide end mills a fantastic versatility, allowing it to take on almost any machining task.
High Speed Steel vs Carbide Endmills – Longevity
The amazingly high levels of heat and pressure resistance, along with the sheer hardness and strength of carbide, also mean that tungsten carbide end mills are far more durable than their HSS counterparts. More durability means better longevity, as your end mill will last through many more jobs without wearing down and needing replacement. HSS end mills suffer from a shorter lifespan, and so are the more appropriate choice if an end mill is expected to be used for a short task and then disposed of.
Finish
The type of milling cutter being used not only determines the longevity and hardness of the tool tip, but also the finish left behind! Burrs and other defects to the surface reduce visual appeal of the product and may also pose a risk to its successful operation. Because of this, obtaining a smooth finish without blemishes can be vital, especially when producing machine parts which need to fit together precisely. Fortunately, the hardness and heat/pressure resistance of carbide end mills can produce the perfect finish consistently throughout its substantial lifespan.