End mills are an incredibly common tool for use in CNC machining. Sometimes similar in looks to a carbide drill, end mills allow for cutting, grooving, and profiling in multiple directions, not just the lateral up-down movement enjoyed by drills. End mills are used for a huge range of tooling tasks, and can be used to leave beautiful finishes on many different materials. End mills are available in a myriad of materials, from high-speed steel (HSS) to polycrystalline diamond (PCD). But one of the most popular choices used in metal milling is tungsten carbide, so why are carbide end mills so popular?
What is Carbide?
In a general sense, a carbide is any alloy in which one of the primary components is carbon. Carbon can be blended with any number of other elements to create carbides, like calcium carbide, silicon carbide, and aluminium carbide. Tungsten carbide, known in the tooling industry simply as ‘carbide’, is the alloy created from tungsten, the heavy metal with the highest melting point on the periodic table, and carbon. Carbide is manufactured in many different grades for specific applications.
What Other Options Are There?
The other two popular options for end mills – HSS also for machining metals and PCD for machining composites and other highly abrasive materials– come with their own unique set of benefits, with carbide offering a comfortable middle ground for metal cutting. HSS drill bits and end mills are cheaper than either of the other options, but are also softer. This means that HSS end mills may not be suitable for projects involving hard ferrous materials as the end mill may excessively wear down.
Whilst machining composites PCD, on the other hand, enjoys a higher strength and hardness compared to carbide, and can be re-sharpened for a longer lifespan.
Why Choose Carbide End Mills?
Carbide end mills are an incredibly popular option because they offer the best of both worlds! Carbide is much stronger than HSS, and unless you’re machining some of the hardest materials on earth, carbide milling cutters have all the strength and durability you need to complete any metal machining project. Carbon has the highest melting point of all the elements on earth, while tungsten has the highest of all heavy metals. The resultant tungsten carbide is exceptionally heat resistant and can withstand unbelievable pressures.