Cutting tools play a critical role in industrial applications, shaping, shearing, and processing materials with precision and efficiency. The performance of these tools depends on their material composition, which determines important properties like hardness, toughness, and wear resistance. In metal stamping and other high-precision operations, selecting the right cutting tool material is essential for achieving high-quality results while minimizing downtime and maintenance costs.
This article reviews what a cutting tool is, ideal properties of materials for metal stamping tools and other high-precision applications. These other high-precision applications include specific requirements for shear knives, rotating slitters, pelletizer knives, bed knives, and non-metallic cutting tools. Understanding these aspects ensures optimal tool performance and longevity across various industrial applications.
What are Cutting Tools?
Cutting tools are unique instruments that serve to remove material from a workpiece through processes like shearing, slicing, or chipping. These tools are integral to manufacturing industries, including metal stamping, plastics processing, and woodworking. Cutting tools must withstand extreme forces, high temperatures, and abrasive wear while maintaining sharpness and dimensional stability.
The choice of material for a cutting tool depends on several factors, including the type of material being cut, the required precision, and the operating environment. Common cutting tool materials include high-speed steel (HSS), tungsten carbide, titanium carbide, ceramics, and polycrystalline diamond (PCD). Each of these materials has unique benefits that suit specific applications.
Desirable Material Properties for Metal Stamping Die Tools
Metal stamping dies must endure repetitive, high-force impacts while maintaining their cutting edges and resisting wear. The ideal material properties for stamping die tools include:
- High Hardness: A die tool must be hard enough to cut or shape metal without deforming.
- Wear Resistance: Frequent contact with metal sheets subjects stamping dies to abrasive wear, making wear-resistant materials crucial.
- Toughness: Stamping dies must resist cracking and chipping under high-impact forces.
- Heat Resistance: The friction generated in high-speed stamping can elevate temperatures, requiring materials that maintain hardness at high temperatures.
- Dimensional Stability: The material must resist distortion under prolonged stress to ensure consistent precision.
Common materials for stamping die tools include D2 tool steel, M2 high-speed steel, and carbide-based materials. These carbide-based materials like tungsten carbide and titanium carbide, deliver excellent performance in high-volume production environments.
Material Properties for Shear Knives
Shear knives are designed to cut through metal, paper, plastic, and other materials with a clean, precise edge. The ideal material for shear knives should offer:
- Sharpness Retention: A shear knife must maintain its edge over multiple cuts to minimize regrinding frequency.
- Toughness: It must resist chipping, especially when cutting harder materials.
- Corrosion Resistance: Exposure to moisture and chemicals can degrade the blade, making corrosion-resistant alloys beneficial.
- High Compressive Strength: Shear knives experience significant pressure, requiring a material that withstands compressive forces without deformation.
Common materials for shear knives include tool steels like A2 and D2, tungsten carbide for superior wear resistance, and high-speed steels when cutting high-strength materials.
Material Properties for Rotating Slitters
Rotating slitters are employed in various industries, including textiles and materials processing. The demands placed upon these tools require specialized material properties:
- High Wear Resistance: The continuous rotational motion against the workpiece causes significant abrasive wear.
- Toughness and Impact Strength: The blade must withstand the forces of high-speed cutting without cracking.
- Precision and Edge Retention: Consistent cutting performance is essential to maintain uniform product dimensions.
- Lubricity: Reduced friction enhances cutting efficiency and extends tool life.
Rotating slitters often utilize high-speed steel, tungsten carbide, and titanium carbide composites for their durability and precision.
Properties of Pelletizer Tool Materials
Pelletizing processes transform raw materials into uniform pellets suitable for further processing. The knives involved in this process must have certain key properties to optimize efficiency:
- Durability and Strength: Pelletizer knives require materials that can withstand the rigors of cutting hot and abrasive materials. High carbon stainless steels, for example, are favored due to their high strength and durability. By using robust materials, manufacturers can enhance the efficiency of their pelletizing operations.
- Wear Resistance: Continuous operation in tough environments means that wear resistance is crucial for maintaining the cutting edge. Coatings such as titanium carbide can also enhance knife performance by providing additional wear resistance.
- Thermal and Chemical Resistance: Pelletizing often involves high temperatures and potentially corrosive environments. Therefore, the materials chosen for pelletizer knives should resist thermal degradation and chemical reactions, which can undermine tool integrity over time. This makes advanced metal alloys or coatings particularly beneficial.
Material Properties for Bed Knives
Bed knives work in tandem with rotary blades to achieve precise cutting in paper, plastics, and metal shearing applications. The key properties include:
- High Edge Strength: The bed knife supports cutting forces and must resist dulling.
- Dimensional Stability: Precision alignment with rotating blades requires a material that does not deform.
- Wear and Impact Resistance: High-speed operations demand a material that maintains integrity under mechanical stress.
Materials like D2 tool steel, hardened stainless steel, and carbide-based composites provide the necessary strength and wear resistance.
Desirable Material Properties for Non-Metallic Cutting Tools
Non-metallic cutting tools are used in industries such as woodworking, textiles, and food processing. The material properties for these tools vary depending on the application but typically include:
- Low Friction: Reducing friction minimizes heat buildup and improves efficiency.
- Corrosion Resistance: Exposure to food, chemicals, and environmental conditions requires non-reactive materials.
- Impact Strength: Cutting fibrous or soft materials can subject tools to variable loads, requiring a strong, durable material.
- Sharpness Retention: A long-lasting edge improves productivity and reduces maintenance.
Materials such as ceramic composites, diamond-coated edges, and specialized polymer-based cutting tools are commonly used for non-metallic applications.
High Precision Cutting Tool Materials from Ferro-Tic
At Ferro-Tic, we have a variety of steel grades that can meet your cutting tool requirements whether it be for tool dies or industrial machine knives. Our family of steel and alloy-bonded carbides offer a unique combination of high wear, corrosion, and heat resistance. Ferro-Tic tool steels outlast conventional tool steels by up to 10 times and can achieve hardness of 70 HRC. Contact us today and we can partner in designing the right cutting tool material for your application.