In industrial production, carbide round knives have become the preferred tools for numerous cutting operations due to their excellent wear resistance, hardness, and corrosion resistance. However, when facing the cutting requirements of different materials such as plastics, metals, and papers, selecting the appropriate tool manufacturing materials is directly related to cutting efficiency, tool life, and product quality. Next, we will explore in depth the scientific methods for choosing the manufacturing materials of carbide round knives when cutting different materials in the form of tables and lists.
1. Selection of Tool Materials for Cutting Plastic Materials
Plastic materials come in a wide variety, and the requirements for tool materials vary significantly for different types of plastics. The specific selections are as follows:
| Plastic Type | Representative Materials | Material Characteristics | Recommended Tool Materials | Advantage Explanation |
| Soft Plastics | Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP) | Low hardness, easy to adhere to tools | Carbide with a cobalt (Co) content of 10%-15% | High cobalt content enhances the toughness of the tool, reduces plastic adhesion, ensures cutting accuracy, and reduces wear |
| Hard Plastics | Polycarbonate (PC), Polyoxymethylene (POM) | High hardness, strong wear resistance | Fine-grained or ultra-fine-grained WC-Co carbide | The fine-grained structure improves the hardness and wear resistance of the tool, extending its service life by 2-3 times |
2. Selection of Tool Materials for Cutting Metal Materials
Metal cutting operations have extremely strict requirements for the performance of carbide round knives. According to the different characteristics of non-ferrous metals and ferrous metals, the key points for selecting tool materials are as follows:
(1) Non-Ferrous Metals (Taking Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys as Examples)
- Material Characteristics: Low hardness, but good ductility, and built-up edges are likely to occur during cutting.
- Recommended Tool Materials: Carbide round knives with a surface treated by TiAlN (Titanium Aluminum Nitride) coating.
- Advantage Explanation: The coating reduces the friction coefficient between the tool and the metal, reduces built-up edges, and improves the wear resistance and oxidation resistance of the tool.
(2) Ferrous Metals (Taking Carbon Steel and Alloy Steel as Examples)
- Material Characteristics: High hardness, high strength, and a large amount of heat and cutting force are generated during cutting.
- Recommended Tool Materials: WC-TiC-Co series carbide containing a high proportion of tungsten carbide (WC) and titanium carbide (TiC).
- Advantage Explanation: It can maintain good hardness and wear resistance at high temperatures, stably maintain the sharpness of the cutting edge, and improve cutting efficiency.
3. Selection of Tool Materials for Cutting Paper and Fiber Materials
Paper and fiber materials are relatively soft, but the problem of fiber entanglement with the tool is likely to occur. The strategies for selecting tool materials are as follows:
| Material Type | Representative Materials | Common Problems | Recommended Tool Materials | Treatment Methods and Advantages |
| Ordinary Papers | Printing paper, writing paper, etc. | - | Medium-hardness carbide | Good cutting performance, can quickly cut fiber, and has a long service life |
| High-Fiber Materials | Leather, fabric, non-woven fabric | Fibers are easy to entangle the tool | Carbide with surface mirror treatment or self-lubricating coating | Mirror treatment reduces surface roughness, and the self-lubricating coating reduces friction, avoiding fiber entanglement and achieving efficient cutting |
4. Other Considerations for Selecting Tool Manufacturing Materials
In addition to the material, the following factors also need to be comprehensively considered when selecting tool manufacturing materials:
- Cutting Equipment Performance: High-speed cutting equipment requires tools to have higher strength and dynamic balance performance.
- Cutting Process Parameters: Cutting speed, feed rate, etc., need to be matched with the performance of the tool material to achieve the best cutting effect.
- Cost Factor: On the premise of meeting the cutting requirements, give priority to selecting tool materials with high cost performance to reduce production costs.
When carbide round knives cut different materials, the selection of tool manufacturing materials is a comprehensive decision-making process. Only by fully understanding the characteristics of the cutting materials, combining factors such as cutting equipment, process parameters, and costs, can the most suitable tool materials be selected to ensure that the cutting operation is carried out efficiently and stably, creating greater value for the enterprise.