Tool Material

The productivity of engineering industries has increased by continuous development of cutting tool materials and increased cutting speeds. Right from the conventional Carbon tool steel and HSS, the development of superior cutting tool materials like coated carbides, Ceramics, CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) and polycrystalline diamond etc., have reduced metal cutting time so low that automation of other elements of operation become easy and economical. Figure 1 shows how drastically the cutting time has reduced, by the introduction of these new tool materials.

Even though new tool materials are being developed the older tool materials are not completely wiped out from the scene. They continue to have their own special area of application and, in fact the older materials also are undergoing further developments and their capabilities are constantly being extended.