Titanium drill bits are one option for drilling hardened steel. These drill bits are high-speed steel bits coated with titanium nitride. High-speed steel bits that consist of vanadium and tungsten can drill through soft steel, but they won’t cut through hardened steel.

Hardened steel is medium- or high-carbon steel that has been given heat treatment, rapidly cooled and tempered. The high amount of carbon in the steel makes it possible to harden the metal.

VariMill III ER is true finishing endmill for higher metal removal rates, longer tool life, and improved surface finishes in demanding workpiece materials such as titaniums and stainless steels.

With a new seven-flute, eccentric relief (ER) design, the newest addition to the WIDIA VariMill family, the VariMill III ER solid-carbide end mill, is engineered for higher metal removal, longer tool life, and improved surface finishes in demanding workpiece materials such as titaniums and stainless steels.

A newly developed coating and proprietary pre- and post-coat treatment significantly improves cutting edge consistency. Consistent cutting edges mean higher metal-removal rates, longer tool life, and improved workpiece surface finishes in expensive demanding materials. The tool is designed to be a true finishing endmill with the ability to take up to 30% radial engagement.

The titanium nitride coating has a dark gold appearance, improves wear resistance, and reduces friction. Since the titanium nitride is just a coating, once your drill bit wears down, you cannot resharpen it and maintain its performance level. The titanium layer will no longer be on the drill bit except in the fluting and perhaps on the sides.

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These drill bits can be tungsten carbide tipped or full body. Carbide-tipped bits can drill through hard, non-metallic materials like masonry. If you want to drill hardened steel with tungsten carbide, use a full-body bit.

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If you’re looking for a tool to cut through hardened steel, check out the cobalt drill bit sets at Drill Bit Warehouse. Our premium M42 drill bits come in various lengths to suit your project needs. Shop with us today for high-performance drill bits.

Steel (ISO P) is a complex material and it’s only getting more complex. In a competitive market it is essential to keep progressing and find ways that can make your steel turning operations more efficient and productive.

“OEMs and tier suppliers in the aerospace and energy segments who regularly face working in high-strength, low-weight titaniums and stainless steels will want to see how the VariMill III ER together with the new WIDIA Victory Grade WS15PE can improve performance,” says Ron West, WIDIA product manager.

Demanding markets such as aerospace and energy are defined by the need for increased efficiency. In response, WIDIA is offering the VariMill III ER in a full line of options,including two, three, and five times diameter length-of-cut and all common aerospace radii and chamfered corners, metric and inch. With more and more additive layer manufacturing in the aerospace field, the trend going forward will be from roughing to semi-finishing and finishing operations, perfect for the increased efficiencies VariMill III ER provides. VariMill III ER end mills also come standard with the SAFE-LOCK option by Haimer, eliminating pull-out risk, and making the tool assembly more stable and concentric, which in turn increases surface finish and tool life.

Cobalt drill bits contain an alloy of five to eight percent cobalt. M35 bits contain approximately five percent cobalt, and M42 bits contain about eight percent cobalt.

Cobalt drill bits are often the best for drilling into hardened steel. Whereas titanium drill bits only have titanium in the coating, cobalt bits have cobalt throughout. After cobalt drill bits get worn out over time, you can resharpen them.

The more cobalt the bit contains, the harder the metal it can drill through. But the tradeoff is that increasing the cobalt increases the drill bit’s brittleness. Be sure to use the appropriate drilling techniques to preserve your cutting tools.

Hardened steel is resistant to wear and high-impact pressure, making it a choice material for applications that require hard-wearing materials. These characteristics can also make it challenging to machine hardened steel. Read on to discover the best drill bits for drilling into hardened steel.

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Moreover, VariMill solid-carbide end mills are available through NOVO, WIDIA’s digital process knowledge application. With powerful process knowledge available on iPad and other digital devices, NOVO helps users define machining features, such as ramping or slotting in specific work materials, and then immediately reduces the product set to those like VariMill that can do the job. This provides far more useful process knowledge than any online catalog alone, all obtained in a fraction of the time.

Carbide is a compound composed of carbon and a metal. Carbide drill bits are tungsten carbide and can contain cobalt for enhanced durability. Carbide drill bits can handle higher temperatures than cobalt drill bits.

“This also means VariMill III ER customers can use high-speed machining techniques such as peel milling or trochoidal machining in high-strength alloys,” West adds.