Most of the experts here mentioned a similar corollary in the additive manufacturing space. Here, 3D printed parts emerge from the resin tank or build chamber not quite complete. Critical surfaces must be machined, holes reamed or bored, and even relatively open tolerance features brought into specification. Due to the relatively high value of these parts—some of which take hours or days to print—it’s likely that carbide cutting tools will be the preferred solution for finishing them.

It’s Drape at Horn who perhaps best sums up the situation, stating that “3D printing will eventually take some business away from machine shops and cutting tool manufacturers, but until it’s able to provide greater accuracy and surface quality, you’re still going to need solid-carbide tools for the finishing work.”

“Carbon fiber and aluminum workpieces continue to become more prevalent,” said Ed Woksa, director of product management and marketing at Ingersoll Cutting Tools Inc., Rockford, Illinois. “Because of this, PCD and DLC tools will continue to replace solid-carbide end mills and drills in some nonferrous and composite applications, particularly in high-volume production. As anyone who’s used it knows, PCD allows significantly higher cutting speeds compared to solid carbide, leading to increased productivity. This is especially important on modern CNC equipment, where faster spindles and look-ahead software technology enables greater throughput. When properly applied, PCD tooling also provides much longer tool life in these materials, providing many opportunities for lights-out manufacturing.”

Staying tuned is good advice for any technology, and carbide cutting tools are no exception. SCT’s White assures us that carbide substrates and tool coatings will continue to evolve to keep pace with material advancements.

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Retired machinists reading this might reminisce over the hand-sharpened bits of Carboloy 883 carbide lying dusty and begrunged in the backs of their toolboxes. Compared to the high-speed steel tool bits these one-time Cincinnati Milacron and Davenport operators cut their teeth on, tungsten carbide’s widespread adoption back in the day meant faster feeds and speeds, longer tool life, higher part quality and a bigger pile of parts on the bench at the end of each shift.

“Solid ceramics can be used in place of solid carbide in some applications, especially for roughing,” said Danny Davis, senior staff engineer at Pittsburgh-based Kennametal Inc. “However, carbide is typically still needed in conjunction with ceramics to complete many parts. In addition, ceramics require very high surface speeds to plasticize the material properly and make the tools work as they should. Not every machining center has the necessary spindle rpm, nor the rigidity. That equation will change as we and other suppliers introduce ceramic end mills in larger diameters and develop ceramics able to cope with less stringent operating parameters. Even so, it’s not always the perfect solution.”

Substrate and coating technology continues to advance, enabling ever more capable tooling that will significantly improve efficiency and profitability for the machining industry. That is according to Sarang Garud, product manager at Walter USA LLC, Waukesha, Wis. “That being said, we expect to see more aluminum used in the automotive and other industries, so polycrystalline diamond (PCD) will also grow quite a bit, although carbide will remain number one.”

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The Tungsten Carbide market is experiencing significant growth due to its superior abrasion resistance and high compressive strength. Key industries driving demand include Aerospace and Defense, Automotive, and Construction. Trends like 3D printing and chipless forming are increasing its application in manufacturing activities. Alloys made with Tungsten Carbide are used in automotive parts, ball joints, brakes, and cutting tools. Cemented carbide is crucial in high-temperature wear resistance applications, such as in mining and petroleum tunneling. Emerging economies' industrialization and infrastructural developments are increasing demand. However, challenges like raw material shortage, shipping delays, and health concerns such as lung fibrosis and respiratory issues from dust inhalation are concerns. Applications in electronics, medical instruments, and aluminum cans are also growing.

But as Walter’s Garud alluded to, what about advanced cutting tools made of PCD and cubic boron nitride (CBN)? And whatever happened with all the hoopla over solid-ceramic end mills, with glossy magazine photographs showing flames spouting from Inconel workpieces seeming to spell certain doom for carbide, at least when it came to the milling of superalloys? Surely carbide can’t compete against these ultra-hard and abrasion-resistant cutting tool materials?

Yet Walter Tools suggested that an EV’s greater percentage of aluminum components also puts the squeeze on cast iron, the automotive industry’s longtime darling. Ironically, this trend will cut into this sector’s consumption of ceramic and especially CBN tooling, the latter of which can withstand far higher cutting speeds in cast iron and hardened steels, and has therefore gained market share over recent years. Here again, carbide is expected to emerge victorious.

NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global tungsten carbide market  size is estimated to grow by USD 4.66 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 3.97%  during the forecast period.  Increasing demand for tungsten carbide from automotive industry is driving market growth, with a trend towards emerging applications of tungsten carbide. However, economic slowdown in China  poses a challenge. Key market players include American Elements, Buffalo Tungsten Inc., CY Carbide Mfg. Co. Ltd., DAAO Industry Co. Ltd., Extramet Products LLC, Federal Carbide Co., GuangDong XiangLu Tungsten Co. Ltd., HC Starck Tungsten GmbH, Hengdian Group Holdings Ltd., ILJIN Diamond Co. Ltd., Japan New Metals Co. Ltd., Jiangxi Yaosheng Tungsten Co. Ltd., Kennametal Inc., Murugappa Group, Nanchang Cemented Carbide Co. Ltd., Plansee SE, Reade International Corp., Sandvik AB, Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., and Umicore SA.

Woksa of Ingersoll painted a similar picture. He noted that, while the technology to 3D print solid-carbide and indexable tooling is under development, it is virtually impossible to compete with current carbide production technology. However, carbide insert product development will be impacted, since specials and small batch carbide tools and inserts can be produced faster and more economically if a die set is not required. “Also, there’s the potential to develop unique capabilities such as coolant-through holes with pinpoint accuracy that would otherwise be impossible,” he said.

Tungsten carbide is a hard and durable material, primarily used in manufacturing activities due to its exceptional properties such as high abrasion resistance, deflection resistance, and tensile strength. Cemented carbide, a type of tungsten carbide, is widely used in various industries for manufacturing automotive components, cutting tools, and industrial machinery. Tungsten carbide scrap is recycled and reused to produce new products, reducing the need for raw materials. The demand for tungsten carbide is driven by industries like mining, where it is used in drilling tools and mining equipment. Urbanization and infrastructural developments in emerging economies have led to an increase in infrastructure projects, further fueling the demand for tungsten carbide in construction and petroleum tunneling. Metallic cobalt is a crucial component in the production of cemented carbide. However, raw material shortages and shipping delays can impact the supply chain, leading to price volatility. The market for tungsten carbide is also influenced by industrialization, with an increasing focus on automation and the production of automatic valves. Tungsten carbide powder is another significant application area, used in the production of advanced ceramics and superalloys.

Raun of Iscar has a similarly long history in the cutting tool business. “Compared to the carbide rod that was available when I entered the industry, the hardness and density have risen to a very high level,” he said. “Because of this, it can withstand wear and cutting forces far better than it once did. Couple that with today’s advanced coatings and, as others have mentioned, the geometries and edge preps that are now available, and you’re left with far more capable cutting tools than were previously available. I feel those advancements will only continue as the technology behind them improves.”

Kennametal’s Davis is in full agreement and thanked advances in computer software and machine tool technology for the past decade or two of continuous improvement. With that in mind, he also thinks the carbide tooling industry will see some fundamental changes in the near future. “All of us continue to develop better cutter geometries and coatings, but the key will be to bring those down to the micro level rather than the macro,” he said.

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Ceratizit USA Inc., Warren, Mich., is another cutting tool manufacturer active in the ceramic milling arena. And while Dr. Uwe Schleinkofer, head of research and development at the Ceratizit Group, agreed that ceramics development is ongoing, he doesn’t see it challenging solid-carbide cutting tools anytime soon. “Ceramic does have a place and is often the best solution in dry conditions and accelerated spindle speeds, but its use in the future will continue to be in these niche applications.”

Times have changed, as has carbide, more properly known as tungsten carbide or sometimes cemented carbide. We won’t explore its long history here except to say that this most important of all cutting tool materials’ 100th birthday is approaching, and as with all centenarians, it behooves us to evaluate whether it’s time to turn this machine shop veteran out to pasture.

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That’s true for parts made of both metal and polymer, yet Iscar’s Raun said it’s the former that will present the greatest challenge for cutting tool manufacturers. “Additive technologies such as metal powder bed and binder jet raise the potential for entirely new alloys, ones that are both stronger and more wear-resistant than existing metals. I’ve heard of tungsten blended with aluminum, for instance, which I imagine would be quite difficult to machine. As more and more of these hybrid materials come online, it’s going to tax cutting tool companies to come up with solutions able to productively machine those materials.”

And Drape of Horn said carbide and carbide cutting tools are always getting better, “but unless there’s some new mineral that’s found in abundant supply and is relatively easy to get, it will be in baby steps rather than leaps and bounds.” He suggested that these improvements will primarily come in the form of more advanced edge preps and coatings more so than the carbide, although all three are necessary pillars of high-performance cutting tools.

Tungsten carbide is a versatile material with extensive applications in various industries. Beyond its traditional uses in machine tools, cutting tools, dies, punches, and abrasives, technological advancements are expanding its horizons. One such application is the use of tungsten carbide as a reforming catalyst for converting natural gas to hydrogen gas. This technology is integral to hydrogen-powered engines and fuel cells. Another emerging application is the use of tungsten carbide as a slurry in 3D printing. This fabrication technique offers enhanced flexibility and sharpness for cutting tools compared to conventional methods. Tungsten carbide powder is also utilized in HVOF systems for spraying and coating applications, providing high porosity, density, and strength. Silver-tungsten-carbide composites are employed in manufacturing surface films and contacts, showcasing superior erosion resistance and anti-weld properties. These products are essential in large low-voltage circuit breakers and other protective devices. These applications collectively contribute to the robust growth of the global tungsten carbide market.

“High-performance tooling means fewer tool changes, longer tool life, faster cycle times and more predictable processes,” said Davis. “When you add it all up, the slightly higher cost for one of these tools is very easy to justify. And contrary to what many might think, cutting tools represent such a small fraction of a part’s overall manufacturing cost that it would be a shame not to maximize a CNC machine tool’s performance as much as possible by using the proper tooling.”

Sandvik Coromant’s response was much the same as Ingersoll’s. “Like other cutting tool manufacturers, we’re very much in the development stage, although we do expect 3D printing to contribute to our offering in some unique and very productive ways,” said Lind. “That could be from a prototyping standpoint, as one might expect, but there’s also the potential for complex, advanced engineering solutions. As I said, it’s still early in the game—but stay tuned.”

Ceratizit disagreed, at least from a production perspective. “Keep in mind, we and others are pressing inserts in two seconds, so I don’t see how this would work with 3D printing,” Schleinkofer said. “The process is far too expensive. Also, consider that dense cemented carbide cannot be produced by laser sintering. You can only print green parts, so a trip to the furnace for sintering after the 3D printing process is always necessary. However, 3D printing does provide us with more flexibility in terms of implementing customer requirements and opens new design possibilities, which we can use to offer our customers highly optimized, individual solutions in minimum time. It is an ideal solution for small volumes and high component complexity.”

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Tungsten Carbide is a valuable industrial material, widely used in various sectors including construction, electronics, and mining. Its applications range from wear parts in infrastructure projects to cutting tools in manufacturing activities. However, the market faces several challenges. Raw material shortage and shipping delays impact production, while high production costs increase prices. Tungsten Carbide's high deflection resistance and wear resistance make it ideal for crankshafts, but its toxicity and potential health hazards, such as lung fibrosis and skin allergies, pose concerns for workers. In emerging economies, increased industrialization and infrastructural developments lead to growing demand for Tungsten Carbide in construction and mining. However, this also results in increased mining activities and potential respiratory issues for workers, including silicosis. Tungsten Carbide is used in various industries, from steel wires and studs for tires to military components and medical instruments. In the mining sector, it's used for petroleum tunneling and mining equipment. Recycling Tungsten Carbide scrap is an emerging trend to mitigate raw material shortages. Despite these challenges, Tungsten Carbide's unique properties, such as high tensile strength and high-temperature wear resistance, make it an indispensable material in numerous industries. Its versatility in applications, from copper wires to glass bottles, keeps the market dynamic and evolving.

Application (Machine components and tools, Cutting and drilling tools, Dies and punches, Abrasives, and Others), End-user (Mining and construction, Automotive, Power generation and fluid power manufacturing, Oil and gas, and Others), and Geography (APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa)

“Solid carbide use is growing, and growing tremendously,” said Thomas Raun, chief technical officer at Iscar USA, Arlington, Texas. “Granted, indexable and interchangeable systems enjoy a big piece of the pie, but there’s still a huge number of applications where you can’t replace a solid-carbide end mill or drill.”

Tungsten Carbide is a hard and durable material, known for its exceptional abrasion resistance and high compressive strength. It is primarily used in various industries due to its superior wear resistance, particularly in high-temperature applications. The market for Tungsten Carbide is driven by its extensive use in manufacturing activities, infrastructure projects, and industrialization in emerging economies. Applications of Tungsten Carbide include 3D printing, aerospace and defense, alloys, automotive parts, automatic valves, ball joints, brakes, carcinogens, cemented carbide, chipless forming, coatings, copper wires, crankshafts, cutting tools, deflection resistance, dust inhalation, electronics, high-temperature wear resistance, infrastructure projects, industrial mining, mining equipment, petroleum tunneling, plastic tubes, recycling, respiratory issues, shipping delays, silicosis, skin allergies, steel wires, structural parts, studs for tires, tensile strength, titanium carbide powder, toxicity, and wear parts. The market for Tungsten Carbide is also influenced by factors such as raw material shortages, manufacturing activities, and the production of tungsten carbide powder and scrap. However, concerns over health issues such as lung fibrosis and respiratory problems associated with the production and use of Tungsten Carbide may impact the market's growth.

“Also, any 3D printed part that needs a thread will likely require a trip to the machining center or lathe,” said SCT’s White. “From my side, the most cost-effective way to achieve this—especially given the lower production quantities associated with 3D printing—is with a solid-carbide thread mill.”

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1 Executive Summary2 Market Landscape3 Market Sizing4 Historic Market Size5 Five Forces Analysis6 Market Segmentation

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American Elements, Buffalo Tungsten Inc., CY Carbide Mfg. Co. Ltd., DAAO Industry Co. Ltd., Extramet Products LLC, Federal Carbide Co., GuangDong XiangLu Tungsten Co. Ltd., HC Starck Tungsten GmbH, Hengdian Group Holdings Ltd., ILJIN Diamond Co. Ltd., Japan New Metals Co. Ltd., Jiangxi Yaosheng Tungsten Co. Ltd., Kennametal Inc., Murugappa Group, Nanchang Cemented Carbide Co. Ltd., Plansee SE, Reade International Corp., Sandvik AB, Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., and Umicore SA

As for PCD tooling, Todd White, sales director for Scientific Cutting Tools (SCT) Inc., Simi Valley, Calif., echoed what others here said: With automakers and especially the aerospace industry shifting more materials to composites, cutting tool makers should expect increased demand for PCD products as well as solid-carbide tools with special diamond-like coatings (DLC) to help cut them.

“Carbide has a unique combination of hardness and toughness that is hard to match in other cutting tool materials,” Garud said. “When combined with the advanced coatings that we currently have and will continue to develop, it offers a very large application range that can’t be matched.”

Au contraire, said a host of cutting tool manufacturers; each of the suppliers interviewed for this article is in full agreement that carbide has a long and productive life ahead of it.

The tooling experts at Sandvik Coromant think so as well. “Where ceramics and other advanced materials are designed to work well, they typically do,” said Lind. “Oftentimes, they’re then used in conjunction with solid-carbide tooling for roughing. In both cases, it points to the industry’s growing use of more material- and application-specific cutting tools. This is particularly true for the heat-resistant superalloys (HRSA) material groups, but also in composites and for high-volume applications where consistent tool life and cost per part are critical.”

The Ceratizit Group’s Schleinkofer seconded this, citing studies from Europe that compared the number of components from a traditional powertrain engine to a fully electric one in order to determine the volume and amount of machine materials. “The results showed that, for electric powertrain vehicles, there was 70 percent less machining compared to traditional automobiles,” he said. “This will significantly affect the metal cutting industry.”

The takeaway is clear: Even though 3D printing might eventually accomplish what many in the industry have feared since its inception more than three decades ago—namely, less demand for traditional manufacturing—it’s more likely that additive and subtractive will complement one another.

White, Lind and Davis noted that much of this demand for PCD and other material-specific cutting tools will come from the automotive market, where electric vehicle (EV) production will continue to increase as the world moves away from internal combustion engines (ICE). Duane Drape, national sales manager for Horn USA, Inc., Franklin, Tenn., sees much the same trend, although he tempered his remarks by stating that gas-electric hybrids will likely serve as the bridge to all-out EVs.

Changing automotive technology aside, other factors are also at play. Ingersoll Cutting Tools’ Design Engineering Manager Dennis Roepsch pointed to improvements in plastic injection molding, additive manufacturing and investment casting technology, noting that “some workpiece components no longer require machining or have minimal machining requirements. For example, aluminum intake manifolds are often being replaced by molded composite plastics. Also, near-net shape workpieces reduce the amount of material that needs to be roughed, further reducing carbide use.”

Cutting tool manufacturers are using finite element analysis (FEA) to understand how much heat and force will be generated during the cut, and determine optimal helix angles and chip formation long before the tool is made. Machine tools are improving as well, with many suppliers using CNC grinders able to hold 1 μm or better accuracy. Both enable the production of cutting tools that, not so long ago, were impossible to manufacture. Said Davis, “Since I started with Kennametal nearly four decades ago, the technology has advanced by leaps and bounds.”

“If it can be done, 3D printed carbide will open up new possibilities for tool design and give us the ability to quickly customize them for specific applications,” he said. “It certainly has the potential to change the playing field for the industry overall, providing advantages to those that can effectively use it.”

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The Chinese economic slowdown has significantly impacted the global tungsten carbide market. China, the world's largest producer of tungsten ores, accounts for over 60% of the global share. Due to weak economic conditions, there has been an increase in tungsten supply and a decrease in consumption. Major Chinese tungsten producers, such as Hunan Nonferrous Metals, Zhangyuan Tungsten, Nanchang Cemented Carbide Co. Ltd, Zigong Huagang Cemented Carbide New Material, Xiamen Tungsten, and Jiangxi Rare Earth and Rare Metals Tungsten Group, have announced production reduction strategies. The China Tungsten Industry Association is also considering similar initiatives. These actions may hinder the growth of the global tungsten carbide market during the forecast period.

When the shift does go into full effect, however, the decrease could be dramatic. Drape and others explained that, where a typical gas engine might contain 120 to 140 components and require 30 to 40 unique carbide tools to machine, an EV reduces both of these by perhaps 80 percent or more. And while that’s a large figure, “the biggest impact on carbide usage will come from transmissions,” he said. “These contain far more parts that will likely be unnecessary as automakers transition to EVs. Engines are small potatoes by comparison.”

1.1 Machine components and tools-  The Tungsten Carbide market is a significant sector in the industrial industry. Tungsten Carbide is a hard and durable material, widely used in various applications such as cutting tools, wear parts, and abrasives. Its high strength, toughness, and resistance to wear make it an essential component in heavy machinery and construction equipment. The market for Tungsten Carbide is driven by the growth in the manufacturing and construction industries. Key players in the market include Carpenter Technology, CTS Corporation, and Materion Corporation. The market is expected to grow steadily due to increasing demand for durable and efficient industrial components.

And Steve Lind, vice president of solid round tools for the Americas at Sandvik Coromant, Mebane, N.C., said his company expects to see continued growth in the solid-carbide market for the foreseeable future. “I attribute much of this to cutting tool manufacturers’ increased design capabilities, along with more advanced grinding equipment. The result is a wide selection of products that allow the industry to take full advantage of today’s sophisticated machining technology.”

7 Customer Landscape8 Geographic Landscape9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends10 Company Landscape11 Company Analysis12 Appendix

Like his peers, Davis of Kennametal thinks material-specific cutting tools make good sense. Yes, general-purpose or so-called “GP” tools have their place, particularly for job shops and others that machine diverse materials and workpiece geometries. Yet it’s tools tailored to a specific application that often provide the greatest return on investment.

That’s just a sampling of the overall enthusiasm for solid-carbide cutting tools and the productivity gains they bring to the table. Competition notwithstanding, experts at Kennametal, Ingersoll Cutting Tools, Horn USA, Ceratizit, and Scientific Cutting Tools all concurred that carbide use will continue to prosper over the next decade and beyond.

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“Electric vehicles are indeed beginning to have an effect on the overall amount of carbide that automakers are using,” he said. “However, EVs are still a very small portion of the market, and I think we’re probably two decades away from their taking a meaningful share. Until then, the need to produce ICE, hybrids and EVs concurrently will likely increase the demand for cutting tools of all kinds.”

According to Garud at Walter Tools, the two will probably need each other in other ways as well. As with all new technologies, he suggested that it can be difficult to see the universe of possibilities and effects 3D printing will have on solid carbide tooling over the long term. And yet, additive has already gained the ability to print titanium and Inconel components for aerospace and other industries—and done so far quicker than most would have expected. Printed cutting tools seem a possibility.