This is generally because of the low thermal conductivity of the material. Cetkovic explained that when cutting, the tool will absorb a lot of the heat. Adding coolant as the tool exits the cut can cause it too cool down quickly, which can cause the tool to fracture because of thermal shock. Machining cobalt chrome dry can help operators avoid situations like this.

"We also tend to see some variability when it comes to coolant delivery," said Cetkovic. "We’ve also seen a large number of cases where customers are dry machining these materials."

Cetkovic added that operators need to be aware of the high work-hardening rate of this material. He suggests that a slow feed rate, although better for cutting tool life, could also result in this work hardening, so it’s important to discuss with cutting tool manufacturers the range of cutting speeds (SFM) that the tool can handle in the material. To extend tool life, he also recommends a low depth of cut.

Using the appropriate cutting tools is essential to optimizing cutting conditions for cobalt chrome. According to Cetkovic, one of the biggest cutting tool considerations should be strength of the tool design. He recommends starting with a reinforced shank diameter. Choosing a milling tool geometry with a positive break angle will reduce cutting forces and deflection, which tend to be problematic with this material.

Beyond these characteristics, cobalt chrome is heat-treatable, not magnetic, offers good hot and cold formability, and has high coefficient of thermal expansion and very high resistance to acid, making these alloys a great fit for dental equipment, medical tech, the energy sector, chemical industries, and aerospace.

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Big Kaiser’s end mills are designed to increase productivity and meet some of the most challenging application requirements. These micro cutting tools are produced using solid carbide with a reinforced shank to maximize stability. Photo courtesy of Big Kaiser.

Beyond substrate, geometry, and edge prep, adding a coating can be a big asset. Cetkovic explained that a coating can have a huge influence on chip evacuation, which is extremely important in this heat-resistant material.

Manufacturers in the orthopedic and dental implant sectors are familiar with difficult-to-machine materials like cobalt chrome. These superalloys are known for their biocompatibility, making them a great choice for medical device manufacturing. Even the aerospace industry has taken note of the unique characteristics and high degree of hardness that cobalt chrome offers. As this material becomes more mainstream, machine shops have to adapt to meet the challenges when milling this hard-to-cut material, particularly because the cost of cobalt chrome is quite high.

"Cobalt chrome is considered a DTC [difficult-to-cut] material due to its high hardness, corrosion resistance, high melting points, and incredible strength at high temperatures," said Chris Foschaar, application and sales engineer, Horn USA Inc., Franklin, Tenn. Foschaar added that there are many variations of the material, with an average hardness of 40-50 HRC. Depending on the type of cobalt chrome, the material also can carry hard spots throughout upwards of 58-60 HRC.

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"These materials also can be polished at an extremely high level, which eliminates surface areas where bacteria can form in medical devices," said Dan Doiron, milling product manager, Emuge Corp., West Boylston, Mass.

"We are able to take a lot of our more common tool geometries and apply a special coating or put a radius on the edge to help them perform in some of these more difficult-to-machine materials," he added.

Another significant consideration is that cobalt chrome is very heat-resistant with low thermal conductivity. During cutting of standard steels, heat generally is evacuated through the chip. However, with cobalt chrome, heat does not generate into the chips.

Horn’s Torus end mill is carbide grade TSCC for machining of cobalt chrome alloys. It comes with a 2- to 5-fluted design with a 30-degree helix angle. Photo courtesy of Horn.

There are several challenges that operators should be aware of when milling cobalt chrome. The material tends to be extremely abrasive, which causes the cutting tools to dull prematurely and reduces the life of the tool.

Luminoso has a bachelor of arts from Carleton University, a bachelor of education from Ottawa University, and a graduate certificate in book, magazine, and digital publishing from Centennial College.

"This in turn causes the next challenge, which is work hardening of the material," said Foschaar. "These challenges can be minimized by selecting the proper cutting tools for the application."

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Proper cooling at the cutting edge, reducing tool projections as much as possible, and using a very strong, rigid fixture setup on the machine will help deal with the challenges of milling cobalt chrome. With the high price of the material, ensuring process reliability through proper tool selection and cutting parameters is essential.

Emuge’s TiNox-Cut product range consists of submicron grain carbide end mills for difficult-to-cut materials, particularly aerospace materials. Photo courtesy of Emuge.

New York, July 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Cutting Tools Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2023-2028" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06461218/?utm_source=GNW Consumers in countries like France, Germany, Italy, and the UK consider DIY activities a significant hobby. The concept is also gaining popularity in developing economies such as India, Brazil, and South Africa. The growing interest among consumers in undertaking their projects and maintaining a sustainable environment has increased the demand for D.I.Y products such as cutting tools. During the pandemic, many people turned to DIY activities to relieve stress and take care of tasks to reduce costs while staying indoors. The concept of D.I.Y is well-adopted in Western countries, with most American regions contributing to nearly 81% of the market share in the D.I.Y industry. This trend is expected to continue during the forecast period. The surge in the D.I.Y industry is projected to grow due to the high penetration of media presence, including television, social media, and videos, which have helped recreate home improvement projects. Western countries like North America and Canada actively engage in D.I.Y activities. Additionally, many retail stores like supermarkets and hypermarkets have enabled significant growth for many vendors in the D.I.Y segment.Rising Usage of Cutting Tools In General Manufacturing IndustriesCutting tools are crucial in manufacturing, particularly in producing general machinery, automobiles, aviation and aerospace, energy, medical equipment, rail transit, molds, machine tools, and other industries. The automotive manufacturing process heavily relies on cutting tools as they are one of the key components of the process. The traditional procedures have been replaced with new techniques like high-speed cutting, dry machining, hard machining, and advanced cutting technology.The automotive sector has significantly shifted towards using professional tools such as Carbide Cutters. This transformation is driven by the need for high product quality and precision, which is required to produce high-value parts. The industrial circle has gradually moved from traditional machining to high-performance cutting tools that provide greater efficiency and accuracy. Furthermore, due to machinery and equipment automation and the growing need for high-performance, high-precision machining equipment has become essential to industry growth. As a result, the demand for high-efficiency and performance-cutting tools is increasing. Such factors drive the development of new cutting technologies in the cutting tools market.SEGMENTATION ANALYSISINSIGHTS BY TOOL TYPEThe dominance of the indexable tool type segment in the global cutting tools market in 2022 can be attributed to its modern turning operations. This has displaced previous common tool types, such as HSS, brazed-carbide, and custom form tools, before the widespread use of CNC machines. Indexable turning tools, when used in conjunction with the multiple-axis motion of a CNC machine tool, make it easier to create complex shapes, eliminating the need for dedicated turning tools. However, solid round tools are experiencing high growth rates in the global cutting tools market due to their ability to cover all application types within solid carbide drilling, milling, HSS tapping, reaming, and threading. Each solid round tool is designed to meet the requirements of high quality, precision, and maximum productivity, allowing for optimal machining processes.Segmentation by Tool Type• Indexable• Solid RoundINSIGHTS BY PRODUCT TYPEThe global cutting tools market by product segments as groovers, reamers, milling cutters, drills, and others. In 2022, the Groover product type dominated the industry. These tools are highly used with lathes to cut channels on the end of a workpiece or into an existing bore. Groovers are also utilized for various applications, including creating recesses for retaining rings and necking workpieces to ensure a clean fit when mating parts. Additionally, a grooving tool is a cutting tool that removes material to form grooves, channels, or other cross-sectional shapes on the workpiece. A groove may be cut with an end mill having one fixed cutter and another moveable cutter placed at each side. Such tools are also called profile mills when they produce linear cuts along the length of the item being milled. Grooving inserts can be made from carbide, ceramic, diamond, or PCD (polycrystalline cubic boron nitride). These inserts are mainly employed by metalworking industries like aerospace & defense equipment manufacturers. Still, non-metal manufacturing companies such as medical device makers use them for grooving medical-grade plastic parts.Segmentation by Product• Groovers• Reamers• Milling Cutters• Drills• OthersINSIGHTS BY MATERIAL TYPEThe cemented carbide material type segment dominated the global cutting tools market and was valued at over USD 3.2 billion in 2022. This market is highly fragmented and consists of many companies operating on both global and regional levels. This indicates that manufacturers of cutting tools possess significant bargaining power over suppliers. Cemented carbide tools are primarily used for high-precision work involving greater shape, size, and structure complexity. However, specialized cutting tools are more cost-effective and efficient for specific tasks. The APAC and North American regions are expected to have the largest share in the global cemented carbide industry. Vendors in these areas are anticipated to benefit from abundant raw material availability and will provide a competitive advantage to vendors regarding the selling price. The high availability of other raw materials, such as steel, in countries like China, India, and the U.S., is also expected to lead to high growth rates for high-speed steel (HSS) tools. This is expected to enable vendors to further enhance their profit margins by maintaining good supplier-vendor relationships.Segmentation by Material Type• Cemented Carbide• High-Speed Steel• Ceramics• CBN• OthersINSIGHTS BY END-USERThe automotive industry is the largest end-user segment in the global cutting tools market. Drilling and fastening tools are the primary tools for tightening fasteners, engine mounting, and other joint works. Sanders and angle grinders are used for smoothening and polishing the vehicle parts and chassis. With the global electric vehicles market growing at almost 60% annually, expansion and increased production facilities are expected to increase the demand for cutting tools. This can be more prominent in countries such as China, Japan, the US, and Western Europe, where the production of EVs is more likely to accelerate during the forecast period.Segmentation by End-User• Automotive• General Manufacturing• Oil & Gas• Aerospace & Defense• Electronic & Electricals• Medical• OthersINSIGHTS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNELThe offline distribution channel had the highest global cutting tools market in 2022. Factors such as the broader reach in areas that lack better connectivity and high consumer trust associated with touching and experiencing the quality of products are driving the growth of this segment. Although the online segment holds a relatively lower market share, it is expected to grow faster than offline distribution channels.Segmentation by Distribution Channel• Offline• OnlineGEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSISAPAC was the largest cutting tools market in 2022, as it is home to several industries, including manufacturing, services, automobiles, and electrical. This consequently increases the need for a unique assortment of cutting tools with accuracy in performance. While Japan and South Korea are major manufacturers and exporters of electrical appliances and automobiles, Singapore dominates with its excellent construction facilities. Furthermore, the increasing purchasing power of consumers and the rising DIY culture among young and experienced consumers are driving the regional residential tools market, including cutting tools. Further, the comparatively lower dominance of the cutting tools owing to the less awareness and operating knowledge in countries like India and China is a natural boost for cutting tool vendors.Segmentation by Geography• APACo Chinao Japano Indiao Australiao South Korea• North Americao The U.S.o Canada• Europeo Germanyo Franceo The U.K.o Italyo Spain• Middle East & Africao Saudi Arabiao South Africao UAE• Latin Americao Brazilo Mexicoo ArgentinaVENDOR LANDSCAPEThe global cutting tools market is characterized by low market concentration and high competition among the major players. The present scenario drives vendors to alter and refine their unique value propositions to achieve a strong market presence. Currently, the cutting tools market is highly fragmented and dominated by vendors such as Kennametal Inc, OGS Corporation, and Iscar Ltd, among others, alongside numerous domestic tool manufacturers that manufacture cutting tools as per the local demands and regulations.Key Company Profiles• Kennametal Inc.• OSG Corporation• Iscar LtdOther Prominent Vendors• Mapal• Makita Corporation• Robert Bosch• Stanley Black & Decker• Kelin Tools• ICS Cutting Tools Inc• Snap-on Incorporated• OTTO BAIER GmbH• Hilti Corporation• Sandvik AG• Ingersoll Cutting Tools• FRASIA SA• KYOCERA• J SCHNEEBERGER Maschinen AG• VOLLMER• CERATIZIT Group• HIKOKIKEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED:1. How big is the global cutting tools market?2. What is the growth rate of the global cutting tools market?3. Which region dominates the global cutting tools market share?4. Who are the key players in the global cutting tools market?5. What are the significant trends in the cutting tools market?Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06461218/?utm_source=GNWAbout ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.__________________________

Because of this, the heat concentrates at the cutting edge of the tool," said Doiron. "This is where the geometry of the tool plays a big role in its ability to absorb that heat and chip away the material. Also, when working with cobalt chrome, establishing proper cutting parameters is vital to prevent tool failure."

Doiron added that it’s not just the cutting tools themselves that an operator needs to consider. Having a rigid setup with the cutting tool fully inserted into the toolholder to the maximum depth is an optimal scenario. If an operator can keep the tool engaged in the holder to the correct gauge line, tool wear can be reduced, which is already a significant challenge even without overextending the tool.

He explained that for operators or shops that haven’t come across it or are now just starting to get into it, they may find it very disappointing because of the SFM rating and tool life expectancy. However, once a shop has worked out the correct machining parameters and knows how to approach the material, it can successfully machine cobalt chrome and get the best tool performance.

Adding to the fact that this material is difficult to mill, the hard spots also can lead to inconsistent machining results. According to Cory Cetkovic, product manager, Big Kaiser, Hoffman Estates, Ill., it is important to take note of these hard spots in the material and determine the most appropriate tool to handle a range of hardnesses within the material.

Lindsay Luminoso, sr. editor/digital editor, contributes to both Canadian Metalworking and Canadian Fabricating & Welding. She worked as an associate editor/web editor, at Canadian Metalworking from 2014-2016 and was most recently an associate editor at Design Engineering.

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"Tools designed for nickel-based alloys or tools for hardened materials are also suitable for this material," said Foschaar. "Nose end mills or square end mills with corner radii are usually ideal for this material. It’s also important that the tools are sharp. Dead sharp tools should be avoided due to the rapid decline of the cutting edge, which will cause rubbing, and a work-hardening situation will occur."

"I think everyone who cuts this material, or at least has been in the industry, understands how difficult it is," said Doiron.

"Enhancing the efficiency of machining cobalt chrome can be accomplished by keeping a close eye on the tool life, for all the tools in the process, and frequently changing tools to ensure that you are cutting the material and not rubbing the material with dull tools," said Foschaar. "Most times cutting parameters are drastically reduced in this material to avoid poor tool life, but there is a fine line or small window to machine within for cobalt chrome."

Foschaar added that solid-carbide tools are preferred for machining cobalt chrome materials. Carbide cutting tools generally have thermal shock-resistant properties while at the same time have a high degree of bending strength and fracture toughness, making them suited for the characteristics of this material.