What Types of Tungsten Steel (Cemented Carbide) Products Are Available?

Tungsten steel, commonly referred to as "cemented carbide" in industrial contexts, is a composite material with high hardness and wear resistance. Its product range is extensive, covering multiple industrial fields. Based on application scenarios, forming processes, and functional requirements, the products are mainly categorized into the following types. This classification integrates foreign trade and practical industrial application scenarios for easier understanding of each product’s use:

1. Standard Formed Products (General-Purpose Basic Components)

These are standardized mass-produced products with strong versatility, widely used in machining, mold manufacturing, mining, and other fields. They are among the highest-yield categories of tungsten steel products.

1.1 Round Bars/Rods

Form: Solid cylindrical shape, with diameters ranging from a few millimeters to several tens of millimeters; lengths can be customized.

Applications: Mainly used to manufacture tool shanks for cutting tools such as milling cutters, drill bits, and end mills; also used as guide pillars and ejector pins in molds, or as small-sized wear-resistant pins in mining machinery.

Features: High straightness and cylindricity are required; the surface of some products undergoes precision grinding, with an accuracy of up to ±0.005mm.

1.2 Plates/Blocks

Form: Rectangular or square flat plates, with thicknesses from 1mm to tens of millimeters; length and width dimensions are produced according to standards or custom requirements.

Applications: Often used to make cutting edges for stamping dies (e.g., hardware stamping dies, terminal dies), wear-resistant liners (e.g., machine tool guide liners, crusher liners), and clamping surfaces for precision fixtures.

Features: High flatness and parallelism are required; some plates are pre-drilled with holes or grooved to facilitate subsequent processing.

1.3 Rings/Sleeves

Form: Annular or cylindrical sleeve-shaped products, with inner and outer diameter tolerances and wall thicknesses customizable based on needs.

Applications: Used as wear-resistant rings in hydraulic cylinders, sealing rings in mechanical seals, and positioning sleeves in precision machinery; also applicable to mining equipment (e.g., wear-resistant sleeves for ore conveying shafts).

Features: Strict control of inner/outer diameter concentricity and surface roughness to ensure sealing performance and assembly accuracy.

2. Cutting Tool Products (Core Application Category)

As the most representative application of tungsten steel, these products leverage its high hardness and wear resistance to meet efficient cutting needs of various materials.

2.1 Indexable Inserts

Form: Standardized small-sized inserts with fixed shapes (e.g., triangular, square, round), usually with holes for clamping on tool holders.

Applications: Used for turning, milling, boring, and grooving of metals (e.g., steel, cast iron, non-ferrous alloys); common grades include YT15 (for steel cutting), YG8 (for cast iron/non-ferrous metals), and YW2 (for stainless steel).

Features: Replaceable after wear, improving machining efficiency; surface may be coated (e.g., TiAlN coating) to enhance high-temperature resistance and service life.

2.2 Solid Carbide Tools

Form: Integral tools made of tungsten steel, such as solid carbide drills, end mills, reamers, and taps.

Applications: Suitable for high-precision machining of hard materials (e.g., hardened steel, composite materials) and high-speed cutting; widely used in the automotive, aerospace, and 3C (computer, communication, consumer electronics) industries.

Features: High machining accuracy (up to IT5-IT7 tolerance class) and long service life; the tool tip is often designed with special geometries (e.g., spiral flutes) to optimize chip removal.

2.3 Cutting Blades/Knives

Form: Flat blade-shaped products, including slitting blades, shearing blades, and woodworking cutting knives.

Applications: Slitting of metal strips (e.g., stainless steel strips), shearing of non-ferrous metal sheets, and precision cutting of wood-based panels or plastic products.

Features: Sharp edge, high wear resistance; the blade edge undergoes fine grinding to ensure smooth cutting surfaces.

3. Wear-Resistant & Structural Components

These products utilize tungsten steel’s excellent wear resistance and compressive strength, mainly used in harsh working environments with high friction or impact.

3.1 Wear-Resistant Tips/Blocks

Form: Small-sized block or tip-shaped products, often welded or bonded to the surface of mechanical parts.

Applications: Tips for mining drill bits (e.g., rock drill bits), wear-resistant blocks for excavator bucket teeth, and anti-wear tips for concrete breakers.

Features: High toughness (usually with high cobalt content, e.g., YG15 grade) to resist impact and avoid chipping.

3.2 Precision Structural Parts

Form: Customized parts such as plungers, valve cores, and guide sleeves, with complex shapes and high precision requirements.

Applications: Plungers for high-pressure pumps (requiring non-magnetic tungsten steel to avoid magnetic interference), valve cores for hydraulic valves, and guide sleeves for precision machine tools.

Features: Ultra-high machining precision (tolerance up to ±0.001mm), good surface finish (Ra ≤ 0.2μm), and resistance to corrosion and wear.

3.3 Sealing & Bearing Components

Form: Products such as tungsten steel mechanical seal rings, bearing balls, and roller sleeves.

Applications: Mechanical seals for pumps (resisting high-speed friction and media corrosion), precision bearings for high-speed motors (with high rotational accuracy), and roller sleeves for rolling mills.

Features: High compressive strength (up to 4,800MPa) and low friction coefficient; some products undergo lapping to achieve ultra-smooth surfaces.

4. Customized Products (Non-Standard Parts)

Tailored to specific customer needs, these products cover non-standard shapes or special-performance requirements that standard products cannot meet.

4.1 Mold Components

Examples: Tungsten steel mold cores, cavities, and punch pins for precision stamping molds or injection molds.

Applications: Molding of high-precision parts (e.g., 3C product connectors, automotive precision components); suitable for mass production due to high wear resistance.

4.2 Special Functional Parts

Examples: Non-magnetic tungsten steel parts (for medical equipment such as MRI machines), high-temperature-resistant tungsten steel components (for aerospace engine accessories), and conductive tungsten steel parts (for electronic equipment).

Features: Customized material formulas (e.g., adding nickel instead of cobalt for non-magnetic properties) and strict performance testing (e.g., magnetic permeability, high-temperature hardness).

Key Notes for Foreign Trade Communication:

Term Consistency: "钨钢" is translated as "tungsten steel" in common industrial communication, while "cemented carbide" (the professional term) is recommended in formal technical documents or product specifications to avoid ambiguity.

Grade & Specification Clarity: When introducing products, specify grades (e.g., YG8, YT15) and key parameters (e.g., precision ±0.005mm, hardness 92HRA) to help overseas customers quickly match their needs.

Application-Oriented Description: Emphasize industry-specific uses (e.g., "for 3C industry precision machining" "for mining drill bits") to align with foreign customers’ procurement scenarios.