In general it is a continuous machining process that allows a single insert to be engaged in the cut for relatively long periods of time.
Ceramic vs carbide lathe.
Ceramic grades can be applied in a broad range of applications and materials most often in high speed turning operations but also in grooving and milling operations.
Some people like the heft of tungsten carbide as it is quite dense and the most similar to traditional metals like gold or platinum though tungsten is a bit heavier.
Properties of tungsten carbide and ceramic tools properties tungsten carbide ceramic hardness ra 90 95 91 95 compressive strength mpa 4100 5850 2750 4500 transverse rupture strength mpa 1050 2600 345 950 impact strength j 0 34 1 35 0 1.
Carbide inserts as opposed to ceramic post by pkane thu jul 03 2003 3 24 am we ran approx.
There are grades of carbide that will do 600 sfm and you re going to negatively affect the life of the insert by machining too slowly.
In comparison ceramic is quite the opposite and is considered to be very lightweight.
Tungsten carbide is heavier than ceramic when compared to a ring of the same size.
Hard turning and milling turning is an almost ideal operation for ceramics.
As for hardness tungsten carbide is measured in the vickers scale well beyond the range of the rockwell c scale.
Silicon carbide sic whiskers are often used to provide additional strength in ceramic inserts.
Lathes are a bit smarter but also more complicated.
B carbide table 2.
In addition applying indexable drills on a lathe provides some distinct advantages over traditional solid hss or carbide twist drills.
1000sfm at around 004 ipr we used tngn 454 wg300 greenleaf insert with a t land i forget what size it was.
If carbide is around 2 600 vickers hv think of it as roughly.
Whisker ceramic inserts are for moderate hardness machining at high surface speeds.
Ceramic s melting point 3 700 f is higher than sintered carbide which means it can be driven through the cut faster.
It is common for a programmer to make a hole with an indexable drill and then step off center and cut the hole to a larger diameter which can eliminate the need for a boring bar.
You are probably on the low end of speeds for a ceramic insert at 600 sfm.
High pressures are also used.
Ceramic inserts are created in a process very similar to that used for cemented carbide.
Ceramic and carbide are very similar in the fact they are both sintered materials just the base and binder are different depending on their application or use.
The specific properties of each ceramic grade enable high productivity when applied correctly.
Knowledge of when and how to use ceramic grades is important for success.