At present, PCD tools are widely used in the processing of the following materials:
1, Non-ferrous metals or other alloys: copper, aluminum, brass, bronze.
2, Carbide, graphite, ceramic, fiber reinforced plastics.
PCD tools are widely used in aerospace and automotive industries. Because these two industries are more technologies imported by our country from abroad, that is to say, they are better in line with international standards. Therefore, for many domestic tool manufacturers, there is no need to cultivate the PCD tool market, or to inculcate the advantages of PCD tools with customers. It saves a lot of market promotion costs, and basically delivers tools according to mature processing schemes abroad.
In the 3C industry, the most used material is the mixture of aluminum and plastic. Most of the technicians who are now engaged in the 3C industry processing are transferred from the former mold industry professionals. However, the opportunity of using PCD tools in the mold industry is very small. Therefore, the technicians in the 3C industry do not have a thorough understanding of PCD tools.
Let’s make a brief introduction to the traditional processing methods of PCD tools. There are two traditional processing methods,
The first is to use strong grinding. Representative processing equipment includes COBORN in the UK and EWAG in Switzerland,
The second is to use wire cutting and laser processing. Representative processing equipment includes Germany’s VOLLMER (also the equipment we currently use) and Japan’s FANUC.
Of course, WEDM belongs to electrical machining, so some companies on the market have introduced the same principle as spark machine to process PCD tools, and changed the grinding wheel used for grinding carbide tools into copper discs. Personally, I think this is definitely a transitional product and has no vitality. For the metal cutting tool industry, please don’t buy such equipment.
The materials currently processed by 3C industry are basically plastic+aluminum. Moreover, the machined workpiece is required to have a good appearance. Many practitioners from the mold industry generally believe that aluminum and plastics are easy to process. This is a big mistake.
For 3C products, as long as they contain fiber reinforced plastics and use common cemented carbide tools, if you want to obtain better appearance quality, the tool life is basically 100 pieces. Of course, when it comes to this, there must be someone who will come forward and refute that our factory can process hundreds of cutting tools. I can only tell you clearly that it is because you have reduced the appearance requirements, not because the tool life is so good.
Especially in the current 3C industry, a large number of special-shaped profiles are used, and it is far from easy to ensure the consistency of cemented carbide cutters as standard end mills. Therefore, if the requirements for appearance parts are not reduced, the service life of cemented carbide tools is 100 pieces, which is determined by the characteristics of cemented carbide tools. The PCD tool, because of its strong friction resistance and low friction coefficient, has a very good product consistency. As long as this PCD tool is well made, its service life must exceed 1000. Therefore, in this regard, cemented carbide tools cannot compete with PCD tools. In this industry, cemented carbide tools have no advantages.
Post time: Feb-23-2023