![]() "Tools designed for nickel-based alloys or tools for hardened materials are also suitable for this material," said Foschaar. 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. Choosing a milling tool geometry with a positive break angle will reduce cutting forces and deflection, which tend to be problematic with this material.įoschaar added that solid-carbide tools are preferred for machining cobalt chrome materials. He recommends starting with a reinforced shank diameter. According to Cetkovic, one of the biggest cutting tool considerations should be strength of the tool design. Using the appropriate cutting tools is essential to optimizing cutting conditions for cobalt chrome. It comes with a 2- to 5-fluted design with a 30-degree helix angle. Horn’s Torus end mill is carbide grade TSCC for machining of cobalt chrome alloys. With the high price of the material, ensuring process reliability through proper tool selection and cutting parameters is essential. 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. Also, when working with cobalt chrome, establishing proper cutting parameters is vital to prevent tool failure." "This is where the geometry of the tool plays a big role in its ability to absorb that heat and chip away the material. However, with cobalt chrome, heat does not generate into the chips.īecause of this, the heat concentrates at the cutting edge of the tool," said Doiron. During cutting of standard steels, heat generally is evacuated through the chip. "These challenges can be minimized by selecting the proper cutting tools for the application."Īnother significant consideration is that cobalt chrome is very heat-resistant with low thermal conductivity. "This in turn causes the next challenge, which is work hardening of the material," said Foschaar. The material tends to be extremely abrasive, which causes the cutting tools to dull prematurely and reduces the life of the tool. There are several challenges that operators should be aware of when milling cobalt chrome. "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. 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.īeyond 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. Depending on the type of cobalt chrome, the material also can carry hard spots throughout upwards of 58-60 HRC.Īdding to the fact that this material is difficult to mill, the hard spots also can lead to inconsistent machining results. Foschaar added that there are many variations of the material, with an average hardness of 40-50 HRC. "Cobalt chrome is considered a DTC 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. 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. Even the aerospace industry has taken note of the unique characteristics and high degree of hardness that cobalt chrome offers. These superalloys are known for their biocompatibility, making them a great choice for medical device manufacturing. Manufacturers in the orthopedic and dental implant sectors are familiar with difficult-to-machine materials like cobalt chrome. Emuge’s TiNox-Cut product range consists of submicron grain carbide end mills for difficult-to-cut materials, particularly aerospace materials.
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