With their excellent wear, high-temperature, and corrosion resistance, cobalt alloys occupy an essential position in aerospace, oil and gas, and power industries. However, it is precisely these excellent characteristics that make their processing difficult.
Why are cobalt alloys challenging to process?
The reason why cobalt alloys are difficult to process is mainly due to their extremely high hardness and strength. First of all, during the processing, whether it is cutting, drilling, or forming, a large cutting force is required, and a large amount of heat is generated at the same time, which not only accelerates the wear of the tool but also shortens the service life of the cutting tool, further increasing the difficulty of processing.
Cobalt alloy processing tips
1. Choose the suitable tool material: Use coated carbide tools or cubic boron nitride (CBN) tools. These materials have high hardness and wear resistance and are ideal for processing cobalt alloys.
2. Control cutting speed and feed rate: The cutting speed should be moderate. Excessive speed will cause overheating and wear of the tool. The feed rate should also be appropriate to avoid excessive cutting force.
3. Use coolant: Coolant during processing can effectively reduce cutting temperature, tool wear, and workpiece deformation.
4. Pay attention to work hardening: Cobalt alloys are prone to hardening during machining, which makes cutting difficult. Work hardening can be reduced by optimizing cutting parameters and using sharp tools.
5. Tips for grinding process: When grinding cobalt alloys, it is recommended to use white corundum or single crystal corundum grinding wheels and control the grinding wheel speed and workpiece speed to reduce grinding heat and grinding force.
How does SYTOP deal with the difficulties in cobalt alloy processing?
At SYTOP, we have been specializing in the production of cobalt alloys for 30 years and have rich experience in R&D and production. We have customized and produced thousands of products for customers with advanced equipment, multiple processing methods, and experienced professional technicians. We know the particularity of cobalt alloys, so we specially selected cutting tools designed for hard metals to ensure durability and precision during processing. If you have any questions about cobalt alloys, you can contact us.
