Designers Guide Aids Engineers and Designers in Application of Tungsten Carbide Materials
General Carbide Corporation, Greensburg, Pa., has published "The Designer's Guide to Tungsten Carbide," a 57-page reference guide specifically targeted to help engineers, designers, fabricators, and end users better utilize tungsten carbide materials.
Available for download from the General Carbide website at www.generalcarbide.com/articles/, the publication covers topics including the unique physical properties of the material, design recommendations for extreme operating conditions, and proven methods of attachment including brazing, mechanical attachment techniques and epoxy adhesive procedures. It also describes finishing techniques including grinding with diamond wheels and electrical discharge machining (EDM) methods.
The recommendations are derived from practical experience, theoretical stress analysis, proven application engineering practices and modern manufacturing techniques. The guide enables the reader to gain insight into how best to utilize one of the most unique engineering materials available today.
Introduced in the early 1920's, tungsten carbide replaced tool steel in most cutting tool applications and was developed into an engineering material used to resist the harshest environments of corrosion, high temperature, impact, high compressive loads, deformation, and severe abrasion. It competes with advanced ceramics in the wear parts arena, but just as tungsten carbide did not totally displace tool steel, advanced ceramics cannot replace tungsten carbide because it offers superior toughness in addition to high hardness. Tungsten carbide has enjoyed tremendous growth as a tooling and engineering material and this manual provides the designer with recommendations for applying the unique capabilities of the material for maximum success and reliability.
