Sandvik Coromant Carbide Inserts Increase Tool Life, Performance Machining Steel

Sandvik Coromant’s GC4415 and GC4425 carbide turning inserts provide more productive and efficient turning of ISO P steels. The two carbide grades are designed for external and internal machining of low-alloyed and unalloyed steels, delivering increased toughness, heat resistance and predictable wear.

According to the company, GC4415 and GC4425 are well suited for manufacturers operating in mass and batch production setups machining low-alloyed (P 2.1 to 2.6) and unalloyed (P 1.1 to 1.5) steels, respectively.

Grade GC4425 offers improved wear, heat resistance and toughness, which significantly expands the application range. Both inserts can be used from finishing to roughing in applications with continuous cuts and light interruptions.

The GC4415 carbide insert is designed to complement GC4425 when enhanced performance and more heat resistance are needed. Also, the materials’ new post-treatment has been found to boost performance in intermittent cutting operations, avoiding any sudden breakages over a broad application range.

The company says the inserts help manufacturers achieve increased metal removal rates, more pieces per edge, reduced cycle times, minimized waste and optimized inventory use. They also provide manufacturers using a batch production setup with the flexibility to machine multiple steel materials with the same grade, even with tough and complex ISO P materials.

The GC4415 and GC4425 inserts are said to exhibit superior wear resistance, thereby providing extended tool life and predictable performance with every use while also minimizing material waste, both from the workpiece and the insert.

The inserts’ superior wear resistance is attributed to Sandvik Coromant’s second-generation Inveio technology, an alumina coating layer which can be seen at a microscopic level. Its surface is characterized by a unidirectional crystal orientation. Each crystal is lined up toward the cutting edge, creating a strong barrier that improves crater and flank wear resistance. Heat is also lead away from the cutting zone more quickly, which keeps the cutting edge in shape for longer. The result is a harder wearing tool.