Many applications can now use DGK in place of carbide. This can save up to 50% of your tooling cost. When selecting the carbide that you will use, you first have to determine what type of material you will be running. For example, when running MDF, the hardness of the MDF will be a major factor in which carbide will be best. In many cases, the use of the inlay produces the best results. In other cases, the use of either the WKW Bak-Pak, MSI Piggy Back or Weinig +3 carbide system will give the most cost effective result.

For natural wood, the carbide choice is made by the type of wood being run.. Another key factor that must be looked at, is what grinding wheel will be used. For grinding the carbide inlay, where carbide and steel both are being ground at the same time, a special superabrasive wheel must be used. In the case of the 2 piece systems, the steel can be roughed out first with a ceramic or pink wheel. Then the carbide is ground after being installed in the cutterhead with the backing plate. The carbide is ground with a diamond wheel.

When using the diamond wheel run the machine so as to produce 5000 to 7000 SFPM. This is discussed in the grinding wheel section. Use the proper coolant and let the grinding wheel do the work. Many coolants available today are not meant to be used when grinding carbide. The wrong coolant can cause leaching or break down of the carbide. Do not force the grind.

A 3mm roughing wheel is most often recommended. This will reduce the heat built up during the grinding process. The grind angle that produces the best result will vary slightly. Carbide must have more material behind the cutting edge than HSS requires. The angle on most grinders is set between 12 and 18 degrees on the back clearance adjustment. 18 degrees allow for easier jointing and usually provides a very good tool life. When adding side clearance do not use more than 5 degrees.

In order to joint carbide, the tools must be ground to within an accuracy of 5 microns or .0002”. The closer the better. Use of hydro locking tools is a must. The spindle and spindle bearing condition are critical. The correct belt is necessary. The wrong type of belt can cause vibration.

When jointing, the use of the medium grit stone works well on all grades of carbide. It is a hard stone. The non-sparking stone is softer but allows for a cleaner joint. The special composition stones are of the soft type and produce a very clean joint on the tool. Selection of the carbide type, grinding wheel and jointing stone may require some trial and error. Consult one of the technicians for assistance.