A manufacturer of industrial pumping solutions was machining 63-65 HRC hard steel components with an older whisker-reinforced ceramic round insert. The job involved both continuous and interrupted cuts, placing heavy stress on the cutting edge.

The customer did not need faster cycle times or process changes. The problem was tool life. The previous insert produced only about half a part per edge, resulting in high insert consumption for a recurring job of about 100 parts per month.

The customer asked GWS Tool Group for a ceramic solution to improve tool life in hard steel while maintaining the existing process.

GWS recommended a MW88 ceramic round insert with the correct peripheral edge preparation for the application. The goal was direct: help the cutting edge last longer in hard steel while keeping the existing cycle time and tool-change process in place.

The new insert improved tool life from about 0.5 part per cutting edge to 1 to 1.5 parts per cutting edge. At the conservative end of that range, the customer doubled tool life. At the upper end, the improvement further reduced cutting-edge consumption.

Based on 100 parts per month, the previous process required about 2,400 cutting-edge uses per year.

The MW88 ceramic insert reduced that to about 1,200 uses at the conservative result, or about 800 uses when the insert reaches 1.5 parts per edge.

Need more life from a hard-steel machining operation?

If insert consumption, interrupted cuts, or edge failure are driving up tooling cost, GWS can review the application and help identify the right ceramic solution for the material, cut condition, and edge preparation. Contact your local GWS application specialist to discuss your project.