They can also work at incredibly high speeds, vastly improving cycle times. Faster chip removal enables faster cutting and prevents damage to the cut and drill bit from chip build-up inside the cut.Ĭarbide drill bits last very long, allowing for roughly 1000-2000 holes to be drilled before it requires resharpening. Lower temperatures decrease drill wear and heat treatment of the part being drilled. This improves the cut quality in two ways: heat reduction and chip removal. Here, the cooling liquid is delivered directly into the cut, efficiently cooling the cutting tip and the actual cutting area. Since the material is so hard and rigid, it allows coolant through-holes to be cut into the drill bit. For this reason, these drill bits are the most chip-resistant.
Carbide Bits ProsĬarbide is extremely hard and heat resistant. Here, high-quality tool holders and work holding equipment are necessary.
Cobalt drill bits drivers#
These are generally not suited for hand tools such as cordless drills or impact drivers and are generally meant for production drilling. Carbide Dill Bit UsesĬarbide drill bits are designed for heavy-duty work on the hardest, most demanding materials. It is the hardest and most brittle drill bit currently in everyday use. The carbide drill bits are capable of high-speed drilling and are often used on hard, non-ferrous heavy metals and fiber-glass reinforced plastics. Hence, they are also known as cemented carbide. Often tungsten carbide and titanium carbide are combined with a binder material to produce the industrial-grade carbide. This powder is joined by a process called sintering to form solid carbide rods and blocks. Tungsten carbide is a chemical compound of carbon and tungsten which is in powder form. What is a Carbide Drill Bit?Ĭarbide drill bits are the high-end option in manufacturing and CNC (Computer Numeric Control) environments. This leads to chipping and other damage when drilling materials that are too hard or attempting to drill at temperatures outside the specified range. These drill bits also can’t work at the drilling speeds carbide drill bits are capable of.Ĭobalt drill bits also tend to be brittle. ConsĬobalt drill bits don’t last as long as carbide drill bits, requiring resharpening after more or less every 100 holes drilled in a production environment. These bits are also affordable and easily available. You can use a cobalt bit for drilling both wood and metal. It can cut soft as well as hard materials. Since peck drilling repeatedly restarts the cut, wear increases markedly. This wear decreases significantly once the drill bit’s tip is engaged with the material. The most significant amount of tool wear on drill bits occurs when starting a cut. This increases tool life since peck drilling dramatically increases tool wear. This eliminates the need to drill guide-holes, decreasing cycle time.Ī cobalt bit can drill up to five times their shaft diameter before requiring peck drilling (inserting the drill bit into the cut multiple times to facilitate proper cutting). The cost of the drill bit justifies the extra cost of grinding a self-centering point on the bit. They are easily resharpened and usually less expensive than carbide drill bits.Ĭobalt drills often have self-centering points. ProsĬobalt drill bit can withstand far greater temperatures than the cheaper bright HSS and black oxide drill bits. This allows it to be resharpened without losing the cutting quality of the bit.ģ Flute Cobalt Drill Bit – Click to See DetailsĬobalt drill bits are often used on stainless steel, tool steels, and other hard, ferrous materials.
Unlike a titanium drill bit which is a coating, cobalt is added into the alloy. This enhances the wear- and heat-resistance of the drill bit, prolonging material life. What is a Cobalt Drill Bit?Ĭobalt is often incorporated into drill bits made of high-speed steel (HSS) at a 5-8% concentration. Carbide drill bits enable greater cutting speed while maintaining a high-quality finish than cobalt drill bits, enhancing manufacturing throughput. This leads to longer tool life, often offsetting the cost difference. Cobalt bits are made of HSS with cobalt blended into the alloy mix whereas carbide bits are made of sintered tungsten carbide.Ĭarbide drill bits are generally more expensive than cobalt but can withstand higher temperatures and have greater wear resistance. Higher-end drill bits are often made of carbide or cobalt. Why is this, and what’s the difference between these two options? How would you know which option to choose? Difference Between Cobalt and Carbide Carbide and cobalt drill bits are often used in applications where high-speed steel drill bits aren’t sufficient.