Automotive Uses of Cemented Titanium Carbide

Cemented titanium carbide has been available for about 35 years, but it is only in the past 10 years that it has been used widely as a cutting tool. Its use in cutting tool applications has been widespread in automotive machining and there are also specialized applications where the material is being used as a wear part in connnection with the automotive industry. This paper shows the application areas where cemented titanium carbide is most likely to be successful and outline its competitive place in contrast to the steel cutting cemented tungsten carbide grades, TiC coated grades, and ceramics. The importance of the use of cemented titanium carbide in the automotive industry, where machining speeds are increasing and productivity is becoming more and more important, is outlined. Laboratory test data comparing cemented titanium carbide grades to other cutting tool materials and field test applications will be shown.