Vacuum Brazing of CBN Tools for the Tools & Dies Industry
Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN) tools are high-performance, superhard cutting tools, with hardness surpassed only by diamond, widely used for machining high-hardness and difficult-to-cut materials such as hardened steel, high-alloy wear-resistant cast iron, high-speed steel, and sintered metals. In the tool and die industry, vacuum-brazed CBN tools are essential for precision machining of hardened dies and molds, finishing gears and bearings, processing sintered metal components, and performing semi-finishing and finishing operations on HRC60+ workpieces, maximizing tool performance and service life.
CBN tools, including PCBN (Polycrystalline Cubic Boron Nitride) inserts, provide exceptional wear resistance, high thermal stability, and chemical inertness, maintaining hardness at elevated temperatures and resisting reactions with iron-based materials. Compared with cemented carbide or ceramic tools, CBN and PCBN tools deliver up to 30–50 times higher wear resistance, superior impact toughness, and stable cutting performance in high-speed or intermittent operations. Structurally, they include mosaic, compound, and integral polycrystalline types, offering balanced wear and chipping resistance, flexibility in tool design, and the ability to replace grinding in both roughing and finishing operations, ensuring excellent surface finish and dimensional accuracy.
Vacuum brazing CBN tools offers numerous advantages for the tool and die industry. The flux-free vacuum environment prevents oxidation and contamination while providing uniform heating and precise thermal control. This allows the brazing filler to bond efficiently to complex tool geometries, resulting in clean, strong, and durable joints. Vacuum-brazed CBN tools maintain cutting-edge geometry, enhance reliability, and reduce production downtime, making them ideal for modern high-precision manufacturing applications.
At Normantherm, with over 15 years of expertise in vacuum furnace technology, we deliver tailored solutions for vacuum-brazing CBN tools in the tools and dies industry. Our process ensures superior filler wettability, uniform heating, and precise bonding, enabling manufacturers to achieve strong, durable, and high-precision CBN tools for machining hardened dies, molds, and high-hardness components. This expertise helps optimize tool performance, enhance efficiency, and ensure long-term reliability in demanding manufacturing applications.
Editor: Sahera Khatun
Copyright: Normantherm Vacuum Furnace
