Carbide Die Industry

"It is not your job to ask why, it is your job to tool and die."

After working in the carbide die industry for some time you start to wonder.... I have seen people eat a sandwich with hands not much cleaner than the ones in this picture. Are there any negative effects I should be worried about? It turns out that after working for ten or more years in tool and die (according to a study done in France) you do have an elevated chance of cancer. This is only a slight increase though, no where near as bad as cancer. The people that were most effected were those who worked with tungsten carbide before it is sintered.  So basically the people who make the preforms, not necessarily those that grind the carbide dies and tooling into its final form.

I'm not a carbide scientist so don't take me to court about this but I'm just providing some food for thought. There is a good reason to have good ventilation and cleaning in a carbide die and tooling facility. I'm not sure a mask is need (I have heard of old timers that wore masks) but maybe having a dust collector isn't a bad idea.

Also, don't drink the coolant!

Why use Carbide Dies?

Why use Carbide Dies? For all you machinists out there...

Carbide Dies

What are Carbide dies and what are they used for?  A carbide die can be used to make all sorts of things, from nails and screws to wires and pipes. They can form parts for cars, desks and just  about anything else. Carbide dies are used in all kinds of shops, from small garage shops to major manufacturing giants. Carbide dies are used in a manufacturing process called cold forming or impact forming. Alternatively it can be used to extrude material, shaping the outside diameter, think of spaghetti being made.

Cold forming or impact forming is when something called slug, which is a sized piece of metal,  is forced  into a die. The carbide die is harder and stronger than the metal, which allows them to  form solid steel. The tungsten carbide part of the die is what makes them very tough, they are strong enough to survive the repeated impact of having sold metal pounded into it. In cold forming the metal becomes liquid from force alone! The part formed for this process is stronger then  a machine tooled part because the part reforms the grain of the metal opposed to cutting into the metal with a machine. Tungsten carbide is one of the hardest materials known to man, only slightly softer than diamond. Diamond wheels are used to grind carbide dies into there desired shapes. Carbide is used due to its hardness, having excellent wear properties.

Carbide dies are used for more than just forming steel. It is also used to form aluminum, copper, and just about any other kind of metal or metal alloy. Pretty much if you want to make a lot of the same thing fast cold forming with carbide dies is the way to go.

Carbide Die Tip: Do you have Steel or Carbide Dies?

The fastest and easiest way to determine that you have a carbide die is to inspect the ID of the die. A carbide die will have the carbide insert that has been pressed into it. Carbide is a little darker then the metallic sleeve.  If you have a needle file, drag it a cross  the insert, if it's carbide the file won't bight because the carbide is harder then the file.

Tool and Die Quotes and Sayings

Machinists are famous for making everything we use or the parts that make the things we use... but only slightly less know for their quotes and colorful phrases.  Terms like screw, tailstock, ball, butt and nuts are common. So here are some of the quotes that have come out of the tool and die trade, enjoy!

A machinist is a man that washes his hands before and after he pees.

Last week I couldn't spell Machinist now I are one!

"Machinist's do it accurately"

Machinists do it "round and round" and "up and down.

"Happiness is a good tight screw".

Your car cost $40,000, So What, My machine cost $150,000 and it will make car parts.

If you Break it We can Make.

I worked my whole life as a Machinist, and all I got was Dead Nuts!

May the laws of physics be with you

You can always tell a good Master machinist, They still have all of there fingers!

It can be done three ways:
           GOOD
           FAST
           CHEAP
You only get to pick two of the three
If it is done GOOD and FAST it can't be CHEAP.
If it is done GOOD and CHEAP it can't be FAST.
IF it is done FAST and CHEAP it can't be GOOD.

"He who does not specify what he wants, deserves what he gets."

MINE IS NOT TO ASK WHY
MINE IS JUST TO TOOL AND DIE !

I am a Machinist. My ability to create is limited only by you inability to envision.

GOD must've been a Machinist with a killer piece of stock.

I am a Machinist. I didn't envision, plan, or design this part. But if you leave me alone long enough, I'll make it work.

The Hindenburg and the Titanic. Don't blame the Machinists. We just make whatever the Enigneers design.

Types of Die Makers

Die makers make everything from carbide dies to steel dies, OK, that's not a very wide range but they basically make dies and dies basically make everything else in the manufacturing world. But what are they like you may be wondering? What is a machinist and what is a die maker? Well there are several types.

The Old Pro....
Almost always old. They have long hair on their limbs, necks and ears that help warn them when they are getting to close to a machine. It's a safety thing. These are the best machinists out there but a large sub group of them suffers from grumpiness.

The Hot Shot...
These are the guys with the ruby tipped indicators, they think they are the best and think they know it all. Usually wearing sun glasses for eye protection these guys make claims to being the quickest, best die makers / machinists this side of what ever river they are around. However, there track record shows they make more scrap than the old pro. The Hot Shot could eventually evolve into the better all around old pro, but they are just as likely to get a gold chain stuck in a gear and be ground chuck.

The Noob...
These guys are the Green Horns. They lack experience and they now it. Look to your left and look to your right, only one of you will still be here in two years! However, these Noobs are valuable, if they aren't total turds, for they are our future. Embrace them fellow machinist, these will be the guys making the dies that make the shafts on your wheelchairs... Wheelchairs that don't roll right just plain suck so, for the future of US manufacturing and for the future of our mobility let's train them well!

Why Use Carbide Dies?

In short, carbide dies have several advantages in metal stamping processes. First, carbide lasts longer than steel, providing longer lived dies and higher volume stamping runs before a die needs to be replaced. Carbide is harder than steel, more wear resistant, and can withstand extremely high compressive loads.

Tungsten carbide is a type of cemented carbide made up of Tungsten, Carbon, and a binder, typically cobalt, chromium or nickel. Changing the amount of binder used changes the properties of the Tungsten Carbide and is modified to get specific properties. When the amount of binder is increased it the result is greater impact resistance but weaker wear resistance. Vice versa, less binder means that Tungsten Carbide will be be harder giving it a better wear resistance but will be more likely to fracture. A proper understanding of the various grades of carbide can increase the chances of having a successfully designed carbide extrusion dies, drawing dies or other carbide tooling.

Carbide dies are desirable in operations requiring very high volumes. Examples of this would be applications such as cold forming and cold heading operations. These operations benefit from using carbide dies and tooling in three areas: greater wear resistance, lower maintenance, and less downtime for machines that may require worn or cracked tooling to be replaced. These benefits are due to the higher wear resistance and ability to withstand higher compressive loads of tungsten carbide when compared to steel. If you wanted to up grade in these areas from carbide you will need a very fat wallet, since the only way to go up from there is to use diamond.

Historic Machine Shop

If anyone who is interested in machining gets a chance they should visit Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. There is a historic machine shop located here, it is called the Armington & Sims Machine Shop & Foundry. You can see how it was done in the old days! Powered by a steam engine (I'm not sure if they still use steam power for the engine) poles run along the top of the machine shop. Belts drop down from these poles to power all the wonderful old machines. You can see some of the same names we use today on these machines, I particularly enjoyed watching an old 1908 Brown & Sharpe No. 2 make a candle stick.

Another neat thing about the shop, particularly in the fall, is the layout. The machine shop is laid out like a cathedral to industry. Large windows flank a long building layout, although they aren't stained glass! During the cool fall day I visited a nice breeze blew threw and it was very comfortable and well lit, both very important for machine shops.

So if your in the Detroit area and interested in tool and die or machining then stop by Greenfield Village and see for yourself. Admission is about $35 dollars though, so you better like the other things they have there, and there's plenty to choose from!

Tinkering your way to a Tool Shop Empire!!!

Here are several more arch-type tinkerers. The first one is an arcane tinkerer; in fantasy worlds they build the gadgets. Zeppelins and golems would be more up their alley then building carbide dies and tooling. The next tinkerer is called the "Mad tinkerer" and he is an enemy of Spiderman. This tinkerer uses his skills to make armies of robots, or something like that. The third and final tinkerer is Steve Jobs, Steve was one of the founders of Apple and famously tinkered in his garage to make the first Apple computer.

So, the next time you’re doing some grinding and your table stops (hydrollics?) or you jam your lathe, think of your favorite tinkerer and have fun with this opportunity... or just grumble and cuss and get to work, both ways work just fine but the spirit of the tinkerer is still with in yee.