Ceramic and CBN Inserts for Steel Mill Applications

Tools for mill‑roll turning | Ceramic and CBN inserts

Ceramic and CBN tools can outperform conventional carbide tools in speed and tool life

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Ceramic inserts effectively perform at high speed ranges

The best selection of Ceramic and CBN grades to successfully machine the application.

Features

Advantages of Ceramic Inserts

Higher hardness than carbide supports high‑speed cutting.
Low thermal conductivity reduces heat‑related tool damage.
Stable alumina‑TiC ceramic performance enhances surface quality.
Offers a cost‑effective alternative to CBN in appropriate applications.

CBN Grade Advantages

High CBN content enhances impact resistance.
Excellent wear resistance when machining abrasive materials.
BK310 grade are ideal for carbide roll machining.

Tooling application

Turning mill-roll materials

Features of insert grades

Ceramic insert application guideline:

① shape characteristic

Edge strength increases as the insert geometry angle becomes larger.
However, higher insert strength also results in increased cutting forces.

Ceramic insert application guideline :

② edge preparations

Increasing edge preparation reduces the risk of insert damage.
This improves machining stability during roughing operations.

Ceramic insert application guideline:

③ Minimize overhang

Reducing toolholder overhang increases setup rigidity.
Improved rigidity helps suppress chatter, a major cause of insert chipping.

Industry specific tools

NTK provides specialized tooling solutions with industry‑specific insert geometries and coordinated toolholders.

Cutting conditions

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Roll material	Coolant	Application	Grade	v_c (m/min) (SFM)	a_p (mm) (inch)	f (mm/rev) (IPR)
High speed steel (HSS) roll	DRY	Rough to semi-finishing	Whisker ceramic 533/WA1	~ 40 ~ 130	* 5-15% of insert diameter (approximate)	0.1 – 0.3 .004 – .012
High speed steel (HSS) roll	DRY	Finishing	CBN BH330 (B22/B36)	~ 40 ~ 130		0.1 – 0.3 .004 – .012
Hardened steel roll	DRY	Semi-finish to finishing	Alumina ceramic HC2/HC5/HC7	70 – 200 230 – 660		0.07 – 0.2 .003 – .008
Hardened steel roll	DRY	Finishing	CBN BH330 (B22/B36)	70 – 200 230 – 660		0.07 – 0.2 .003 – .008
Cast Iron roll Chilled Iron roll	DRY	Semi-finish to finishing	Alumina ceramic HC2/HC5/HC7	40 – 80 130 – 260		0.1 – 0.3 .004 – .012
Cast Iron roll Chilled Iron roll	DRY	Finishing	CBN BH330 (B22/B36)	40 – 80 130 – 260		0.1 – 0.3 .004 – .012
Cast Iron roll Ductile Cast Iron rolls CPM rolls (ex. Powdered metal) Carbide rolls	DRY	Rough to semi-finishing	Silicon nitride ceramic SX9	40 – 120 130 – 400		0.1 – 0.3 .004 – .012
	DRY	Finishing	CBN BH330 (B22/B36)	40 – 120 130 – 400		0.1 – 0.3 .004 – .012
Carbide rolls	DRY	Rough to semi-finishing	Whisker ceramic 533/WA1	30 – 170 100 – 560		0.1 – 0.3 .004 – .012
Carbide rolls	DRY	Finishing	CBN BK310 (B22/B36)	30 – 170 100 – 560		0.1 – 0.3 .004 – .012

Practical examples

Forming roll
Material : SKD11 (Hs 70-75)
Cutting speed : 100 m/min 330 SFM
Feed : 0.25 mm/rev .0099 IPR
DOC : 0.3 mm .0118 inch
Coolant : DRY
HC7	2 pcs/ corner
Competitor’s black ceramic	1 pcs/ corner

HC7 achieved twice the tool life of a competitor’s black ceramic.

Bending roll
Material : S45C Carbon Steel (1045 steel) (Hs 80-)
Cutting speed : 60 m/min 200 SFM
Feed : 0.5 mm/rev .020 IPR
DOC : 0.3 mm .0118 inch
Coolant : DRY
WA1	2 pcs(6,000L)/ corner
Competitor’s black ceramic	1 pcs(3,000L)/ corner

WA1 achieved twice the tool life compared with a competitor’s black ceramic.
Customer comment:
“I had always used the same black ceramic product, but now I clearly see the performance difference between products.”

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Ceramic and CBN Inserts for Steel Mill Applications

Ceramic inserts effectively perform at high speed ranges

Features

Tooling application

Features of insert grades

Ceramic insert application guideline:

Ceramic insert application guideline :

Ceramic insert application guideline:

Industry specific tools

Related News

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