【AI-Powered Sustainable Manufacturing】AXISMATERIA Cemented Carbide Milling Grade AF413X — Advancing Machining Innovation for Aerospace and Medical Difficult-to-Cut Materials

AF413X, developed by AXISMATERIA under Sumitomo Electric Hardmetal of Japan, is a newly engineered cemented carbide grade designed specifically for machining difficult-to-cut materials in aerospace, medical, and high-temperature tooling applications. When machining materials such as Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy and Inconel 718 nickel-based superalloy, conventional tools often suffer from adhesion, edge chipping, and short tool life. AF413X was created to address these challenges. By analyzing the damage mechanisms that occur during the cutting of difficult materials, AF413X enhances both anti-adhesion and chipping resistance, maintaining stable performance even under high-temperature and high-load cutting conditions.

Its key advantages stem from a highly uniform and refined cobalt phase dispersion technology, which suppresses titanium adhesion during machining and enables smoother cutting behavior. In addition, improved bonding strength between WC grains reduces grain pull-out, effectively minimizing edge chipping and significantly extending tool life. According to material specifications, AF413X features a 13% binder content, an ultra-fine WC grain size of 0.4 μm, and a transverse rupture strength of 4.3 GPa—achieving an excellent balance of hardness and toughness among comparable grades.

AF413X demonstrates stable performance across a wide range of representative difficult-to-cut materials, including Ti-6Al-4V with high strength and biocompatibility for aerospace and medical implants; Inconel 718 with outstanding heat resistance and fatigue strength for aircraft engines and turbine components; corrosion-resistant, high-strength SUS630 stainless steel; and SKD61, widely used in hot-work die applications. These materials typically impose severe mechanical and thermal loads on cutting tools, yet AF413X maintains edge integrity and delivers reliable cutting performance under such demanding conditions.

Overall, AF413X is a high-performance milling grade that addresses the needs of aerospace, medical, energy, and mold-making industries. With its superior anti-adhesion properties, resistance to chipping, and high toughness, AF413X enables engineers to achieve higher efficiency and quality in challenging machining environments while improving overall process reliability. For manufacturers facing difficult material machining challenges, AF413X represents a key material solution for stable and high-performance cutting.