Breaking the Impasse | Tungsten Prices Continue to Rise; Cost-Effective Cutting Tool Inserts Offer a Way Out of the Dilemma

In the modern metalworking industry, cemented carbide has become the most widely used cutting material. Compared with traditional high-speed steel, cemented carbide exhibits significantly higher hardness, wear resistance, and heat resistance, enabling substantially increased cutting speeds, thereby boosting metal removal rates and enhancing production efficiency.

Advances in coating technology—namely, the application of a thin surface layer of material with microhardness exceeding that of cemented carbide—have altered the intrinsic relationship between hardness and toughness in cutting materials. Coated cemented carbides exhibit superior wear resistance compared to their uncoated counterparts of equivalent toughness, a improvement that has further enhanced manufacturing productivity. Today, most cemented carbide tools, whether solid‑body or indexable‑insert types, utilize coated cemented carbide as the primary material for the cutting edge.

However, in recent years the metalworking industry has faced a new challenge: the prices of tungsten‑containing materials have risen sharply. The factors driving this increase are diverse and often interrelated, with many tied to economic and political dynamics. For instance, China is the world’s leading supplier of tungsten, accounting for roughly 80% of global production; consequently, any changes in its export policies or mineral‑resource regulations can directly impact price trends. Moreover, demand for tungsten from other industrial sectors—primarily electronics, aerospace, and defense—has surged. The current geopolitical environment, coupled with logistical disruptions that strain supply chains, has further fueled these price hikes.

It is easy to see that this situation has impacted tool prices, causing the share of cutting‑tool expenses in overall machining costs to rise. Under these circumstances, manufacturers are naturally seeking ways to reduce tool‑related expenditures and are increasingly turning to alternative machining approaches. At the same time, it is important to remember that, although cutting tools account for a relatively small portion of total machining costs, they can be a powerful lever for boosting productivity and thereby lowering actual production costs. Consequently, cutting‑tool manufacturers face the new challenge of delivering cost‑effective solutions to address the difficulties posed by the sharp increase in global tungsten prices. Ultimately, cost efficiency and the realization of optimal value remain paramount.

Against this backdrop, the metalworking industry is placing greater emphasis on the cost-effectiveness of cutting tools and seeking ways to enhance their value for money. On the one hand, this logically calls for the adoption of advanced technologies, the refinement of existing processes, the implementation of more efficient machining strategies, and improved tool management in the shop floor. On the other hand, the industry also expects appropriate responses from cutting‑tool manufacturers, particularly regarding how they will address the rising price of tungsten.

So, what measures can cutting-tool manufacturers take to address this challenge? Several possible strategies are available:

One approach is to increase the use of alternative hard‑cutting materials, such as cermet and ceramics. Compared with cemented carbides, these materials offer clear advantages, boasting higher hardness and superior heat resistance. However, their application is constrained by several factors: greater brittleness, lower toughness, and heightened sensitivity to unstable machining conditions.

Superhard materials such as CBN and PCD exhibit excellent wear resistance but are very expensive. Moreover, compared with cemented carbides, their application scope is more limited: CBN is primarily used for machining hardened steels, cast irons, and high‑temperature superalloys, while PCD is mainly suited for cutting non‑ferrous metals like aluminum, copper alloys, and composite materials.

The second strategy is to develop wear‑resistant protective coatings. Innovations in this area have enabled newly developed coated carbide grades to deliver significantly longer tool life. Moreover, even in grades with lower tungsten content, the latest coatings can maintain equivalent tool life. However, implementing these cutting-edge coating technologies requires specialized equipment and processes, which incur additional production costs—costs that may, in turn, affect the final price of the tools.

Another solution to this challenge is to optimize tool design. For example, adopting an assembled‑tool concept with replaceable carbide cutting heads enables more efficient use of carbide materials while enhancing flexibility and productivity. Similarly, selecting insert geometries that maximize the number of indexable cutting edges helps extend tool life and improve material utilization.

In actual machining, the depth of cut typically used with cutting inserts is far below their maximum allowable value. Moreover, modern workpiece manufacturing techniques—such as precision casting, forging, and injection molding—make it possible to produce parts whose geometry closely matches the final component’s contour, thereby reducing the amount of material that must be removed during machining. Consequently, there is a growing demand for tools equipped with smaller inserts. Reducing insert dimensions offers a significant opportunity to conserve tungsten resources. Of course, the ongoing development of optimized cutting and chip‑breaking geometries continues to enhance machining efficiency and extend tool life, further lowering tungsten consumption.

Against this backdrop, the product portfolio of TOOLBOSS Carbide, one of the tool manufacturers that has recently entered the tungsten carbide insert production and manufacturing sector, speaks for itself and warrants particular attention.

Since June 2025, the price of tungsten carbide—the raw material—has been hitting new record highs, driving up machining costs for many companies. With raw-material prices surging by more than 700%, the prices of tungsten carbide cutting inserts have risen by at least 400%. In response to widespread customer demand, TOOLBOSS Carbide Co., Ltd. and Hunan University of Technology, together with leading industry experts, have jointly embarked on a development effort, drawing on extensive industry experience and spending over six months continuously… Repeatedly Testing, R&D, small‑batch deployment, followed by further testing and R&D—culminating in full‑scale production. Specifically designed for machining steel parts with a hardness of HRC 45, our new grade TN718 delivers exceptional performance when machining with a single‑side depth of cut of 1 mm, earning the trust, support, and confidence of a broad customer base. Repeated purchase orders have surged, setting new records.

PVD coatings offer exceptional density, while CVD coatings provide excellent toughness and superior high-speed machining performance. Could these two approaches be combined to deliver even greater value to customers? TOOLBOSS Caribde has pioneered the TC5210 grade, which features a substrate produced using a proprietary manufacturing process that ensures an ultra-fine, uniformly dispersed hard‑phase microstructure, paired with a novel TiAlN+AL2O3 coating.  Featuring KENLOON® composite coating technology, this dual‑layer structure—combining a highly tough inner layer with an ultra‑heat‑resistant outer layer—enhances coating hardness while effectively resisting thermal shock. It delivers exceptional wear resistance, superior thermal conductivity, and outstanding high‑temperature stability, significantly improving the tool’s resistance to thermal shock cracking and plastic deformation, thereby preventing premature failure of the cutting edge.

The latest anime film, “Nezha: Birth of the Demon Child,” has once again introduced audiences worldwide to the legendary Nezha from ancient Chinese mythology, sparking keen interest and lively discussions among the design team at TOOLBOSS Carbide. It also stirred up fond childhood memories for many tech‑savvy engineers. So why not create a similar product in the realm of cutting tools—integrating elements of ancient Chinese myths into the flute geometry of our carbide inserts? With the A8 flute profile, the Wind‑and‑Fire Wheel series was born. This line boasts a distinctly mythological aesthetic and represents a groundbreaking innovation in metal‑cutting technology—truly something to look forward to!