New Coated CBN Insert Grade, MBC020

Mitsubishi Materials Corporation has recently developed and manufactured a new coated CBN grade, MBC020.

MBC020 is a general purpose, coated CBN grade for applications ranging from continuous, through to interrupted machining of hardened steels. This new grade joins the existing coated grade MBC010, which is dedicated to high speed finishing of hardened steels.

Sintered CBN tools have the highest known hardness value, second only to diamond. Additionally, CBN has a low affinity to iron and is highly resistant to heat. These properties make sintered CBN tools suitable for cutting hardened steels and for operations that can replace grinding. The replacement of the grinding process has meant that CBN tools require a longer tool life during high speed cutting to maintain accuracy. Additionally a further need for improved fracture resistance to withstand interrupted cutting is also called for. By applying a special ceramic coating to a dedicated CBN substrate, the new MBC020 grade achieves a higher level of the two contradictory properties; wear resistance and fracture toughness. Furthermore, expansion of the types of cutting edge honing, another essential factor affecting the performance of CBN tools, allows for a broader range of high performance cutting applications.