Tungsten Carbide Plate: What You Need to Know?

Tungsten carbide plate, commonly referred to as cemented carbide plate, is an ultra-hard and wear-resistant material produced by sintering tungsten carbide (WC) with a metallic binder such as cobalt (Co).

Boasting hardness similar to diamond, exceptional wear resistance, compressive strength and overall stability characteristics similar to diamond, this material can be found used across mold manufacturing, cutting tools production, industrial equipment requiring high wear resistance as well as other demanding applications such as metallurgy among many other industries today; making them essential materials in many industries today.

As professional tungsten carbide plates manufacturer, here is an in-depth overview of this high-performance material, covering its key properties, applications and selection criteria to provide maximum enlightenment on this high-performing material.

Part 1. What is a Tungsten Carbide Plate?

A tungsten carbide plate is a type of ultra-hard material. Its main ingredient is tungsten carbide. The manufacturing process involves mixing powdered tungsten carbide with a metal binder, either cobalt, nickel, or iron. The mixture is sintered at high temperatures inside a vacuum or inert atmosphere.

The resultant material is a composite structure consisting of “hard carbide grains and a metallic binder phase”. This structure gives the end material unusual toughness and particular hardness. Because of the high balance toughness and hardness, tungsten carbide plates are considered one of the most stable and high quality industrial materials on the market today.  

Key performance characteristics of tungsten carbide plates are:  

Unparalleled hardness (HRA 85-95): Tungsten carbide’s hardness is equaled only by diamonds, plus it is able to machine steels, stones, and wear resistant alloys.

Superb wear resistance: Tungsten carbide fabrics holds very low wear rates under high friction and heavy impact working conditions, significantly  surpassing traditional steels in service life.

Greater compressive strength ( > 4,000 MPa): Tungsten carbide is great with heavy loads and impack so it is ideal in high pressure machines, also it is great in stamping dies and in mechanical parts.  

High elastic modulus: guarantees that materials won’t bend that much even under heavy load, thus offering good dimensional stability in machines for precise applications.

Great resistance to corrosion: It displays amazing performance in acidic, basic, and salty environments when used in chemical applications.

Strong high-temperature resistance (up to 500–800°C): Retains hardness and strength even at elevated temperatures without softening.

Part 2. Common Types of Tungsten Carbide Plates

Tungsten carbide plates can be of different types according to the method of manufacture, purpose, and requirements on their performance:

Unground (Standard) Carbide Plate

• Supplied in a rough-machined or as-sintered condition.
• Intended for secondary machining or for further processing such as grinding, EDM, or milling.
• Cost-effective for applications where final dimensions will be produced later.

Ground Carbide Plate

• Surface ground to tight dimensional tolerances and flatness.
• Suitable for high-precision molds, dies, and mechanical assemblies in which surface accuracy is important.
• Reduces secondary finishing work and improves mating-surface performance.

Mirror-Polished Carbide Plate

• Highly polished to a mirror finish.
• Common uses are in the tooling and mold industries, such as those applications requiring low friction and superior surface quality: plastic injection dies, stamping tools.
• Improves release characteristics and reduces wear from sliding contact.

Carbide Plate of Custom Shape

• Supplied as special-shaped or pre-machined parts, including drilled holes, slots, chamfers, and cutouts.
• Suited for bespoke tooling, wear parts, and components that need near-net shapes to minimize downstream machining.
• Helps shorten lead times and reduce material waste.

Different Grades/Compositions: such as YG6, YG8, YG15, YG20

• YG6: Higher hardness, optimal for cutting and abrasion resistance.
• YG8: Better toughness, more suitable for impact or shock-loaded applications.
• YG15: A balance of high hardness and increased toughness, suitable for heavy-duty mold and die applications.
• YG20: For use in extremely high-impact environments where maximum toughness is required.

The type and grade selected depend on the working conditions: abrasion, impact, temperature, and desired dimensional precision. To get the best out of it, match the surface treatment and material grade of the plate to the particular demands of your application.

Part 3. Typical Application Industries of Tungsten Carbide Plates

With such great hardness, wear resistance, compressive strength, and corrosion resistance, tungsten carbide plates have an irreplaceable role in a wide range of applications across various industries.

1. Mold and Die Manufacturing (Stamping, Cold Heading, Forming)

Tungsten carbide plates are widely applied to all kinds of high-load and high-precision mold components, such as:

• Punching and shearing dies
• Cold heading and cold extrusion dies
• Stamping and forming dies
• Drawing and deep-drawing dies

Their exceptional durability extends mold life significantly, improves dimensional consistency, and enhances processing stability—particularly in a mass-production environment.

2. Cutting Tool Industry

Due to the extreme hardness and resistance to edge chipping of carbide plates, they are in wide demand for:

• Woodworking knives and cutters
• Metal cutting inserts and blades
• Precision tool holders and clamping components
• Cutting, milling and drilling tool substrates

Tungsten carbide can ensure longer tool lifespan, reduce tool change frequency, and maintain stable cutting performance even during high-speed machining.

3. Mining, Quarrying & Construction Machinery

Carbide plates can resist very aggressive, abrasive, and impact-heavy environments such as:

• Wear-resistant liners and protection plates
• Crusher wear blocks
• Geological drilling and exploration tools
• Anti-abrasion pipeline liners

They keep on performing even under continuous high friction and strong impact; therefore, they are ideal for mining and heavy engineering equipment.

4. Metal Forming and Metallurgical Industry

Tungsten carbide plates are utilized in the following metal treatment and metallurgical operations:

• Rolling mill liner plates
• Metallurgical dies and tooling
• Wear-resistant plates for production lines
• Pressing and forming moulds

The stability of these processes means less equipment downtime, consistent quality in parts, and better productivity overall.

5. Industrial Machinery Components

Tungsten carbide plates are also used for a variety of custom mechanical parts, such as:

• Wear-resistant plates and shims
• Protective plates and barriers
• Custom structural parts for high-wear machinery

These components provide long service life and reliability in demanding mechanical systems, where conventional steel components fail quickly.

Tungsten carbide plates play a vital role in supporting the efficiency, durability, and precision of modern industrial production due to their robust performance in extreme working environments.

Part 4. How to Choose the Right Tungsten Carbide Plate?

The proper selection of a tungsten carbide plate depends on several key technical factors, which determine the best balance between performance, durability, and cost.

1. Material Grade

With different hardness-toughness ratios, various grades of tungsten carbide are available. Selection of the correct grade directly affects service life and stability:

• High hardness applications → YG6 / YG8
• The material is suitable for precision cutting, wear surfaces, and low-impact molds where sharpness and abrasion resistance are needed.
• High impact or high-pressure applications → YG15 / YG20
• These grades possess higher hardness levels and are suitable for heavy-duty tooling, cold forging dies, and mining components.
• Balanced performance → YG10X or similar fine-grain grades

Combining hardness with toughness, this material will serve for precision molds, wear parts, and general-purpose engineering applications.

It is the understanding of the working conditions that helps in determining whether hardness or toughness is to be given greater importance.

2. Dimensions and Thickness Requirements

Critical dimensional factors include:

• Plate thickness: Affects strength, rigidity, and suitability for machining or forming.
• Flatness and straightness: Designed for mold bases and precision assemblies.
• Dimensional tolerance: Determines how well the plate fits into assemblies or how much secondary machining is required.
• Whether the ground surface is needed: Ground carbide plates save time in machining and are essential for highly accurate applications.

These parameters highly affect the machining efficiency and accuracy of the product.

3. Working Environment

Assess actual operating conditions to establish the proper grade and treatment:

• Operating temperature, in particular > 500°C: Higher temperatures give some grades improved performance.
• Exposure to acids, alkalis, or corrosive media: Depending on the compositions and binder types, corrosion resistance slightly differs.
• Impact or vibration level: Higher shock loads require tougher grades such as YG15 and YG20.
• Abrasion severity: High-friction environments require grades with maximum wear resistance.

Selection of carbide that matches environmental stress prevents premature failure.

4. Requirement for Custom Processing

Many applications require plates of specific shapes or features:

• Pre-drilled holes
• Chamfers and rounded edges
• Slots, grooves or cutouts
• Complex or non-standard geometries
• Pressing, forming, or secondary machining requirements

Choosing a manufacturer that can provide custom-machined or near-net-shape plates can save considerable time in machining, along with reducing waste.

5. Cost and Service Life Evaluation

While more expensive upfront than alloy steel, tungsten carbide plates can provide considerably longer service life:

• 5–10× longer lifetime in highly abrasive environments
• Reduced downtime and maintenance
• Lower frequency of replacement
• Smarter, more consistent production quality
• Tungsten carbide is often more economical than alternative materials when considering total cost of ownership for high-wear, high-impact, or high-temperature applications.

Part 5. Tungsten Carbide Plate vs. Other Common Materials

Material	Hardness	Wear Resistance	Heat Resistance	Cost	Typical Applications
Tungsten Carbide (WC)	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆	High	High-wear / high-impact parts
High-Speed Steel (HSS)	★★★	★★☆	★★★	Medium	Cutting tools
Ceramic Materials	★★★★★	★★★★	★★★★★	Medium	High-temperature machining
Tool Steel	★★☆	★★	★★	Low	General mechanical components

Tungsten carbide plates offer clear advantages in most critical performance aspects compared with these commonly used materials.

Part 6. Why Choose XYMJ Tungsten Carbide Plates?

As a professional supplier of metal components and cemented carbide materials, XYMJ offers the following advantages:

• 20+ years of experience manufacturing cemented carbide materials
• Specializing in tungsten carbide plates, rods and parts with full ranges of grades (YG6, YG8/10X/15/20)
• Utilising advanced CNC and grinding equipment
• Supporting high precision machining
• Hardness, density and metallography testing
• Custom drawings supported. Fast lead times
• Factory direct supply with competitive pricing

Whether you need standard-size plates or complex custom parts, XYMJ provides stable, reliable, and high-performance cemented carbide solutions.

Summary

Tungsten carbide, one of the highest performing and costliest materials currently available, boasts unmatched properties including strength, corrosion protection and wear-and-tear corrosion resistance. As such, its properties make it irreplaceable in numerous applications like manufacturing conveyor belts, potting machinery, water filling devices, log rolling mills and industrial engine generators.

Users can achieve significant advantages in terms of operational stability and production efficiency by choosing fabrics based on class, dimension, accuracy requirements and production demands.

For those in search of reliable tungsten carbide plate suppliers, XYMJ provides high-grade plates as well as tailored custom solutions tailored to specific industrial or operational needs.

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