Application areas and characteristics of ceramic cutting tools

Abstract

Today, ceramics is the collective name for a range of different cutting tool materials. Originally ceramics meant aluminum oxide (Al2O3), which dates back to very first tools made. But in recent times, ceramics cutting tools were first used at the beginning of the 20th century, along with high speed steel. Ceramics have undergone considerable development and the inserts of today are not comparable to early ones. Also machinery and methods of application have changed to better accommodate the excellent productivity that can be offered by ceramics. Still, however, this now more versatile material only represents a few percent of cutting tool material used [1].