In cutting, carbide removes metal. In forming, it moves metal — under enormous pressure, millions of times over. That changes how a die fails: it cracks under impact, or it wears out of size. Choosing a carbide die is choosing which of those two you're fighting.
Three families of forming tools
- Heading and forging — cold heading pellets and dies for nails, screws, rivets and steel balls. Impact dominates: every stroke is a hammer blow.
- Drawing — wire, bar and tube drawing, deep drawing and can making. Sliding wear and friction dominate, with shock at the entry.
- Coining — dies and punches for mints. Very high pressure and fine detail that must stay crisp across long runs.
Matching the grade to the die
| Tool | Dominant load | Grade | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold heading dies | Repeated impact | CID25 — 25% Co, 82.5 HRA | Highest impact resistance in our range |
| Deep, bar, tube & can drawing | Wear with shock | CID14 — 14% Co, 86 HRA | Tougher than the wire-drawing grades |
| Wire drawing dies | Abrasive wear | CIW08 — 8% Co, 88.5 HRA | Wear resistance for long drawing runs |
| Drawing plugs | Wear | CIF06 — 6% Co, 91 HRA | Extra-fine grain, our hardest grade |
The pattern is the same one that governs every carbide part: more cobalt and coarser grain for toughness, less cobalt and finer grain for wear life.
Why heading pellets come pre-ground
A heading pellet is a carbide cylinder with a bore, shrunk into a steel case and finished to the part's profile. Supplied pre-ground and close to size, it reaches the press faster and with less diamond grinding in your die shop. Special sizes and sub-micron grades for higher wear life are available when the standard range doesn't fit.
Forming carbide in the field
Our forming tools are used to manufacture coins and to make bullet shell cartridges used by the Indian Army — deep-drawing work where a die that drifts out of size turns straight into scrap.
Read the failure before you change the grade
- Cracks or chipping at the bore entry → impact is winning. Move tougher: more cobalt, coarser grain.
- Bore wearing oversize or ringing → wear is winning. Move harder: less cobalt, finer grain.
- Pickup or galling on the bore → check the finish and the lubrication before you change the carbide.
Written by Alok Kanani — Chief Executive Officer, Carbide India. General guidance, not a substitute for application-specific engineering advice.