Materials We Work With
Take a look at the materials we work with.

What is Carbide?

Tungsten carbide is classified as a ceramic. The process of producing a carbide die begins with the carbide in a fine powder state. Which is pressed into an initial form, carefully shaped, then sintered. The process between sintering and its final shape is where Bridge Tool & Die comes into the picture. After being sintered, which is the time when the carbide is heated into a solid mass, it becomes extremely hard and, for best practices, is machined with diamond grinding technology. The hardness levels can range between 81.0 and 93.3 HRA. Reference: Carbide Grade Chart

Regardless of what particular area of manufacturing you're involved in, chances are carbide is utilized in the production of a component or end use application. Unsure if carbide should be used in your application? Take a look at our Steel vs Carbide article below.

Carbide vs Steel

Steel components are utilized in hundreds of different wear applications, however, steel simply isn't always able to hold up to the harsh environments that it is used in. As an alternative tungsten carbide offers a wide range of material choices which greatly improve wear part performance in harsh environments.

For years, Bridge Tool & Die has been producing carbide components that no other material can substitute for. With a hardness range from 81 to over 93 HRA (Rockwell "A" Hardness), which is determined for each application, carbide is able to hold shape while under extreme pressure, wear, and temperature. In fact, the only way to effectively and accurately machine these to the final dimensions is to use diamond grinding fixtures. The wear resistance in carbide makes it far superior to any steel (i.e. stainless steel) in harsh or high wear conditions.

Are you interested in taking a deeper look into which material you should be using? Contact us and we'll be happy to personally connect with you to discuss your application in more detail!

Common Types of Carbide Tooling

Carbide Sleeves
Used in the Oil & Gas industry due to the increased resistance to wear.

Gates & Seats
We produce carbide gates & seats used in hydraulic manifold systems.

Extrusion Dies
From bolts to brake lines, we provide tooling to keep your operations running.

Turks Head Rolls
Turks Head Rolls are the most critical aspect of metal forming operations.