Tungsten Machining Services

DEK provides tungsten machining services for tungsten and tungsten carbide (YG/YL alloys) wear parts, dies, punches, and shielding components. CNC milling, turning, EDM, and grinding hold ±0.005 mm, with no MOQ from prototype to production.

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±0.003mm
Micro Components
3 Days
Prototype Lead Time
No MOQ
One Part to Production

Multi-axis CNC machining of a complex hard metal part

ISO 9001:2015 Certified AS9100D and ISO 13485 certified

Why Choose DEK for Tungsten Carbide Machining

Pure tungsten is dense, unalloyed metal, machined mainly for radiation shielding, ballast weights, and other high-density uses where wear resistance isn’t the priority. Tungsten carbide (WC-Co) trades some density for hardness and toughness, so each grade is selected by part function rather than density alone.

Its hardness eats standard tooling fast and its brittleness punishes aggressive cuts. DEK pre-chamfers entry points, roughs tight profiles with wire EDM, then finishes with precision grinding to keep edges clean on tolerance-critical features.

ISO 9001, ISO 13485 and AS9100D certified
No MOQ, one-off prototype to production run
±0.005 mm general, ±0.003 mm micro parts
Prototype lead time as fast as 3 days

Tungsten Carbide Grades We Machine

WC-Co grades selected by part function: lower cobalt for hardness and wear, higher cobalt for toughness under impact.

Tungsten Steel YG6
Lower cobalt, hardness
Favors hardness and wear resistance for finishing tools and light-impact wear parts. YG6 grade page.
Tungsten Steel YG8
Higher cobalt, toughness
Favors toughness for roughing tools and parts under repeated impact. YG8 grade page.
Tungsten Steel YG10X
Fine-grain structure
Balances hardness and toughness for precision dies and punches. YG10X grade page.
Tungsten Steel YG15
Highest cobalt in series
Prioritizes toughness for heavy-impact tooling and structural wear parts. YG15 grade page.
Tungsten Steel YL10.2
Alternate alloy grade
For wear-resistant cutting components with different composition needs than the YG series. YL10.2 page.
W-Cu, W-Ni-Cu, W-Ni-Fe
Tungsten-alloy series
Tungsten-alloy series machined alongside the carbide grades, each with its own data page. W-Cu series.

CNC grinding of tungsten carbide block on magnetic chuck

±0.002 mm
Ground tolerance
Ra 0.2 µm
Ground surface finish
±0.01 mm
5-axis profile control
~300 mm
Max milling/turning diameter

How DEK Delivers Tungsten Machining Services

Tungsten carbide is too hard for cutting alone, so DEK combines CNC milling and turning with EDM and grinding to hold tolerance.

1

CNC Milling (3/4/5-Axis)

CNC milling services cut pockets, chamfers, and complex carbide geometry with controlled chip load to avoid chipping; ±0.01 mm profile control on 5-axis.
2

CNC & Swiss Turning

CNC turning services, including Swiss-type setups, produce round wear parts and pins held to tight coaxiality, ±0.005 mm on shaft-bore fits.
3

EDM Machining

EDM machining services reach what cutting can't: small deep holes, sharp internal corners, and hardness-limited profiles. Wire EDM kerf runs 0.15–0.30 mm.
4

Cylindrical Grinding

Cylindrical grinding services deliver fine finish and dimensional control once carbide is too hard to cut further, down to ±0.002 mm and Ra 0.2 µm.

Tungsten Carbide Machining Considerations

What our engineers check before routing a carbide part, from tooling choice to how thin a section can safely go.

1

Tooling Wear & Hardness

Tungsten carbide is among the hardest materials machined in industry. It needs carbide-grade tooling, EDM, and grinding; standard high-speed steel tooling wears too fast beyond a single light cut.
2

Edge Chipping at Entry/Exit

Chipped edges tend to start where a cutter enters or exits a feature. DEK pre-chamfers entry points and controls chip load in milling so tolerance-critical edges stay clean.
3

EDM Roughing Before Grinding

Rather than relying on a single milling pass, tight profiles are roughed with wire EDM, then finish ground. Thicker blanks need extended wire EDM passes, adding hours.
4

Minimum Wall Thickness

Brittleness limits thin sections more than machine capability does. The minimum depends on grade, geometry, and part support during grinding or EDM, so send a drawing for a feasibility check.

Tungsten Steel & Tungsten-Alloy Grades

Beyond the YG series and YL10.2, DEK also machines YL50, YT15, YW1, and W-Cu, W-Ni-Cu, and W-Ni-Fe tungsten alloys. Each grade has its own data page.

Tungsten Carbide vs Tool Steel

Tungsten carbide is chosen when hardness and density matter more than cutting cost. When they don't, a lower-cost or heat-resistant wear alloy may fit better.

Criteria	This MaterialTungsten Carbide	Tool Steel
Choose it for	Full hardness, density	Lower-cost alternative
Hardness	Among the hardest	Below full carbide
Cost driver	Tooling, EDM, grinding	Lower cost
Typical parts	Dies, punches, pins	–

Industries Using Tungsten Carbide Parts

Aerospace, medical, semiconductor, and tooling programs use tungsten carbide where hardness and density matter more than cutting cost.

Aerospace

Tungsten carbide parts for aerospace programs where hardness and density outweigh cutting cost, machined under AS9100D.
Medical Devices

Tungsten and carbide components for medical device programs, machined in a shop certified to ISO 13485.
Semiconductor Equipment

Semiconductor equipment programs use tungsten carbide parts where hardness and density matter more than cutting cost.
Industrial Tooling

Dies, punches, and wear plates in YG grades, from finishing tools on YG6 to heavy-impact tooling on YG15.

Dies Punches Wear Plates
Radiation Shielding

Pure tungsten is machined mainly for radiation shielding, where density rather than wear resistance is the priority.

Shielding Parts
Ballast Weights

Dense, unalloyed tungsten machined into ballast weights and other high-density parts where wear resistance isn't the priority.

Surface Finish Options for Tungsten Carbide

Grinding and EDM finish tungsten carbide after CNC machining, setting final surface quality and tolerance on hard features.

Finish Routes

Ground surface finish
Cylindrical grinding
Wire EDM

Need another finish on carbide? Ask our engineers.

Tungsten Machining FAQs

Common questions from engineers sourcing tungsten and tungsten carbide parts.

Can tungsten be machined?

Yes. Tungsten and tungsten carbide are machinable with carbide-grade tooling, EDM, and precision grinding. Standard high-speed steel tooling wears too fast for anything beyond a single light cut.

What is the hardest metal to machine?

Tungsten carbide is among the hardest materials machined in industry. Holding tolerance on it means combining CNC milling and turning with EDM and grinding rather than relying on cutting alone.

What's the typical lead time for tungsten carbide parts?

Prototype parts ship in as fast as 3 days. Production lead time runs longer, since carbide removes material far more slowly than steel through grinding and EDM cycles.

What drives the cost of tungsten carbide machining?

Tool wear, grinding time, and EDM cycle time cost more than the raw material. Complex profiles, tight tolerances, and thicker blanks needing extended wire EDM passes all add machining hours.

Can you provide inspection reports for tungsten carbide parts?

Yes. Every order runs through CMM dimensional inspection and traceability documentation under DEK's IQC/IPQC/FAI/OQC process, with reports available on request.

What's the minimum wall thickness for a tungsten carbide part?

It depends on grade, geometry, and how the part is supported during grinding or EDM, since brittleness limits thin sections more than machine capability does. Send a drawing for a feasibility check before quoting.