Additive tungsten carbide grade for next-gen tooling

Kennametal Inc.’s new technology, KAF82 TM, is an exclusive 10% cobalt, fully dense tungsten carbide grade designed for additive manufacturing and advanced metal-cutting tools.

The company says it is the first additive manufacturing, fully dense tungsten carbide grade of its kind to be commercialized at scale and with proven performance for metal-cutting applications.

The new grade for additive manufacturing enables the rapid production of custom carbide hole-finishing tools with advanced features such as optimized cooling channels and complex geometries. The company says that with KAF82, solutions that traditionally required months of development and production can now be delivered in a matter of weeks. Because the powder is not sold externally, the performance advantages of KAF82 are available exclusively to Kennametal customers.

The new grade is part of Kennametal’s fully vertically integrated additive manufacturing capability, from proprietary powder production to process expertise in sintering and finishing. It builds on Kennametal’s broader additive manufacturing leadership, where binder jet technology has already enabled breakthrough solutions for complex, high-wear applications that traditional methods could not achieve.