Kennametal debuts additive tungsten carbide grade for next-gen cutting tools

Kennametal Inc. launched a new 10% cobalt grade tungsten carbide that the company says is a “breakthrough in additive manufacturing” that enables the rapid production of custom carbide hole-finishing tools with advanced features such as optimized cooling channels and complex geometries.

The new technology, KAF82 TM, 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, made possible by Kennametal’s decades of expertise in powder metallurgy and sintering. Kennametal debuted the offering at IMTS 2026 in Chicago in September.

With KAF82, solutions that traditionally required months of development and production can now be delivered in a matter of weeks, helping manufacturers accelerate new programs, respond quickly to changing requirements, and improve machining performance. Kennemetal says that the powder is proprietary and will not be sold externally so any performance advantages of KAF82 are available exclusively to Kennametal customers.

“Bringing KAF82 to market reflects our strength in materials science and our ability to translate that into real-world manufacturing impact,” said Dr. Carlonda Reilly, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Kennametal. “Because we engineer our own powders and control the entire process, we can push the boundaries of additive manufacturing and help customers bring highly engineered custom hole-finishing tools to production faster. The result is advanced tooling solutions with optimized cooling, complex geometries, and the performance and reliability our customers expect.”

Two major automotive OEMs have already successfully integrated custom tooling made with KAF82 into their production lines, demonstrating its ability to deliver performance and reliability in high-volume production environments, the company said.

“Additive changes the way customers think about metal cutting tools – from designing within constraints to engineering for performance,” said Ed Rusnica, Vice President of Technology, Kennametal. “With KAF82, we’re helping customers move faster from concept to production while unlocking geometries and solutions that conventional manufacturing couldn’t achieve.”

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.