The Widia, also called hard metal (cemented carbide, Carboloy), is a material used in mechanical machining consisting of hard particles of tungsten carbide embedded in a metallic matrix (typically cobalt).
It is produced through a process called “sintering”, that is:fine powders of the components are mixed, pressed and then heated while keeping a high pressure so that the granules of the powders come together and form a single piece.
So hard metals are not true metals but carbides (80-95%) linked by a metal.
The term derives from the Krupp Widia registered brand that invented this material in 1926, naming it Wie Diamant (like diamond).
The carbides used are mainly of tungsten carbide, titanium and tantalum.
When the casting of titanium carbide and the cobalt is replaced with nickel, the material is called Cermet (Ceramic Metal).
If the components of hard metals or similar elements are joined by fusion, it is stellite.
The hard metals are used for the construction of tools for industrial processes with chip removal (turning, milling, drilling, tapping), or for any other
process in which it is required a high hardness material (cutting, crushing, etc.).