GWM Material Grade Chart
Sixteen production grades with composition, hardness, transverse rupture strength, density and the applications each one is recommended for. GWM offers multiple material grades for your own applications.
Ultra Fine And Sub-Fine Grain Grades
The GW series. Highest hardness, used where abrasion rather than impact is what wears the part out.
| Grade | ISO grade | WC % | Co % | Ni % | Others % | HRA | TRS MPa | Density g/cm³ | Recommended application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GW02U | K05 | 98 | 1 | / | 1 | 95 | 2000 | 15.2 | Ultra-fine grain with excellent wear resistance. Applied to wear-resistant blocks, nozzles and water cutters. |
| GW03U | K05 | 96 | 3 | / | 1 | 94.5 | 2500 | 15.1 | Ultra-fine grain with excellent wear resistance. Applied to wear-resistant blocks, nozzles and woodworking cutters. |
| GW05U | K05 | 94 | 5 | / | 1 | 94 | 2800 | 14.9 | Ultra-fine grain with excellent wear resistance. Applied to reamers, carbon cutters and bamboo wood cutters. |
| GW10U | K10 | 93 | 6 | / | 1 | 93 | 3200 | 14.8 | Sub-fine grain with good wear resistance and hardness. Applied to PCB bits, reamers and woodworking cutters. |
| GW20U | K10 | 91 | 8 | / | 1 | 92.5 | 3500 | 14.6 | Sub-fine grain with good wear resistance and hardness. Applied to drill bits, milling cutters, boring cutters and carving cutters. |
| GW30U | K30 | 89 | 10 | / | 1 | 92 | 3800 | 14.4 | Sub-fine grain for hole-cutting tools, milling cutters, drilling bits, taps and revolving graters. Also used on carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, heat-resistant alloy steel, chilled cast iron, non-ferrous alloy, plastics and carbon fibre. An ideal substrate for coated tools. |
| GW40U | K40 | 87 | 12 | / | 1 | 92.8 | 4200 | 14.1 | Ultra-fine grain with excellent structure, high hardness and wear resistance. Specially recommended for end mills, particularly high-speed milling, and for cutters used on hard-to-machine steels, stainless steel, titanium alloy and die steel below 60 HRC. |
| GW45U | K40 | 85 | 14 | / | 1 | 92.8 | 4200 | 14.1 | Ultra-fine grain with excellent structure. Applied to stainless steel, die steel and superalloy machining. |
| YG6X | K10 | 93 | 6 | / | 1 | 92 | 3200 | 14.9 | Fine grain, recommended for solid carbide drill bits, end mills and rotary burrs, and for non-ferrous metals such as cast iron, aluminium and copper, and carbon products (coated). |
Medium Grain And Non-Magnetic Grades
The YG and YN series. More binder, more toughness, and two nickel bonded grades for non-magnetic and corrosive service.
| Grade | ISO grade | WC % | Co % | Ni % | Others % | HRA | TRS MPa | Density g/cm³ | Recommended application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YG10X | K30 | 89 | 10 | / | 1 | 91.5 | 3500 | 14.5 | Fine grain with good generality, recommended for solid carbide drill bits, end mills and rotary burrs. Applied to die steel below 45 HRC, non-ferrous metal, alloy steel, stainless steel and non-metal. An ideal substrate for coated tools. |
| YG15 | K40 | 84 | 15 | / | 1 | 89.5 | 3500 | 13.9 | Medium grain with excellent hardness and toughness. Applied to drawing dies, wear-resistant parts, stamping parts and mould cores. |
| YG20 | K40 | 79 | 20 | / | 1 | 86 | 3600 | 13.4 | Medium grain, recommended for mould bodies, punch pins, stamping moulds and wear-resistant parts, including press plates for battery shell flushing and hot-rolled twist drills. |
| YG6 | K20 | 93 | 6 | / | 1 | 90.5 | 3000 | 14.9 | Medium grain, recommended for wear-resistant parts, rotary burrs, tubes and bars. |
| YG8 | K20 | 91 | 8 | / | 1 | 89.5 | 3200 | 14.7 | Medium grain, recommended for wear-resistant parts, tubes and non-ferrous metal cutters. |
| YN6 | / | 93 | / | 6 | 1 | 90.5 | 2800 | 14.8 | Non-magnetic alloy for wear parts that must work in a non-magnetic environment. Good corrosion resistance. |
| YN10 | / | 89 | / | 10 | 1 | 89.5 | 3000 | 14.4 | Non-magnetic alloy for wear parts that must work in a non-magnetic environment. Good corrosion resistance. |
Reading The Numbers
HRA
Rockwell A hardness. The chart runs from 86 HRA on YG20 to 95 HRA on GW02U. Higher means better abrasion resistance.
MPa
Transverse rupture strength. From 2000 MPa on GW02U to 4200 MPa on GW40U and GW45U. Higher means the part survives more bending load before it breaks.
g/cm³
Density. From 13.4 on YG20 to 15.2 on GW02U. It falls as binder content rises, and it is one of the checks we run after sintering.
Hardness and strength pull in opposite directions. Pick the hardest grade that will survive the impact your part actually sees, not the hardest grade on the chart.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I read the grade chart?
Each row gives the ISO grade, the tungsten carbide and binder percentages, hardness in HRA, transverse rupture strength in MPa, density in grams per cubic centimetre and the applications the grade is recommended for.
What does a higher binder percentage change?
More cobalt or nickel means more toughness and higher transverse rupture strength, but lower hardness. GW02U at 1 percent cobalt reaches 95 HRA with 2000 MPa; YG20 at 20 percent cobalt drops to 86 HRA but reaches 3600 MPa.
Which grades are non-magnetic?
YN6 and YN10. Both use a nickel binder instead of cobalt, and both are described as having good corrosion resistance.
Which grade suits a coated tool?
GW30U and YG10X are both described as an ideal body for making coated tools.
Can you supply a grade that is not on this chart?
We offer a full range of sintered carbide grades and grain sizes in both cobalt and nickel binders, so send the property you need and we will tell you what is possible.
Not Sure Which Grade To Order
Tell us what the part does, what it runs against and how it is failing now. Technical help with grade and preform design is part of the service.