Tungsten Carbide Materials Research Articles

Thermal modeling, simulation, and experimental validation of micro electric discharge machining of tungsten carbide (WC)

Tungsten carbide is a material that is widely used in tools and dies applications due to its high hardness, excellent toughness, and wear resistance. However, machining this material using conventional methods can be very challenging due to its exceptional properties. In such cases, electrical discharge machining can be used as an alternative method for machining this material. The aim of this study is to examine the thermal properties of EDM of tungsten carbide, both through finite element modeling and experimental conditions. The study aims to evaluate the temperature distribution in tungsten carbide during EDM die sinking. This is accomplished by drilling 0.5 mm diameter and 1 mm deep micro holes using micro-drilling processes. Seven experiments were performed using an EDM die-sinking machine, and a 3D axis symmetrical model was created and simulated using the COMSOL Multiphysics heat transfer module. The temperature profile of tungsten carbide material during a single spark machining was obtained by considering only 30% of energy in the form of Gaussian distribution that gets transferred to the workpiece. The temperature profile of this model was then used to estimate the material removal rate. By comparing the numerical and experimental results, it was found that there was only a 4.8% average percentage error, indicating very close agreement between the numerical and experimental results. The findings suggest that the finite element method of the COMSOL Multiphysics heat transfer module can accurately predict and simulate the real-time results of EDM machining. These results could be useful for EDM machine operators for pre-estimating MRR and maximum temperatures before proceeding with the actual machining.

Fracture toughness determination methods of WC-Co cemented carbide material at micro-scale from micro-bending method using nanoindentation

Determining toughness properties is crucial for the development of components made of brittle materials, especially at the microscale. Numerous methods rely on establishing a limit load that triggers the propagation of a pre-cracked specimen. The primary challenge lies in accurately and repeatably determining this limit load value. In this study, we introduce a coupled numerical-experimental approach to determine the stress intensity factor at the microscale using a micro-bending test on pre-notched cemented carbide micro-cantilevers. Specimens are fabricated through micro-electrical-discharge milling, and the initial crack is generated using a focused ion beam process to ensure a repeatable crack shape. Geometries are defined to validate beam theories.Cycling bending tests, employing nanoindentation with three types of loading (fatigue-like, progressive repeated, and ramping sinusoidal loadings), are utilized to ascertain fracture toughness properties of tungsten carbide material at the microscale. Micro-indentation is also conducted conventionally to compare hardness at meso and micro-scales. Analytical methods and finite element analysis are employed to extract the critical stress intensity factor. The cyclic bending test with the proposed ramping sinusoidal loading demonstrates a time shift between the applied force and the displacement, enabling accurate and repeatable detection of the initiation of crack propagation. The primary contributions are associated with the development of a micro-bending test on precracked microcantilevers with ramping sinusoidal loading applied by a nanoindentor device. The miniaturization of specimens and tests, for an equivalent grain size, does not result in a scale effect on toughness properties.

Energetic characterization during plasma electrolytic polishing of cemented tungsten carbide

Electrical and thermal measurements were conducted during the plasma electrolytic polishing (PEP) of cemented tungsten carbide (WC-Co) materials to characterize energetic aspects of the process in relation to the temporal development of the gaseous layer near the workpiece. The power transferred to the workpiece is determined using a calorimetric probe and employing the time derivative of the temperature curve. It shows distinct heating phases due to the generation of the gaseous layer. At the beginning of the process, a typical power of 367 ± 17 W is transferred to the workpiece of a surface area of 14 cm2. At longer process times, a stabilized gaseous layer limits the power transferred to the workpiece to 183 ± 3 W. In an attempt to describe the heat transferred to the electrolyte, the electrolyte temperature was measured using a thermocouple situated 15 mm away from the workpiece. The local electrolyte temperature increases from 70 to 81 °C for an immersion depth of 20 mm. Moreover, the spatiotemporal development of the electrolyte temperature was obtained by 2D-hydrodynamic modeling using COMSOL Multiphysics®. The modeling results for the local temporal temperature development are in excellent agreement with the experimental values when the turbulent model is applied up to t = 65 s. Afterward, the laminar model leads to a better agreement. Furthermore, line scan x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that aliphatic carbon was preferentially removed. Only a slight compositional gradient in the vertical direction after the PEP process was observed.

Effect of Current and Pulse-on Time on Material Removal Rate and Surface Roughness of Tungsten Carbide in Electric Discharge Machine Die-sinking

The focus of manufacturing for tungsten carbide applications often demands a smooth surface quality as the result of the Electric Discharge Machine (EDM) die-sinking process, especially in the manufacture of die and mold with tungsten carbide material processed using a die-sinking EDM machine. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of electric current and pulse-on time on the Material Removal Rate (MRR) and surface roughness of tungsten carbide. Through the experimental method, the parameters varied, namely electric current 17 A, 20 A, 23 A, and pulse-on time 30 µs, 55 µs, and 80 µs. MRR was calculated through weight loss. Surface roughness was obtained from a surface roughness tester and a Scanning Electron Microscope for surface morphology. The results showed that the highest material removal rate was 1.509 mm3/min at 23 A and 30 µs, and the lowest material removal rate was 0.262 mm3/min at 17 A and 80 µs. The highest surface roughness value was 4.278 µm at 23 A and 80 µs. The lowest surface roughness value was 2.166 µm at 17 A and 30 µs. The tungsten carbide surface topography results are crater, globule, crack, and porous. The greater the current used, the higher the MRR value and surface roughness. Meanwhile, the greater the pulse-on time used, the MRR value decreases, and the surface roughness increases.

Performance and analysis of sputtered silicon nitride cutting inserts in CNC machining

In this automated world, the role of machine tools such as cutting inserts and drills required for any type of work piece plays an important role in producing precision outputs. As technology improved, the manufacture of Components is mostly automatic in all type of manufacturing industries. The different measurements for a given component are generated with CAD software and then transformed into a finished component with CAM software. CNC machines are used in industries to cut metal components with extreme precision for any hardware goods. Automobile parts, aero parts and polymer consumer components are the most often produced things by these machines. Since these machines have certain specifications, CNC machines frequently use additional tools and parts which includes cutting inserts. So, in this automated environment, these cutting inserts quality has to be ensured for maintaining the precision measurements. A wide known fact is that insert tool failure occurs due to tool wear. When comparing with uncoated Silicon nitride insert, the working life span of coated insert can also be increased. Hence for this reason, DC magnetron technique is proposed to ensure quality and also to increase life of cutting tool by improving its hardness and wear resistance by coating a thin film of tungsten carbide in cutting tool insert. For this reason, the hardest material Tungsten carbide is coated over the Silicon Nitride tool insert. The coated insert has to be tested for its microstructure, surface hardness and grain distribution. Later, bonding efficiency and surface hardness test has to be carried out through Nano indentation and scratch test process.

Investigation of tool wear rate during micro-electrochemical spark machining process

Micro-electrochemical spark machining (micro-ECSM) process exhibits good potential to process any materials with high dimensional accuracy and surface quality. However, the tool erosion (due to sparking) in different directions affects the accuracy of the finished features. Tungsten carbide (WC) material is widely used as a tool material to minimize dimensional inaccuracy of the machined part. Tungsten is a potential alternative tool material for this process, having melting point higher than WC. Due to the high melting point, the radial and axial erosion may be reduced significantly. The in-depth study on tungsten tool erosion (wear) behaviour has not been studied widely. In this work, the influence of different input machining parameters on tool erosion behaviour has been explored. The influence of voltage, duty factor, pulse frequency, electrolyte type, their concentrations, and tool immersion length in the electrolyte was considered for the analysis purpose. The results reveal that voltage is the most influencing parameter for tool erosion which mainly occurs at the bottom edge, whereas electrolyte level is the least influencing parameter. The tool weight loss is increased to 153% by changing voltage from 50 V to 60 V whereas axial length loss is 146 µm at 60 V is observed. Further, the micro hole is fabricated at machining parameter voltage: 50 V, duty factor: 40%, frequency: 6 kHz, NaOH electrolyte of concentration 2 M, and 2 mm electrolyte level. The wall surface of the hole shows an average surface roughness of 4.31 µm having the average recast layer thickness and HAZ of 31 µm and 56 µm, respectively, at the edge of the hole.

Facile route for synthesizing WS2/W2C nano hollow flowers and their application for hydrogen evolution reaction

Recently, catalysts based on tungsten disulfide nanoflowers (WS2 NFs) and tungsten carbide (W2C) materials have been intensively investigated for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this study, a facile and scalable route was utilized to synthesize a nano hollow flowers catalyst based on heterostructure of WS2 and W2C (WS2/W2C NHFs). Besides that, other structures of tungsten compounds including WS2–WO3 flower particles (FPs) and pure WS2 NFs were also prepared by the similar route with slight modification, to compare the differences in their structures and HER activities. Materials properties were comprehensively studied via X-ray diffraction analysis, field emission scanning microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Then, the HER catalytic activities of synthesized materials were also carefully studied. The results indicate that WS2/W2C NHFs exhibits the HER activities much better than that of prepared WS2–WO3 FPs and pure WS2 NFs. The HER performance of WS2/W2C NHFs exhibits a low Tafel slope of about 61 mV.dec−1, an overpotential of − 280 mV at − 10 mA.cm-2, high double-layer capacitance (11.9 mF cm-2) and the superstability in acid media. This improvement is attributed to the synergistic effect of the WS2 and W2C heterostructure as well as the special structure of WS2/W2C NHFs catalyst.

Mechanical properties of binderless tungsten carbide enhanced via the addition of ZrO2-20 wt% Al2O3 composite powder and graphene nanosheets

As an alternative to conventional tungsten carbide materials, binerless tungsten carbide (BTC) can be used in a variety of applications, such as high-speed cutting tools, rock drilling and extraction, and wear-resistant components. The absence of the metallic bonding phases solves the problems of oxidative corrosion and softening of the material during high-speed cutting process. However, the fabrication of high strength and toughness BTC ceramics remains a huge challenge. In this paper, ZrO2-20 wt% Al2O3 composite powder and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were used as the reinforced phases to fabricate high performance BTC ceramics. The influence of GNPs contents on the densification, microstructure and mechanical properties of oscillatory pressure sintered BTC ceramics with 8 wt% composite powder was evaluated. The synergistic effect of ZrO2-20 wt% Al2O3 composite powder and GNPs exerted a critical role on the densification process and microstructural evolution. The produced BTC ceramics had the densest microstructure and optimal mechanical characteristics when the GNPs content reached up to 0.2 wt%; the flexural strength, Vickers hardness, fracture toughness and relative density were up to 1480 MPa, 23.72 GPa, 8.68 MPa·m1/2 and 99.8%, respectively.

Review Paper on Development of Nano Inserts for Machining HRSA Materials for Aerospace Applications

In the current scenario, cutting tool industries use the powder material tungsten carbide of 60-80 microns grain size to produce cutting inserts. There are a lot of scopes to improve the properties of cutting tool materials to enhance their ability to machine challenging materials like heat resistant super alloys (HRSA). Reducing the grain size of cutting tool material powder to nano level may help to increase the strength, substrate hardness, Fracture toughness, and thermal conductivity of the cutting insert. This review studies different strategies used to develop nano powders for the cutting tool application. We observed that most of the studies focused on the latest powders used in cutting tool industries like tungsten carbide, boron carbide powders which are reduced as nano powders, pressed, and sintered with different techniques like hot isostatic pressing (HIP), Spark plasma sintering. Finally, the current research gaps and the future challenges in understanding the development of nano powders for cutting tool applications are critically discussed, providing an interpretation of the possible directions for scientific development in this field.

Comparison of the fluctuations of the signals measured by ICP-MS after laser ablation of powdered geological materials prepared by four methods.

Sample preparation is a crucial point for quantitative multi-elemental analses by LA-ICP-MS of powdered geological materials. Four different methods are compared in this study with respect to signal stability and intensity as follows: the preparation of glass beads (GlassB) by alkaline fusion method and three grinding and pelletizing methods relying on the use of an organic binder (VanBind, vanillic acid), an adhesive binder (MixGlue, methyl methacrylate) and a sol-gel process for glass formation (SolGel, chemical reaction of tetraethoxysilane), respectively. Sixty elements were analyzed by means of a ns-UV (213nm) laser ablation system coupled to a single collector sector field ICP-MS with a low or medium mass resolution. Signal stability was found to strongly depend on the sample homogeneity provided by the preparation method. These methods were applied to three geological standard materials (CRM). The following criteria were used to evaluate and compare the methods: (1) proportion of the measurement cycles which are above a given signal intensity threshold (defined here as signal average ± 3 times the standard deviation), (2) signal stability of the analyzed nuclides (internal precision estimated by the relative standard deviations on raw count rates), (3) signal stability of the internal standards added to the samples, (4) external precision estimated by the relative standard deviation over five preparations for each geological CRM. For the majority of the analyzed elements, signals measured for samples prepared with the four methods are reproducible. Specific contamination in one or several elements (Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo, W, Au and Bi) was observed depending on the sample preparation method. In addition, compared to grinding made with PTFE material, grinding performed with tungsten carbide material was found to produce better homogeneity, especially for the sol-gel and mixing with glue protocols, although some metallic contamination (W and Co) was observed. Thanks to the suppression of grain effects by alkaline melting, the glass bead method systematically provided signal stability and percentage of "over the threshold" close to those of the NIST glasses. This may be explained by the preparation of more homogeneous samples by alkaline melting. Finally, the described methods were found to be reproducible for the majority of the analyzed elements.

Numerical study on erosion behavior of sliding sleeve ball seat for hydraulic fracturing based on experimental data

The sleeve sealing ball seat is one of the important components in the multistage fracturing process of horizontal wells. The erosion and wear of the surface will decrease the sealing performance of the fracturing ball and the ball seat. This leads to pressure leakage during the fracturing process and fracturing failure. In this paper, combined with the actual ball seat materials and working conditions during the fracturing process, the erosion tests of ductile iron and tungsten carbide materials under different erosion speeds, angles, and mortar concentrations are carried out. Then the erosion test results were analyzed by mathematical fitting, and a set of erosion models suitable for sliding sleeve setting ball seat materials were innovatively established. For the first time, this paper combines the erosion model obtained from the experiment and the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with Fluent software to simulate the erosion of the ball seat. Based on the simulation results, the morphology of the sliding sleeve seat ball after erosion is predicted. Through analysis of the test and simulation results, it is showed that the erosion rate of tungsten carbide material is lower and the wear resistance is better under the condition of small angle erosion. This research can offer a strong basis for fracturing site selection, surface treatment methods, and prediction of failure time of ball seats.

АНАЛИЗ МАТЕРИАЛОВ, ПРИМЕНЯЕМЫХ ПРИ НАНЕСЕНИИ ПОКРЫТИЙ ДЕТОНАЦИОННЫМ МЕТОДОМ НА КОРПУС АЛМАЗНОГО ДОЛОТА

This article discusses carbide tungsten carbide materials for detonation coating of the diamond bit body. Various properties of these materials with their different composition are considered. Based on the above analysis, taking into account the most important characteristics (adhesion of the sprayed material to the surface of the bit body, microhardness and wear of the carbide coating) the material most suitable for surfacing the body of a six-blade PDC chisel has been selected. The coupling of the selected carbide material (VK 12) with the surface of the bit body during detonation spraying with the required coating thickness of 200 microns is presented.

Compression strength of tungsten carbide–cobalt hard metals

AbstractEight tungsten carbide (WC) materials containing different cobalt (Co) contents (3‒12 wt.%) and with different WC grain sizes (.4‒1.85 μm) were subjected to compressive loading under quasi‐static and dynamic conditions using a dumbbell‐shaped specimen geometry. The materials exhibited varying degrees of inelastic strain prior to final fracture under both loading conditions. Inelastic strain was consistent under dynamic loading but varied with Co content and WC grain size under quasi‐static loading. The only material to exhibit a strain‐rate‐dependent compression strength was the material containing the highest level of Co (12%) and the largest WC grain size (1.85 μm) indicating a potential threshold level of Co content and/or WC grain size where the compressive strength is insensitive to the strain rate.

Multi-Disciplinary Computational Investigations on Asymmetrical Failure Factors of Disc Brakes for Various CFRP Materials: A Validated Approach

Finite element analyses (FEA) are flexible and advanced approaches, which are utilized to address difficult problems of aerospace materials that exhibit both structural symmetrical and structural asymmetrical characteristics. Frictional behavior effects are used as a crucial element in this multidisciplinary study, and other structural, thermal properties are computed using FEA. Primary lightweight materials such as glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP), carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), kevlar fiber reinforced polymer (KFRP), titanium alloy, tungsten carbide, steel alloys, and advanced lightweight materials, such as silicon carbide (SiC) mixer, based on aforesaid materials underwent comprehensive investigations on aircraft disc brake, two-wheeler disc brake, and ASTM general rotating test specimen (G-99). Standard boundary conditions, computational sensitivity tests, and theoretical validations were conducted because the working nature of FEA may impair output dependability. First, FEA calculations were performed on a standard rotating disc component with two separate material families at various rotational velocities such as 400 RPM, 500 RPM, 600 RPM, 800 RPM, and 10 N of external frictional force. Via tribological experiments, frictional force and deformation of FEA outcomes were validated; the experimental outcomes serve as important boundary conditions for real-time simulations. Second, verified FEA was extended to complicated real-time applications such as aircraft disc brakes and automobile disc brakes. This work confirms that composite materials possess superior properties to conventional alloys for aircraft and vehicle disc brakes.

Effects of bubble collapse on a solid surface: Numerical investigation

The shock waves and micro-jets generated by the bubble collapse will cause cavitation erosion on the solid surface. In this paper, a volume of fluid (VOF) method is used to simulate the bubble collapse process under different conditions. The protective effects of epoxy resin material with low hardness and toughness and tungsten carbide material with high stiffness and not easy to cause deformation affected by the pressure jump generated during the bubble collapse are studied. When the pressure jump caused by the bubble collapse impacts the surface of the two coating materials, the equivalent stress generated on the surface is in good agreement with the pressure distribution. The deformation and deformation velocity of tungsten carbide coating is smaller than that of epoxy resin coating. Tungsten carbide coating can effectively resist the impact pressure and prevent the formation of large stress in the substrate. Overall, tungsten carbide shows better protective performance on the substrate.

Tungsten carbide material tribology and circular economy relationship in polymer and composites industries

The implementation of the circular economy concept in industries demands experimental and innovative investigations. The set of strategies and paradigms that express the theoretical base of the circular economy plays a vital role in the enhancement of the quality and performance of polymer and composite materials. In this article, tungsten carbide material is advanced for tribological investigations. The scanning electron microscope and an optical and mechanical profilometer were used for the analysis of cotton polymer and tungsten carbide ball surfaces. A newly developed tribometry technique was introduced to investigate the coefficient of friction, wear, and deformation. The cotton surface was found damaged and rough. The tungsten carbide balls showed low roughness and higher hardness. The average surface roughness parameters Ra, Rz, and Rp of tungsten carbide balls were 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20, respectively. The average friction constant values were found to be 0.12–0.15 in the perpendicular direction and 0.11–0.17 in the parallel direction. Reciprocation distance increment has been used for industrial optimization. The coefficient of friction remained constant and slightly deformed cotton polymer. Based on the friction values, deformation, wear, and morphology evaluations, tungsten carbide ceramic materials could be used operationally for surface alterations of industrial machinery parts. The results could also enhance the quality and performance of polymer and composite products.

Multi-Objective Optimization in Single-Shot Drilling of CFRP/Al Stacks Using Customized Twist Drill

In recent years, the use of CFRP with titanium and/or aluminum to form materials for stacking has gained popularity for aircraft construction. In practice, single-shot drilling is used to create perfectly aligned holes for the composite-metal stack. Usually, standard twist drills, which are commonly available from tool suppliers, are used for practical reasons. However, existing twist drill bits exhibit rapid wear upon the drilling of composite-metal stack layers in single shot, due to the widely contrasting properties of the composite-metal stack, which causes poor surface quality. The stringent quality requirements for aircraft component manufacturing demands frequent drill bit replacement and thus incurs additional costs, a concern still unresolved for aircraft component manufacturers. Owing to highly contrasting properties of a composite-metal stack, it is obvious that standard twist drill cannot fulfil the rigorous drilling requirements, as it is pushed to the limit for the fabrication of high-quality, defect-free holes. In this work, customised twist drills of a tungsten carbide (WC) material with different geometric features were specially fabricated and tested. Twenty drill bits with customised geometries of varying chisel edge angle (30–45°), primary clearance angle (6–8°), and point angle (130–140°) were fabricated. The stacked-up materials used in this study was CFRP and aluminum alloy 7075-T6 (Al7075-T6) with a total thickness of 3.587 mm. This study aims to investigate the effect of twist drill geometry on hole quality using drilling thrust force signature as indicator. All drilling experiments were performed at spindle speed of 2600 rev/min and feed rate of 0.05 mm/rev. Design of experiments utilising response surface methodology (RSM) method was used to construct the experimental array. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to study the effect of parameters and their significance to the thrust force and thus the hole quality. The study shows that the most significant parameter affecting the drilling thrust force and hole surface roughness is primary clearance angle, followed by chisel edge angle. Correlation models of CFRP thrust force (Y1), Al7075-T6 thrust force (Y2), CFRP hole surface roughness (Y3), Al7075-T6 hole surface roughness (Y4) as a function of the tool geometry were established. The results indicated that the proposed correlation models could be used to predict the performance indicators within the limit of factors investigated. The optimum twist drill geometry was established at 45° of chisel edge angle, 7° of primary clearance angle, and 130° of point angle for the drilling of CFRP/Al7075-T6 stack material in a single-shot process. The error between the predicted and actual experiment values was between 6.64% and 8.17% for the optimum drill geometry. The results from this work contribute new knowledge to drilling thrust force signature and hole quality in the single-shot drilling of composite-metal stacks and, specifically, could be used as a practical guideline for the single-shot drilling of CFRP/Al7075-T6 stack for aircraft manufacturing.

A novel wiper insert design and an experimental investigation to compare its performance in face milling

ABSTRACT Machining at higher cutting parameters is required to improve productivity. However, in most metal cutting applications, the surface finish requirement limits the parameters at which the tools can be operated. Therefore, tools with wiper facets are used to improve surface integrity. But the length of the facet limits the parameters at which the tool can be operated. Hence, this paper reports a novel wiper milling insert design (convex wiper edge on the rake side) that can improve the surface finish even at a high feed and depth-of-cut. The insert was manufactured in tungsten carbide material and the surface finish, machining power, and cutting forces were measured at various feeds and depth-of-cuts in machining cast iron. The study finds that the wiper insert can be used to improve the surface finish by around 35% in all the selected machining parameters. The arithmetical mean roughness (Ra) of wiper insert at 0.4 mm/tooth was better than the roughness values produced by the conventional inserts at 0.1 mm/tooth which gives a productivity improvement of more than four times. The machining dynamics of the conventional and the wiper insert are discussed in detail.

Analysis of suitability of WC tool for joining Inconel 601 alloy by electric assisted friction stir welding

The paper focus on the study and analysis of tool wear of Tungsten carbide tool for joining high strength material by Electrically Assisted Friction Stir Welding. The tool material selected for the experiment is Tungsten Carbide and base material is Inconel 601 plates. Certain parameters have been considered for the experiment such as tool speed, welding speed and current supplied. An additional electric current of about 4 V DC is supplied considering the EAFSW process. The feed rate for the experiment is about 10, 20 and 30 mm/min. The paper focuses to study the use of electric current for hybridization of FSW process and utilize the hybrid process to join high strength material by WC tool. A comparative study has been done to analyse the mechanical property of Inconel 601 joined by FSW and EAFSW and the tool wear in both the cases has also been studied. An improvement in UTS by 21.62 percent has been observed in EAFSW process than FSW process.

Laser structuring with DLIP technology of tungsten carbide with different binder content

In machining, tool wear is one of the main influence factors for the resulting quality of the product. Several wear mechanisms have to be addressed to prevent unwanted deterioration of the tool integrity. For aluminium alloys, adhesion of the workpiece material on the cutting tool is one of the most challenging wear mechanisms. Engineering surface microtopographies has been proved as a convenient strategy to tackle this issue. Particularly, the direct laser interference patterning (DLIP) technique enables the integration of periodic structures on the micrometer or sub-micrometer scale. In this study the structuring of tungsten carbide with different cobalt content is presented. The interference of two laser beams leads to periodic line-like structures with a spatial period of 5.5 µm. A maximum structure depth of 2.2 µm is reached by controlling the processing parameters. Moreover, the wettability of the structured samples was analyzed by contact angle measurements with selected cooling lubricants, revealing a hydrophilic behavior with a decreased contact angle of 10°. This work gives an insight into the possibilities of structuring tungsten carbide materials with a picosecond laser source in combination with an innovative beam shaping setup from the point of view of an analysis to explore the formation of structured surfaces and their wetting behavior with cooling lubricants.