Tungsten Prices Surge Over 400%: Should You Switch from Cemented Carbide? FHONK Says Total Cost Matters Most

The tungsten supply chain is experiencing sustained price escalation. As of late February 2026, prices for Tungsten Concentrate, Ammonium Paratungstate (APT), and Tungsten Powder have surged more than 400% compared to the same period last year. Tungsten Carbide Powder has breached the 1,650 RMB/kg mark. Faced with mounting raw material pressure, machining enterprises are forced to reevaluate: Stick with Cemented Carbide, or pivot to Ceramic or High-Speed Steel (HSS)?

An industry comparison reveals distinct trade-offs: Ceramic Cutting Tools offer extreme hardness but high brittleness, making them prone to chipping under impact or interrupted cuts. High-Speed Steel (HSS) provides excellent toughness but lacks hot hardness (red hardness), leading to rapid wear under high-load continuous machining. Cemented Carbide, structured with a Tungsten Carbide (WC) skeleton and metallic binder, strikes the optimal balance between hardness and toughness, covering over 90% of general machining applications.

When analyzing cost-per-part, tooling procurement accounts for only 1% to 4% of total manufacturing expenses. While ceramic inserts may seem cheaper upfront, frequent chipping causes costly downtime. HSS may cost less per tool, but its cutting efficiency is typically half that of cemented carbide. When factoring in tool life, indexing frequency, and overall machining efficiency, the amortized cost of Cemented Carbide remains the lowest.

In response to this pricing volatility, FHONK, with two decades of industry expertise, proposes a clear solution: Don't switch the material; upgrade the technology. The company focuses on two fronts: First, relentless optimization of CVD and PVD coatings and cutting edge geometry to extend tool life. Second, strengthening supply chain resilience to guarantee on-time delivery. Regardless of tungsten market fluctuations, production line efficiency cannot be compromised—Cemented Carbide remains the irreplaceable choice for the vast majority of machining scenarios.