The general fabrication shop cutting A36, 1018, or aluminum. Save your money and buy a standard cobalt or even good HSS.
They use a multilayer AlTiN + Si (Silicon) coating, branded as "Arkand-Protect." In practice, it’s a dark purple/bronze hue (not the usual black). The silicon layer is key here: it provides a higher hot hardness ceiling, allowing for dry or near-dry machining up to 1100°C interface temps without catastrophic coating failure. 2. Performance in the Wild (Stainless, Titanium, and Hardened Steel) I tested the 1/2" 4-flute variable helix end mill and a 3/8" coolant-through drill. scs tool platinum arkand series
Deep Dive: The SCS Tool Platinum Arkand Series – Is High-End Cobalt Worth the Hype? The general fabrication shop cutting A36, 1018, or aluminum
Let’s break down what this series actually is, who it’s for, and whether the premium price tag delivers real shop-floor ROI. First, let’s clear up a misconception. The "Arkand" name isn’t just marketing fluff. SCS claims it’s a proprietary powder-metallurgy cobalt blend (think M42 on steroids, but with a finer, more uniform carbide structure). Standard M35 has ~5% cobalt; M42 has ~8%. The Arkand series reportedly sits in the 9-10% cobalt range , but with a vanadium carbide refinement process that reduces grain size. The silicon layer is key here: it provides
This is the real test. Titanium loves to gall and weld to cutting edges. The Arkand-Protect coating plus the high cobalt’s toughness meant I could run at 120 SFM (aggressive for Ti with cobalt HSS, not carbide) with a .0015" chip load. No built-up edge after 45 minutes of roughing. The edge retention was surprising—I saw about 30% longer tool life compared to a leading brand’s premium cobalt series.
You’ll know it’s different. The grind is harder—you feel the resistance. That’s the wear resistance talking.
