Category: Cutting Tool Guides
Hardened Steel Milling Tool Selection Guide: CBN, PCBN and Solid Carbide for 45-65 HRC Materials
Hardened Steel Milling Tool Selection Guide: CBN, PCBN and Solid Carbide for 45-65 HRC Materials Hardened steel milling represents one of the most demanding machining operations in modern manufacturing. With hardness levels ranging from 45 to 65 HRC, workpieces such as mold tooling, die components, and aerospace structural parts require cutting tools that can withstand …
TaeguTec vs Sumitomo CVD Turning Inserts for Steel: TT9080, TT9225 vs AC8025P, AC810P, AC820P Compared
Introduction When turning carbon and alloy steels on CNC lathes, the choice of insert grade determines how fast you can run, how long the edge lasts, and whether the surface finish meets drawing tolerances. Two of the most widely used CVD-coated carbide families on the shop floor come from TaeguTec (South Korea) and Sumitomo Electric …
Inconel 718 Milling Tool Selection Guide: Grades, Geometries and Cutting Parameters Compared
Why Inconel 718 Punishes Standard Milling Tools Nickel-based superalloys such as Inconel 718 retain their strength at 650–700 °C, which is exactly why they are used in turbine discs, compressor casings, rocket engine components and high-pressure valve bodies. That same property makes them one of the most demanding materials a milling cutter will ever touch. …
OSG vs YG-1 Spiral Flute Taps for Stainless Steel: Geometry, Coatings and Tapping Parameters Compared
Stainless steel is the material that exposes every weakness of a tap. Austenitic grades such as 304 and 316 work-harden the moment the cutting edge rubs instead of cuts, they conduct heat poorly so the chip stays hot, and they gall against any surface that does not slide cleanly. In production shops, tapping is frequently …
Korloy Turning Insert Grades and Chipbreakers Explained: PC5300, PC9030 and PC8110 with FA, SA, MA and HM Geometries
Turning productivity is rarely decided by the insert grade alone. In practice, the combination of substrate, coating and chipbreaker geometry determines whether an insert survives a roughing pass at 0.4 mm/rev or fails by crater wear after forty minutes. Korloy’s turning system is built around exactly this pairing: a small family of coated grades (PC5300, …
Milling Cutter Geometry Reference: Rake, Helix and Lead Angle Effects on Cutting Parameters Explained
Two shops can run the same 80 mm face mill on the same 4140 block at the same spindle speed and get completely different tool life. The difference is usually not the grade or the coating — it is the geometry. Lead angle, rake angle, helix angle and corner radius are the four numbers that …
Cast Iron Face Milling Tool Selection Guide: Insert Grades, Geometries and Parameters Compared
Why Cast Iron Face Milling Is a Different Problem Cast iron looks like a simple material on paper: moderate hardness, relatively low cutting forces, and no built-up edge problems like austenitic stainless steel. In practice, face milling cast iron punishes cutters in ways that steel milling does not. The graphite phase that makes grey iron …
Sandvik CoroDrill 460 vs OSG EXOPRO WX: Solid Carbide Drill Performance Compared for Steel and Stainless Steel
Solid carbide drilling is the single most punishing operation in a CNC program. The tool is buried in the workpiece, chip evacuation is obstructed by geometry rather than helped by it, and the cutting edges at the chisel point see near-zero surface speed while the outer corner runs at maximum. Two drills dominate the premium …
ISO P/M/K/N/S/H Carbide Grade Reference Guide: Cutting Parameters, Coatings and Application Tables Compared
Understanding the ISO Carbide Grade Classification System Every machinist and tooling engineer encounters the ISO carbide grade classification system on a daily basis, yet few fully understand how the six letter groups — P, M, K, N, S, and H — translate into real-world insert selection and cutting parameter decisions. This reference guide breaks down …
Aluminum Alloy High-Speed Milling Tool Selection Guide: Insert Geometry, Grades and Cutting Parameters Compared
Aluminum alloys are the default workpiece in aerospace, electric-vehicle component, and general machining shops, yet tooling for them is still one of the most frequently mis-specified areas in production. The reason is simple: the parameters that make steel machining efficient actively damage aluminum cutting edges. High rake angles, polished surfaces, and open chip room matter …
