Start here
Read them in this order if you are specifying tooling for a new operation, or jump to the one that answers the question you have.
- How to choose a cutting tool - the sequence: operation, material, geometry, substrate, coating, interface
- ISO insert designations - read a part number letter by letter, so you can verify shape, tolerance class and corner radius
- Insert grade selection - the ISO P, M, K, N, S and H groups, the colour code, and how to move within a group
The order matters more than the answers
Each step narrows the options for the next, and skipping one means compensating later with parameters, which rarely works.
Choosing the operation decides the tool family. Choosing the material decides the coating direction. Only then does the geometry make sense, because the same feature is produced differently in aluminium and in hardened steel. The interface, meaning the holder, comes last and sets the ceiling on everything above it.
What to have ready
These guides are written to be usable without a catalogue in front of you, but the recommendation will be sharper if you can state a few facts.
- The operation: drilling, milling, turning, boring, tapping or grooving
- The workpiece material and its hardness or condition
- The machine interface, and whether the setup is rigid
- Whether coolant is used, and whether it reaches the edge
- The quantity, since it decides whether a special is worth considering
In this group
3 page(s)
How to Choose a Cutting Tool
Choose in this order: the operation, the workpiece material, the geometry, then the substrate and coating. Reversing that order, for example by choosing a coating first...
Read moreInsert Grade Selection
The ISO system classifies insert grades by the workpiece material rather than by the insert: P for steel, M for stainless, K for cast iron, N for aluminium and...
Read moreUnderstanding ISO Insert Designations
An ISO insert designation is read left to right: shape letter, clearance letter, tolerance class, chip breaker and mounting style, then the size, thickness and corner...
Read moreFrequently asked questions
What is the most common tool selection mistake?
Choosing the coating first because it is the hardest available, rather than matching it to the wear mechanism the material produces. A hard coating on the wrong geometry still fails, and on aluminium it makes the built-up edge worse rather than better.
Should I choose the tool or the parameters first?
The tool. Parameters are adjusted within a range a tool can accept, and no setting will compensate for a geometry that is wrong for the feature or a coating that is wrong for the material.
How much does the tool holder matter?
It sets the ceiling on everything else. Runout at the cutting edge governs tool life, and a holder that runs out of true will cause failure however well the tool was chosen. Measure runout before blaming the tool.
Do I need to know the ISO grade system?
It helps, because it lets you cross-reference between brands and check that a substitution is reasonable. If you would rather not, tell us the material and the operation and we will place it in the right group for you.
When is a special tool worth it?
When a feature cannot be produced with a standard geometry, when the operation is long enough that a geometry change saves real cycle time, or when a repeating job justifies tooling built for it. Repetition rather than difficulty is usually the trigger.