Carbide Insert Reference
ISO Insert Designation System
Carbide inserts follow the ANSI/ISO naming standard. A typical designation like CNMG 120408 encodes shape, clearance, tolerance, type, size, thickness, and nose radius in a compact alphanumeric code.
| Position | Code | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 — Shape | C | 80° diamond |
| D | 55° diamond |
| R | Round |
| S | Square (90°) |
| T | Triangle (60°) |
| V | 35° diamond |
| W | 80° trigon |
| 2 — Clearance Angle | N | 0° (negative rake) |
| A | 3° |
| B | 5° |
| C | 7° |
| P | 11° |
| 3 — Tolerance Class | M | ±0.002–0.005" (general purpose) |
| G | ±0.001" (precision ground) |
| 4 — Type / Features | A | With hole, no chipbreaker |
| G | With hole and chipbreaker |
| N | No hole, no chipbreaker |
| T | With hole, one-side chipbreaker |
| 5–6 — IC Size | 12 | Inscribed circle diameter in mm (12 mm) |
| 7–8 — Thickness | 04 | Thickness in mm (4.76 mm) |
| 9–10 — Nose Radius | 08 | Nose radius in 0.1 mm units (0.8 mm = 1/32") |
Insert Shapes
| Code | Shape | Included Angle | Strength | Versatility | Common Use |
|---|
| R | Round | N/A | Highest | Low | Heavy roughing, contouring |
| S | Square | 90° | Very High | Moderate | Roughing, 90° shouldering |
| C | 80° Diamond | 80° | High | High | General turning (most popular) |
| W | 80° Trigon | 80° | High | High | Roughing to semi-finishing |
| T | Triangle | 60° | Moderate | High | General purpose, 3 edges |
| D | 55° Diamond | 55° | Low | Very High | Profiling, finishing, copying |
| V | 35° Diamond | 35° | Lowest | Highest | Finish profiling, tight contours |
Rule of thumb: Stronger shapes (round, square) handle heavy roughing and interrupted cuts. Weaker, more pointed shapes (55°, 35° diamond) allow access to tight contours and produce better surface finishes.
Carbide Grades
| ISO Grade | Color Code | Application |
|---|
| P | Blue | Steel (long-chipping materials) |
| M | Yellow | Stainless steel (work-hardening materials) |
| K | Red | Cast iron (short-chipping materials) |
| N | Green | Non-ferrous metals & aluminum |
| S | Brown | Superalloys & titanium (heat-resistant alloys) |
| H | Gray | Hardened steel (≥45 HRC) |
P-Grade Sub-Classifications
| Sub-Grade | Application | Characteristics |
|---|
| P10 | High-speed finishing | Hard, wear-resistant; light cuts at high speed |
| P20 | Medium turning | Balanced toughness and wear resistance; general purpose |
| P30 | Heavy roughing | Tough; heavy cuts, interrupted cuts, poor conditions |
Chipbreaker Styles
| Type | Application | DOC Range |
|---|
| F / FN | Finishing — light cuts, good surface finish | 0.004–0.020" |
| M / MN | Medium — general-purpose turning | 0.020–0.100" |
| R / RN | Roughing — heavy material removal | 0.060–0.200"+ |
Manufacturer Cross-Reference
Steel Turning (P20 Equivalent)
| ISO Designation | Sandvik | Kennametal | Mitsubishi | Kyocera | Chinese Generic |
|---|
| P10 | GC4315 | KC5010 | UE6110 | CA6515 | YBC251 |
| P20 | GC4325 | KC5025 | UE6020 | CA6525 | YBC252 |
| P30 | GC4335 | KC5035 | UE6035 | CA6535 | YBC351 |
Stainless Steel (M Grade)
| ISO Designation | Sandvik | Kennametal | Mitsubishi | Kyocera | Chinese Generic |
|---|
| M20 | GC2220 | KC725M | US735 | PR1225 | YBC302 |
| M30 | GC2230 | KC730 | US7020 | PR1535 | YBC352 |
Aluminum / Non-Ferrous (N Grade)
| ISO Designation | Sandvik | Kennametal | Mitsubishi | Kyocera | Chinese Generic |
|---|
| N10–N20 | H13A | KC510M | HTi10 | KW10 | YNG151 |
Common Insert Sizes
| ANSI Code | IC (mm) | IC (in) | Thickness (mm) |
|---|
| CCMT/CCGT 0602 | 6.35 | 0.250" | 2.38 |
| CCMT/CCGT 09T3 | 9.525 | 0.375" | 3.97 |
| CCMT/CCGT 1204 | 12.70 | 0.500" | 4.76 |
| DCMT/DCGT 0702 | 7.94 | 0.3125" | 2.38 |
| DCMT/DCGT 11T3 | 9.525 | 0.375" | 3.97 |
| TNMG 1604 | 9.525 | 0.375" | 4.76 |
| TNMG 2204 | 12.70 | 0.500" | 4.76 |
| CNMG 1204 | 12.70 | 0.500" | 4.76 |
| CNMG 1606 | 15.875 | 0.625" | 6.35 |
| WNMG 0604 | 12.70 | 0.500" | 4.76 |
| WNMG 0804 | 12.70 | 0.500" | 4.76 |
| SNMG 1204 | 12.70 | 0.500" | 4.76 |