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Identifing Inserts

blake in spokane

Hot Rolled
Joined
Jan 11, 2008
Location
spokane
Is there a site somewhere to identify carbide inserts? Yes it is easy to figure out a TPG 321 C6 or TNMG 432 C2 - But some of the other #"s and grades are way out there.
 
Sounds like you might be looking for a grade conversion chart. The hard part is the new grades are coming out all the time, plus there's a lot of crossover of performance within a manufacturer's stated ANSI "C" class or the better-defining ISO classification of PMKNSH 10-20-30 for their grades.

Is there some grade in particular you want to compare to another in a given material?
 
I was hoping for a site that I could type in SNG 432 - meaning - square, neg ground, then the first # is the IC in 8's , then the thicknes is in 16th's , ect. then at the end they throw out a grade 360, thats easy - but when they say KR3745-21.1 325B & I just made up that #
 
I think you're referring to the increasingly common proprietary milling inserts. Well, that's what they are...proprietary, as in one supplier. Not much can change over from cutter to cutter opnce you get away from TPG, SPG, SEEN/SEKN, SEKT, and other true ANSI standard geometries.

The best overall resource I've found for geometry crossover of (primarily) lathe turning inserts is at CarbideDepot.com in their "technical" section. CLick on the link and then on the "application support" and/or "technical resources" hypertext on the right hand side.
 
Sounds like you might be looking for a grade conversion chart

Grade conversion charts are worthless.
Long ago I had to outlaw their use in my facility. Every chart has differing info, none of it is based on reality.
Show me a salesperson using a conversion chart and I'll show you a person who does not know jack shit about carbide tooling.
Spend fifteen minutes with the guy that wrote the chart and you'll soon realize it's all about marketing, not applications.

Don't even get me started on the piss-poor ISO number system. Can you say "wild guess"? You would do just as well posting grades on a dartboard and throwing blindfolded.

Serious carbide facilities have a lab to analyze material and can provide you with useful feedback.

There are no exact equivalent grades. Every one has it's own characteristics.

:soapbox:
Bob
 
Grade conversion charts are worthless.
Long ago I had to outlaw their use in my facility. Every chart has differing info, none of it is based on reality.
Show me a salesperson using a conversion chart and I'll show you a person who does not know jack shit about carbide tooling.
Spend fifteen minutes with the guy that wrote the chart and you'll soon realize it's all about marketing, not applications.

Don't even get me started on the piss-poor ISO number system. Can you say "wild guess"? You would do just as well posting grades on a dartboard and throwing blindfolded.

Serious carbide facilities have a lab to analyze material and can provide you with useful feedback.

There are no exact equivalent grades. Every one has it's own characteristics.

:soapbox:
Bob

I dunno Bob, I don't think they're completely worthless, but they are a a very "rough" guide. You & I both know that there are manufacturer grades that work fine in materials not even on their own data charts, just as there are material which ARE on the application chart for a given grade that the grade really sucks at cutting.

I find that success in a particular material with a given insert probably has more to do with the design of a given top form geometry (chipbreaker) and applying the right depth of cut and feed rate to it than it is the grade or coating. What do you think about that theory of mine? More BS?

I absolutely agree that there are no direct crossovers of grades. Hell, some makers can't even make the same grade twice, but they keep putting the same marking on the box!
 
I find that success in a particular material with a given insert probably has more to do with the design of a given top form geometry (chipbreaker) and applying the right depth of cut and feed rate to it than it is the grade or coating. What do you think about that theory of mine? More BS?

Very much in agreement..:cheers:
Many a user has fallen in love with grade xyz when in fact it is that manufacturer's chipbreaker and edge prep that has hit the sweet spot.
Bob
 








 
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