Cutting Tool Guides
Practical, vendor-neutral guides to ISO 1832 designations and carbide grade selection. Every guide links to real model pages and uses only catalog-cited values.
How to Read an ISO 1832 Insert Code
Every letter and digit in an indexable turning insert designation carries a meaning — shape, clearance, tolerance, fixing, inscribed circle, thickness, nose radius and hand. An eight-position walkthrough with worked examples for CNMG, WNMG and CCMT, plus what brand suffixes actually change.
Read guide →How to Choose a Carbide Grade: P/M/K/N/S/H Explained
Geometry tells you what an insert fits; grade tells you what it cuts. The six ISO 513 workpiece groups, the application band from finishing to roughing, the CVD-vs-PVD coating choice, and why a grade swap deserves more review than a geometry swap.
Read guide →Looking for a specific code or grade? Use the ISO 1832 decoder for any insert designation, the cross-reference finder for catalogued matches, or browse the model index and grade index directly. See the editorial and correction policy for how the data behind these guides is gathered and cited.