CNC cutting inserts are a general term for indexable turning inserts, belonging to the mainstream tools in modern metal cutting, and are widely used in turning, milling, parting, grooving, and threading. They are classified into four main categories according to their structure: integral, insert (including welded and mechanically clamped), vibration-damped, and special types. Mechanically clamped inserts include both non-indexable and indexable types. In terms of materials, they mainly use coated inserts, cermet inserts, and carbide inserts, possessing high wear resistance and high efficiency, with machining efficiency more than four times that of traditional welded inserts.
With the advancement of coating technology, the wear resistance and high-temperature resistance of CNC cutting inserts have been continuously optimized, significantly improving machining efficiency and reducing production costs. Their wear mechanisms include abrasive wear, adhesive wear, diffusion wear, and chemical wear: the first two are caused by scratches from hard particles and atomic-level adsorption of materials, respectively; the latter two involve high-temperature element diffusion and chemical reactions of the cutting medium. High-speed steel tools are prone to phase transformation wear due to their limited phase transformation temperature, leading to a decrease in hardness. The CNC insert models conform to ISO international standards, defining parameters such as insert shape, clearance angle, and chip breaker type through an 11-digit code, and using precise formulas to calculate cutting speed and thread machining parameters.
