The first digit after IC tells you the coating process, and that single choice decides whether an insert survives your job. Here is the full Iscar line mapped to ISO classes.
Send us the grade code or a photo of the box. We identify the ISO class, confirm substrate and coating, and quote the closest equivalent made by a vetted Chinese plant. Free cross-reference, 48-hour quotation.
Every Iscar coated grade starts with IC. The first digit after the prefix separates the two coating processes, and that is the fastest way to read a code you have not seen before:
IC8xxx — CVD coated. The 8150 / 8250 / 8350 line. Thicker coating, higher heat resistance, aimed at steel and cast iron at higher cutting speeds.IC9xxx — PVD coated. The 9150 / 9350 line, plus IC907 and IC908. Thinner coating on a sharper edge, aimed at stainless, titanium and interrupted cuts.IB prefix is CBN for hardened steel.Within a line the number runs the same way it does everywhere else: lower is harder and more wear resistant, higher is tougher. IC8150 and IC9150 sit at the finishing end; IC8350 and IC9350 at the roughing end.
| Grade | Coating | ISO class | Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| IC8150 | CVD | P10 | Continuous, high-speed steel finishing. |
| IC9150 | PVD | P10 | The PVD route to the same class — sharper edge, better on light interruptions. |
| IC8250 | CVD (SUMO TEC) | P20–P25 | General steel machining and light interrupted cutting. The workhorse of the range. |
| IC8350 | CVD | P30–P35 | Heavy interrupted cutting and roughing. |
| IC9350 | PVD | P30–P35 | Tougher PVD option for the same class, where edge security matters more than speed. |
| IC5400 | CVD | P40 | Low-speed, high-impact interrupted machining. |
| IC907 | PVD | M / S | Stainless steel and high-temperature alloys. A long-standing stainless grade. |
| IC908 | PVD | M / S | Tougher companion to IC907 for less stable stainless operations. |
| IC20 / IC28 | Uncoated | K / N | Cast iron and non-ferrous substrates. IC20 is the harder of the two. |
| IB50 / IB55 | CBN | H | Hardened steel turning. |
Iscar has refreshed grade names repeatedly. The IC8xxx and IC9xxx lines above follow the grade sets listed in published Iscar cross-reference material. If your code predates those (IC302, IC902 and similar), send it to us and we will map it forward.
The IC9xxx / IC8xxx split is not a quality hierarchy — it is a process choice, and picking the wrong side is the most expensive mistake in insert selection because it does not show up until a batch fails.
Choose the PVD side (IC9xxx) when: the cut is interrupted, the workpiece is stainless, titanium or a superalloy, the edge needs to be sharp, or the machine is not rigid. PVD coatings are thinner and the process puts the substrate into residual compression, which raises toughness.
Choose the CVD side (IC8xxx) when: the cut is continuous, the material is steel or cast iron, you want cutting speed, and the machine can support it. CVD builds a thicker layer, which insulates the substrate from heat — that is where the extra speed comes from — at the cost of a more rounded edge and more sensitivity to cracking.
A quote that offers a thick CVD insert for an interrupted stainless job will be cheaper and will fail earlier. That is the trade we check before we make an equivalent offer.
Grade cross reference hub
Kennametal grades
Sandvik Coromant grades
Mitsubishi grades
Tungaloy grades
Seco grades
Walter grades
CNMG inserts
Turning insert shapes
Milling inserts (APMT / APKT)
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