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Carbide Grade Cross-Reference

If you've ever stared at a Sandvik GC4325 insert and wondered what the equivalent Chinese grade is — or vice versa — this page is for you. We map the grades we source to the big brands you already know.

Carbide grades aren't standardized across brands. One manufacturer's P20 is another's KC5025 is another's GC4325. The ISO system gives us a rough map — P for steel, M for stainless, K for cast iron, N for aluminum, S for superalloys, H for hardened materials — but within each group, every brand has its own recipe.

The table below is our best-effort cross-reference, based on published data and real-world testing. It's not perfect — coating, chipbreaker geometry, and your specific cutting conditions will shift the results. But it'll get you 90% of the way there. For the last 10%, send us your spec and we'll match you properly.

P Steel & Alloy Steel

Low-carbon steel, alloy steel, tool steel. The biggest category — if you machine metal, you spend most of your time here.

ISOApplicationSandvikKennametalIscarMitsubishiTungaloyTypical Chinese
P01High-speed finishingGC4305KC5010IC807MC6015AH8015K05
P10Finishing, light cutsGC4315KC5010IC8250MC6025AH8005K10
P20Medium turningGC4325KC5025IC8250MC6035AH8015K20
P30Roughing, interruptedGC4335KC9125IC830MC6045AH8025K30
P40Heavy roughingGC4345KC9140IC840MC6050AH8040K40

M Stainless Steel

Austenitic, ferritic, martensitic, duplex. Stainless is gummy, work-hardens fast, and punishes the wrong grade choice.

ISOApplicationSandvikKennametalIscarMitsubishiTungaloyTypical Chinese
M10Finishing, stable cutsGC2015KC5025IC908MC7025AH6035K10
M20Medium turningGC2025KC9120IC908MC7035AH6045K20
M30RoughingGC2035KC9140IC928MC7045AH6055K30

K Cast Iron

Gray, ductile, nodular. Abrasive and brittle — you need hardness over toughness here. CBN often makes more sense than carbide for high-volume iron.

ISOApplicationSandvikKennametalIscarMitsubishiTungaloyTypical Chinese
K10Finishing, stableGC3210KC630IC418MC5025AH110K10 / CBN
K20Medium cutsGC3225KC630IC428MC5035AH120K20
K30RoughingGC3235KC640IC450MC5045AH130K30

N Aluminum & Non-Ferrous

Aluminum, brass, copper, plastics, composites. Sharp edges, polished flutes, and PCD for high-volume jobs.

ISOApplicationSandvikKennametalIscarMitsubishiTungaloyTypical Chinese
N10FinishingH13A (uncoated)KC410IC20HTi10KS05FK10 / PCD
N20Medium / RoughingH13A (uncoated)KC430IC28HTi20KS10FK20 / PCD

S Superalloys & Titanium

Inconel, Hastelloy, Ti-6Al-4V, Waspaloy. Heat-resistant, brutal on tool life. You need toughness, heat resistance, and the right coating — usually PVD AlTiN or TiSiN.

ISOApplicationSandvikKennametalIscarMitsubishiTungaloyTypical Chinese
S10FinishingGC1115KC725IC908MC8015AH7015K10 / YG6X
S20MediumGC1125KC730IC928MC8025AH7025K20 / YG8
S30RoughingGC1135KC740IC938MC8035AH7035K30 / YG10

H Hardened Steel

Hardened tool steel, die steel, HRC 50–68. Carbide can do it, but CBN (cubic boron nitride) is often the right answer. We'll help you decide.

ISOApplicationSandvikKennametalIscarMitsubishiTungaloyTypical Chinese
H10Finishing (HRC 55+)CB7015 (CBN)KB5625 (CBN)IB90 (CBN)MB8025 (CBN)BX470 (CBN)CBN
H20Light cuts (HRC 45–55)GC4325KC9240IC908MC5025AH8015K10 / CBN
H30Interrupted (HRC 40–50)GC4335KC9125IC928MC5045AH8025K30 / YG6

A quick honesty check

These cross-references come from published manufacturer data and our own testing. But grades aren't interchangeable like light bulbs. Coating, chipbreaker geometry, edge prep, coolant, and your specific speeds and feeds all change the result. Use this table as your starting point, not your final answer. Better yet — tell us what you're cutting and we'll recommend the right grade for your actual job.

Switching from a brand-name insert?

Tell us what you're using now — Sandvik, Kennametal, Iscar, whatever — plus your material and operation. We'll match you to an equivalent grade and get you pricing within 48 hours.

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