ISO K — Cast Iron · K10
K10 — Grey cast iron (hard)
Hardness range: 200–280 HB. Part of the ISO K — Cast Iron group. Cast iron is abrasive and brittle — short chips, no built-up-edge. CVD alumina (Al₂O₃) coatings resist the high-temperature abrasion. Dry machining is acceptable for grey iron; coolant helps with nodular grades. Main failure mode: flank wear. High-speed machining is effective.
Material profile — K10
- ISO designation
- K10 (ISO K — Cast Iron)
- Material
- Grey cast iron (hard)
- Hardness
- 200–280 HB
- ISO group colour
- Cast Iron
Tooling guidance — K-group
- Group summary
- CVD alumina coatings excel. Dry machining acceptable for grey CI. Abrasive wear is the main failure mode.
Insert selection for hard / pearlitic grey iron — starting point
- ISO application class
- K (cast iron). Harder pearlitic grey iron (200–280 HB) is more abrasive than soft grey iron, so favour a more wear-resistant grade and a lower speed. Match the ISO K class across brands rather than the brand name (Sandvik, Kennametal, Iscar, Walter, Seco and Mitsubishi each publish one), then confirm the exact grade for your condition.
- Grade & coating
- CVD alumina (Al₂O₃)-coated carbide, K10–K15 for wear resistance; ceramic / SiAlON for high-speed finishing.
- Geometry
- Negative geometry, honed edge for cast skin and interruptions. Short chips and no built-up edge.
- Starting parameters
- Vc ≈ 120–300 m/min, fn ≈ 0.10–0.40 mm/rev, dry. Lower than soft grey iron because of the harder matrix — confirm in the advisor or on a sample part.
hard / pearlitic grey iron: what goes wrong, and what to check first
- Abrasive flank wear
- Heavier than on soft grey iron. Use a wear-resistant CVD-alumina K-grade and keep the speed sensible.
- Edge chipping on cast skin
- The abrasive skin and interruptions chip a fragile edge. Use a tougher grade with a honed edge and ease in.
- Frittering at the cut exit
- The unsupported corner breaks out on exit. Reduce feed at exit or use a tougher grade.
- Abrasive dust
- Runs dry; the dust is abrasive on the machine too, so manage it.
Reference data
Insert grade index
ISO insert-code index
CNMG120408 — general turning
CCMT09T304 — positive finishing
Tool-wear diagnosis
Get cutting parameters for Grey cast iron (hard)
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