ISO P — Steel · P02
P02 — Medium carbon steel
Hardness range: 160–220 HB. Part of the ISO P — Steels group. Steel is the most widely machined material. Carbon and alloy steels are the target material for the majority of turning and milling operations. Hardness ranges from ~125 HB (low-carbon) to 350 HB (high-strength structural). CVD-coated carbide (TiCN/Al₂O₃ multilayer) dominates. Positive geometry for finishing, negative for heavy roughing.
Material profile — P02
- ISO designation
- P02 (ISO P — Steels)
- Material
- Medium carbon steel
- Hardness
- 160–220 HB
- ISO group colour
- Steel
Tooling guidance — P-group
- Group summary
- CVD-coated carbide at Vc 200–400 m/min. Positive geometry for finishing, negative for roughing.
Insert selection for medium-carbon steel (1045) — starting point
- ISO application class
- P (steel). Medium-carbon steel (1045) is the bread-and-butter turning material: less gummy than mild steel and predictable. Match the ISO P 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-coated carbide, P15–P25; tougher for roughing, harder for finishing.
- Geometry
- Negative for roughing and economy; positive for finishing and low-rigidity work. Medium chipbreaker.
- Starting parameters
- Vc ≈ 180–280 m/min, fn ≈ 0.10–0.40 mm/rev. Confirm in the advisor or on a sample part.
medium-carbon steel (1045): what goes wrong, and what to check first
- Crater wear at high speed
- Heat behind the edge; use a CVD grade and ease Vc.
- Flank wear
- Normal abrasion that sets tool life; balance Vc and grade.
- Built-up edge at low speed
- Raise Vc, sharper edge, add coolant.
- Chip control
- Match the chipbreaker to depth and feed.
Reference data
Insert grade index
ISO insert-code index
CNMG120408 — general turning
CCMT09T304 — positive finishing
Tool-wear diagnosis
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