3. Selection of materials and cutting speeds

3.1 Materials

The wide variety of cutting materials currently available means that choices have to be made. Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of the tool/material combination.

As a general rule, machinists have little control over the material of the workpiece. They must therefore focus their attention on the tool and, consequently, on the cutting material.

Before deciding on the cutting conditions, the machinist must check the suitability (or qualification) of the cutting material for machining the workpiece material. For this first step, the help of the tool manufacturer is generally indispensable and useful. Indeed, most cutting materials are sold under trade names: exact knowledge of the cutting material (including...