What is cost per cutting edge?

Cost per cutting edge is the insert price divided by the number of usable edges on that insert. A square insert with four edges at 8 EUR costs 2 EUR per edge, a triangle with three edges at the same price costs 2,67 EUR per edge. It is the fair way to compare inserts of different shapes and prices, instead of comparing sticker price alone.

How do you calculate tool cost per part?

Divide the tool life per edge (in minutes) by the cutting time per part to get parts per edge, then divide the cost per edge by parts per edge. Tool cost per part = (insert price / edges per insert) / (tool life per edge / cutting time per part). This is the number that actually drives your part cost, not the insert's unit price.

Why does a cheaper insert sometimes cost more per part?

Because unit price ignores edge count and tool life. A cheaper insert with fewer edges or shorter tool life can produce fewer parts per edge, so its real cost per part is higher than a pricier insert that lasts longer and cuts faster. Cost per edge and cost per part are the numbers to compare, not the price tag.

What operating hours should I use for an annual tooling-cost projection?

Use your actual annual spindle-on time for that machine or operation, not a generic default. A single eight-hour shift, five days a week, roughly 48 weeks a year, is close to 1,900 to 2,000 hours; two shifts roughly doubles it. If you do not know the real figure, your production or scheduling data will have it, and using the real number is what turns this from a rough estimate into a decision-grade one.

Does this calculator account for machine downtime or scrap cost?

No. This calculator isolates tooling economics only: cost per edge, cost per part, and an annual tooling-cost projection from insert price, edge count, tool life and cycle time. It does not model machine hourly rate, scrap, rework, or changeover time, which belong in a full part-cost model.

Kennametal Grade Chart: All Grades by ISO Application Position

01 · THE CHART

Kennametal grades by ISO application position

Grade	ISO application position(s)	Coating	Cross-brand
HTX	K10 P10	—	256 equivalents
K1025	S20	—	49 equivalents
K110M	K10	—	150 equivalents
K125M	P20	Uncoated	145 equivalents
K313	K01 K20 M10 M20 N20 S15	Uncoated	293 equivalents
K68	K20 N10 N20 S15	Uncoated	172 equivalents
KB1340	K01 S01	—	38 equivalents
KB5610	H01 H10	—	57 equivalents
KB5625	H10 H20	—	57 equivalents
KB5630	H20 H30 K30 S01	—	87 equivalents
KBH10B	H01 H10	—	57 equivalents
KBH20	H10 H20	—	57 equivalents
KBH20B	H10 H20	—	57 equivalents
KC5010	K10 M20 P15 S10 S15	Coated	307 equivalents
KC5025	K20 M30 M35 P25 S20 S25	Coated	265 equivalents
KC510M	P05	—	44 equivalents
KC515M	K10 P10	—	256 equivalents
KC520M	K10 K30	—	173 equivalents
KC522M	K30 M10 P10	—	210 equivalents
KC524M	K20 K30	—	125 equivalents
KC525M	M20 P20 P30	—	315 equivalents
KC530M	P30	—	146 equivalents
KC5510	S10	—	51 equivalents
KC5525	P20	—	145 equivalents
KC725M	M30 M40 P40	—	142 equivalents
KC735M	M30 P30 P40	—	226 equivalents
KC8050	P30	—	146 equivalents
KC9110	P10 P15	Coated	155 equivalents
KC9125	P20 P25	Coated	164 equivalents
KC915M	K10	Coated	150 equivalents
KC930M	K20	Coated	117 equivalents
KC9325	K10	—	150 equivalents
KC935M	K20	Coated	117 equivalents
KCK05	K05 K10	Coated	161 equivalents
KCK15	K10	Coated	150 equivalents
KCK15B	K10 K15 K20	Coated	236 equivalents
KCK20	K10 K20	Coated	222 equivalents
KCK20B	K20	—	117 equivalents
KCKP10	K05	—	39 equivalents
KCM15	M10	Coated	53 equivalents
KCM15B	M10	Coated	53 equivalents
KCM25	M20	Coated	101 equivalents
KCM25B	M15 M20	—	115 equivalents
KCM35	M30	Coated	104 equivalents
KCM35B	M30	—	104 equivalents
KCP05	P05	Coated	44 equivalents
KCP05B	P05	Coated	44 equivalents
KCP10	P10 P15	Coated	155 equivalents
KCP10B	P10	Coated	138 equivalents
KCP25	P20	Coated	145 equivalents
KCP25B	P20 P25	Coated	164 equivalents
KCP25C	P20 P25	Coated	164 equivalents
KCP30	P30	Coated	146 equivalents
KCP30B	P30 P35	Coated	152 equivalents
KCP35	P30	—	146 equivalents
KCP40	P30 P40	Coated	159 equivalents
KCP40B	P30 P40	Coated	159 equivalents
KCPK30	P20 P30	Coated	246 equivalents
KCPM20	M10 M20 M30 P10	Coated	325 equivalents
KCPM30	M20 M30 P30	Coated	273 equivalents
KCPM40	M30 M40 P30 P40	—	231 equivalents
KCS10	K10 M15 P10 S10	Coated	301 equivalents
KCS10B	K10 M15 S10	Coated	198 equivalents
KCSM30	M30 P20	—	228 equivalents
KCSM40	M30 M40	—	117 equivalents
KCU10	K10 M20 P10 S05 S15	Coated	364 equivalents
KCU25	K20 M30 M35 P20 P25 S20 S25	Coated	348 equivalents
KD1400	N10 N20 N30	—	55 equivalents
KD1425	N10 N20	—	45 equivalents
KMF	K10 S10	—	189 equivalents
KSPM20	P20	Coated	145 equivalents
KT1120	P05 P10 P20	—	258 equivalents
KT125	K10 P10	—	256 equivalents
KT175	P20	—	145 equivalents
KT315	P10 P20	Coated	233 equivalents
KT325	K10 P20	—	277 equivalents
KT5020	P20	Coated	145 equivalents
KU10	K01 M10 N10 S10	Uncoated	148 equivalents
KY3500	K10 K20 K30	—	230 equivalents
KYHS10	K20 S20	—	155 equivalents
SP4019	M10 M20	—	137 equivalents
SP6519	M10 M20	—	137 equivalents
X700	M30	—	104 equivalents

Source: manufacturer grade-comparison charts, ingested with page-level provenance (fixture generated 2026-09-01). “Comparable at the same ISO application position” means the charts place these grades at the same P/M/K/N/S/H position — it is a starting point for a trial, not an identical-performance guarantee. Coating shown only where a chart states it; “—” is never guessed.

02 · HOW TO READ IT

What the families in this chart mean

Reading the positions in the chart itself: KCP grades cluster in P (steel turning), KCM in M (stainless), KCK in K (cast iron), and KCU grades span several groups at once (multi-material). KB-prefixed entries sit in H positions, which is CBN hard-machining territory, and the classic uncoated grades K313 and K68 cover K/M/N/S finishing positions. That clustering comes straight from the ISO positions in the table above, not from a brochure.

THE POINT OF AN ISO POSITION

ISO 513 application positions (P10, M20, K10…) are the one scale every maker publishes against. That is what makes a brand-neutral swap possible: find the position your current grade sits at, then look at which other brands’ grades the comparison charts place at the same position, and trial from there. Our compare tool and cross-reference pages do exactly that lookup.

03 · FAQ

Common questions on Kennametal grades

How do I find the equivalent of a Kennametal grade in another brand?

Look up the grade’s ISO application position in the chart above, then use the cross-brand link on that row: it lists every grade from other makers that manufacturer comparison charts place at the same position. Treat the result as a trial candidate at the same application position, and verify on a sample part; comparison charts align application areas, not guaranteed performance.

What does KCP, KCM or KCK stand for in practice?

Whatever the letters officially abbreviate, the chart shows what matters: KCP grades sit at P positions (steel), KCM at M (stainless), KCK at K (cast iron), with the trailing number tracking the position from finishing (05/10) to roughing (30/40). Pick the family by your ISO material group, then the number by how tough the operation is.

Why do some grades show no coating status?

Because the source charts did not state it, and we do not guess. A dash in the coating column means exactly that: the comparison charts we ingested carry no coating claim for that grade. The maker’s own catalog is the place to confirm.

Is this chart from Kennametal?

No. It is compiled from multiple manufacturers’ published grade-comparison charts, ingested with page-level provenance into a brand-neutral reference database. We sell no tools, take no commission, and no brand pays for placement, which is the point: the same method applies to every brand in the database, not just this one.

The Kennametal grade chart, read the brand-neutral way.