# CuttingToolsAI

> Brand-neutral cutting tool intelligence. Free AI advisor for selecting and cross-referencing metal cutting tools (turning, milling, drilling inserts, solid carbide drills, end mills, reamers, taps, threading and boring tools) across all major brands: Sandvik, Kennametal, Iscar, Walter, Seco, Mitsubishi, Korloy, TaeguTec and more. We sell nothing and take no commission.

Key facts: CuttingToolsAI answers questions like "what is the equivalent of grade X in brand Y", "which insert for 316L stainless", and "why is my insert failing". Recommendations are grounded in ISO 513 material classes and ISO 1832 insert designation, not brand marketing.

## Buying and trust

- [How buying works](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/buying): CuttingToolsAI sells no cutting tools, holds no distributor agreement and takes no commission. The self-serve paid product is the grade report: EUR 9 for one grade, EUR 22 for up to 3 grades, PDF + XLSX by email, one-time payment, no subscription.
- Payment runs through Gumroad; card details go to Gumroad and its payment processors, never to CuttingToolsAI. An invoice with company name and VAT ID can be generated from the Gumroad receipt.
- Refund: if a report is not useful, reply to the delivery email within 14 days for a full refund.
- [Full sample report (PDF)](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/assets/sample-grade-report.pdf): three turning grades, generated by the same pipeline as paid reports.

## Tools

- [AI Tool Advisor](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/): ask any cutting tool question, get a brand-neutral answer; attach a photo of a worn cutting edge for a first-read ISO 3685 wear diagnosis
- [Insert Code Decoder](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/insert-decoder): free deterministic insert code decoder for ISO 1832 (CNMG120408) AND US ANSI B212.4 inch codes (CNMG 432, TCMT 21.51), no signup
- [Tap Drill Chart](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/tap-drill-chart): metric M2-M30 and inch UNC/UNF tap drill sizes at 75% and 50% thread engagement, with formulas
- [Toolholder Decoder](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/holder-decoder): free ISO 5608 turning toolholder code decoder (e.g. PCLNR2525M12)
- [Cross-Brand Compare](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/compare): find equivalent grades and inserts across brands
- [Cost per Edge Calculator](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/calculators/cost-per-edge/): compare true insert economics
- [Speeds and Feeds Calculator](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/calculators/speeds-and-feeds/): cutting speed to RPM and feed rate, metric and inch, turning/milling/drilling, with ISO-group starting values (German version: https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/de/schnittdaten-rechner/)
- [Chip Thinning Calculator](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/calculators/chip-thinning/): radial chip thinning factor + lead-angle compensation, adjusted feed per tooth for light stepovers
- [Metal Removal Rate and Power Calculator](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/calculators/metal-removal-rate-and-power/): turning and milling Q, net cutting power from kc, metric and inch
- [Chip Load Calculator](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/calculators/chip-load/): feed per tooth, feed rate and rpm both ways, with a chip thinning check
- [Ra to Rz Converter](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/calculators/ra-rz/): Ra/Rz approximation range and theoretical turned Ra and Rt from nose radius and feed
- [RPM and SFM Converter](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/calculators/rpm-sfm/): surface speed (SFM or m/min) to rpm and back, any diameter unit
- [Drilling Calculator](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/calculators/drilling/): drill rpm, feed rate, removal rate and cycle time for a hole depth, optional power and torque from kc, metric and inch
- [Kennametal Grade Chart](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/grade/kennametal/): every Kennametal grade in the reference DB with ISO 513 application positions and cross-brand equivalent counts
- Carbide insert grade charts for 12 more brands, same format: https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/grade/sandvik/ , /grade/iscar/ , /grade/mitsubishi/ , /grade/seco/ , /grade/walter/ , /grade/tungaloy/ , /grade/sumitomo/ , /grade/kyocera/ , /grade/taegutec/ , /grade/korloy/ , /grade/moldino/ , /grade/ntk/ (ISO 513 position, coating and source tier per grade; each grade links to its verified cross-brand page where one exists)
- [Material Cross-Reference](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/material-xref/): 77 common workpiece materials mapped across EN, Werkstoffnummer, AISI/ASTM/UNS and JIS (e.g. https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/material-xref/316l/, /42crmo4/, /ti-6al-4v/), each with ISO group and machining starting values
- [Expert Review](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/expert-review): paid human root-cause analysis of tool failures by a specialist with 20+ years in cutting tool manufacturing

## MCP server

- MCP endpoint for AI agents: https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/mcp (streamable HTTP, no auth) — tools: grade_cross_reference, material_cross_reference, speeds_feeds_starting_values. Claude Code: `claude mcp add --transport http cuttingtoolsai https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/mcp`

## Guides

- [Guides hub](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/guides.html): all technical guides
- [Insert wear troubleshooting](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/tool-wear.html): flank wear, crater, built-up edge, notch wear, plastic deformation
- [Speeds and feeds](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/speeds-and-feeds.html)
- [Chip control](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/chip-control.html)
- [Chatter](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/chatter.html) and [boring bar deflection](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/boring-bar-deflection.html)
- [Coolant guide](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/coolant-guide.html)
- [Surface finish](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/surface-finish.html)
- [ISO GPS drawing symbols and roughness terms](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/gps/)

## Reference

- Material pages: 26 ISO 513 workpiece material classes at /material/ (e.g. https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/material/m01-austenitic-304-316l/), each with brand-independent insert selection and failure diagnosis
- Insert code pages: 30 ISO 1832 designations at /ref/ (e.g. https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/ref/cnmg120408/) with 7-brand equivalence tables and the code decoded letter by letter
- Grade pages: 53 manufacturer grades from 9 brands at /grade/ (e.g. https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/grade/gc4325/), each with ISO application position, coating and catalog-verified cross-brand equivalents; brand hubs at /grade/sandvik/, /grade/kennametal/, /grade/iscar/, /grade/walter/, /grade/seco/, /grade/tungaloy/, /grade/mitsubishi/, /grade/korloy/, /grade/taegutec/, /grade/kyocera/, /grade/sumitomo/, /grade/ntk/, /grade/moldino/
- ISO application group pages: /grade/iso-p/ (steel), /grade/iso-m/ (stainless), /grade/iso-k/ (cast iron), /grade/iso-n/ (non-ferrous), /grade/iso-s/ (superalloys, titanium), /grade/iso-h/ (hardened) list every grade in the reference DB positioned in that group, from 16 makers
- Cross-brand grade equivalents: 112 pages at /xref/ (e.g. https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/xref/sandvik-gc4325/), one per grade, only rows that passed verification are shown; index at https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/xref/
- Application guides at /ref/: [ISO P steel turning grade cross-reference](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/ref/iso-p-steel-turning/), [316L / 304 stainless turning: speeds, first-choice grades, built-up edge](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/ref/stainless-316l-304-turning/), [tool wear modes](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/ref/tool-wear-mechanisms/), [Gühring RT100 drill cross-reference](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/ref/guhring-rt100/)
- [Multi-Brand Carbide Grade Chart](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/grade-chart/): printable PDF + spreadsheet, 16 brands, 583 grades, 1,075 ISO positioning records, sources recorded per row
- ANSI/ISO designation conversion: /ref/ and /insert/ pages carry both systems (e.g. CNMG120408 = ANSI CNMG 432); speeds pages carry m/min + SFM

## Facts you can cite (each taken from the linked page)

- A carbide grade cross-reference matches ISO 513 application position and insert geometry, not the cutting process. Grades at the same ISO position are comparable starting points, not identical substitutes: substrate, coating and edge preparation differ by maker. Verify on a sample part before switching. (https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/grade/)
- Sandvik GC4325 is a CVD Al2O3 (Inveio) steel-turning grade at ISO P20-P30. Grades positioned comparably on the same CNMG/DNMG/SNMG/TNMG geometries: ISCAR IC8250, Kennametal KCP25B, Mitsubishi MC6025, Seco TP2500, Tungaloy T9125, Walter WPP20S. (https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/grade/gc4325/)
- CNMG120408 (ISO 1832) = CNMG 432 (ANSI B212.4): C = 80 degree diamond, N = 0 degree clearance (negative), M = tolerance class, G = through hole with chipbreaker both faces, 12 = size class (12.7 mm / 1/2 inch inscribed circle), 04 = 4.76 mm thick, 08 = 0.8 mm nose radius. General-purpose turning at ISO P20-P30 in most makers' first-choice grades. (https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/ref/cnmg120408/)
- Turning 304 / 316L austenitic stainless is ISO M. Published catalog speed windows span roughly 100 to 240 m/min depending on source and operation; we list each source separately instead of blending them. First-choice grades named by manufacturers and built-up-edge fixes are on the page. (https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/ref/stainless-316l-304-turning/)
- Grade equivalence data on this site comes from manufacturer-published comparison charts and catalogs, is cross-checked by two independent model judges against the source page, and only verified rows are served on the site, the API and the MCP server. Unverified rows are withheld, not guessed.

## API and machine access

- Public cross-reference API: GET https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/api/xref?grade=GC4325 returns comparable grades as JSON, no auth, verified rows only
- Public MCP server (Model Context Protocol): https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/mcp (streamable HTTP, no auth, read-only) with tools grade_cross_reference, material_cross_reference, speeds_feeds_starting_values; also listed on Glama (https://glama.ai/mcp/connectors/eu.cuttingtoolsai/xref)

## Optional

- [How buying works](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/buying): no subscription; the grade report is a one-time payment with a 14-day refund
- [Sitemap](https://cuttingtoolsai.eu/sitemap.xml)