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MACHINING DATA · P BEARING STEEL

AISI 52100 machining data: cutting speed, feed and carbide grade to start with.

Starting cutting speed in m/min and sfm, feed in mm/rev and ipr, the carbide grade class and the setup by operation for AISI 52100 (100Cr6). The numbers are the published P10 Alloy steel sub-group starting band; the designations are on the cross-reference page.

ISO P · Steel P10 sub-group m/min + sfm · mm/rev + ipr Free, no signup

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01 · AT A GLANCE

AISI 52100: group, sub-group and condition

ItemValue
ISO 513 groupP Steel
Sub-groupP10 Alloy steel
Sub-group hardness / condition180–280 HB
CategoryBearing steel
EN / Werkstoffnummer100Cr6 · 1.3505

Hardness is the range published for the whole P10 Alloy steel sub-group on our material guide; the delivery condition of your AISI 52100 may sit anywhere inside it or outside it.

02 · STARTING CUTTING DATA

Cutting speed and feed for AISI 52100

ConditionVc m/minVc sfmFeed mm/revFeed ipr
P10 Alloy steel, 180–280 HB200–300655–9850.10–0.40.004–.016

Sub-group starting values for carbide inserts, from P10 Alloy steel. They describe the whole sub-group and are not tuned to AISI 52100. sfm and ipr are converted from the metric values (1 m/min = 3.281 sfm, 25.4 mm = 1 in). The published band is per sub-group, not per operation; the table below gives the setup by operation. Convert Vc to spindle speed with the speeds & feeds calculator, and see the speeds & feeds guide for the ISO P group range.

Setup by operation

OperationGeometryCoating familyCoolantFirst check
RoughingNegative geometry, economical; medium chipbreakerCVD-coated carbidePer processChipbreaker: stringy chips mean feed too low or wrong breaker
FinishingPositive geometry, medium chipbreakerCVD-coated carbidePer processBuilt-up edge at low speed: raise Vc, sharper edge
Interrupted cutNegative geometry with a robust edgeCVD-coated carbidePer processCrater wear at high speed: ease Vc
Low rigidity / thin wallPositive geometry for low-rigidity workCVD-coated carbidePer processFlank wear: balance Vc and grade hardness

Setup rows are the selection table of the P10 Alloy steel guide. They carry no speeds, so they do not change the starting band above.

Same sub-group, same starting band: AISI 4140 · AISI 4130 · AISI 4340 · AISI 6150 · 30CrNiMo8 · 31CrMoV9

03 · CARBIDE GRADES

Carbide grade class for AISI 52100

CVD-coated carbide, P15–P25 general; tougher P25–P35 for roughing, P10–P20 for finishing. Annealed alloy steel (4140 / 4340, ~180–280 HB) takes higher speeds than its heat-treated form.

The P, M, K, N, S or H number inside a grade range describes what the grade is built for, not the workpiece sub-group number, and the two scales must not be matched to each other. We name no single grade here: none of our published sources ties a named grade to this alloy. Pick by ISO class, then compare what the makers publish on the ISO P grade list and in the grade chart.

04 · DESIGNATIONS

AISI 52100 in EN, US and JIS terms

EN 100Cr6, Werkstoffnummer 1.3505, US AISI 52100 (UNS G52986), JIS SUJ2. The full table, with the nearest-match flags, is on the 100Cr6 / AISI 52100 cross-reference page.

05 · NOTES

How 100Cr6 behaves in the cut

Spheroidise-annealed bearing steel turns fine at alloy-steel data; hardened to 60+ HRC it is classic hard-turning territory for CBN at H-group data.

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06 · FAQ

Common questions

What cutting speed should I start with for AISI 52100?

The published starting band for the P10 Alloy steel sub-group is 200–300 m/min (655–985 sfm) at 0.10–0.40 mm/rev (.004–.016 ipr). It is a starting band for the whole sub-group, not a value tuned to AISI 52100, so confirm on a sample part and adjust for condition, tool and rigidity.

Which carbide grade should I use for AISI 52100?

CVD-coated carbide, P15–P25 general; tougher P25–P35 for roughing, P10–P20 for finishing. Annealed alloy steel (4140 / 4340, ~180–280 HB) takes higher speeds than its heat-treated form. Pick the grade by ISO class rather than by brand name, then confirm the exact grade for your condition. We name no single grade here because none of our published sources ties a named grade to this alloy.

What is AISI 52100 called in EN, US and JIS standards?

EN 100Cr6 (Werkstoffnummer 1.3505); US: AISI 52100 (UNS G52986); JIS: SUJ2. Entries marked nearest are the closest commonly-cited counterpart, not a same-composition equivalent.

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Starting band found. Now the exact grade.

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