Turning troubleshooter · Insert wear

Notch wear at the depth-of-cut line

A notch worn into the edge right where the part’s outer skin meets it. Typical in stainless, Inconel and other work-hardening alloys.

Likely causes

Work-hardened skin or scale at the depth-of-cut line
Sticky, work-hardening materials
An edge too negative

What to change

Fixes both makers give come first. Change one thing at a time, and see what it does.

1
Use a more wear-resistant grade
Sandvik names an oxidation-resistant one such as cermet; Mitsubishi, a harder grade.
Sandvik · Mitsubishi
2
Vary the depth of cut between passes
It spreads the wear along the edge.
Sandvik
3
Use a round insert or a smaller entering angle
The turning wizard warns about this in Inconel and stainless.
Sandvik
4
Use a sharper edge
Sandvik

Work it out

Turning speeds & feeds — a starting speed, feed and depth for your insert

Often comes with

Sources

Written in our own words from each maker's troubleshooting guide.