CNC machining: Hardness of insert coating materials

Written By Ashish Kumar S

November 10, 2025

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CNC – Hardness of various insert coating materials

Here’s a comparison of the hardness of various coating materials used on cutting tools and inserts.

Colours of various coating materials.

By the way, coated inserts today account for 90 % of all inserts used, worldwide.

See this earlier post for what exactly coated carbide is Text and pics. source: CADEM NCyclopedia multimedia CNC training software.

Author

Ashish Kumar S

cadem

Ashish brings strong techno-commercial depth across CNC productivity solutions, CAD/CAM systems, and skill development initiatives. As the face of CADEM’s CNC ecosystem, he drives solution adoption and market growth by aligning advanced manufacturing software with real-world production challenges. A passionate advocate of CNC education in India, he actively engages with customers and students to bridge the gap between industry needs and workforce readiness.

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