[kdoney]

Since tools in a turret have to approach the workpiece from one angle, wouldn't tools have specialized shapes? For instance, you would have to make 2 tools one for facing and one for turning on a turret machine, right? Is there any place I can look up standard tool shapes being used on a automatic tool turret machine?

[tmarks11]

Lathe carbide tooling is generally designed to be mounted both perpendicular or parallel to the workpiece, and the tooling is generally interchangeable for facing or turning. Some tooling can do either turning or facing while mounted in one position, while other tooling has to be mounted in one orientation for facing and in the other orientation for turning.

If you look at manufacturers website for tooling, you will generally see what the purpose is. Look at the CNMG style (80 degree diamond) Kennametal, for example, on the Carbide Depot website. Each insert has a diagram with arrows that indicate if it should be used for turning, facing, or both:

Carbide Depot 80 DEG DIAMOND INSERTS (C)
Attachment 318674
Here you can see that Kennametal MCKNL/MCKNR holders are only designed for cutting along the edge, while MCLNL/MCLNR are designed for both end and edge cutting.

A tool that is designed only for end cutting has to be mounted in different orientations for turning and for facing (which you can do, but it occupies more turret spots to have dedicated tooling like this).

My general policy is to buy the variety that do both (I use primarily MCLNL/MCLNR holders).

If you go to the ISO decoding website to understand what the letters associated with the toolholder mean, you will discover that these letters describe the use:

Carbide Depot Toolholder ANSI Designation Chart

MCKNL/MCKNR toolholder, the third letter "K" means K = 15º end cutting, offset shank.
MCLNL/MCLNR toolholder, the third letter "L" means L = 5º side & end cut, offset shank
MCRNL/MCRNR toolholder, the third letter "R" means R = 15º side cutting, offset shank

Other dedicated tooling would be threading tools, which are with designed for either perpendicular or parallel positioning (not both) and boring bars are of course deigned to be parallel to the workpiece.

[MichaelHenry]

Tim - is the Carbide Depot site the one you were referring to in the "If you go to the ISO decoding website..." statement? I've been trying to bookmark a few such sites and if there is an actual ISO site, I've missed it but would like to check it out.

[tmarks11]

Tim - is the Carbide Depot site the one you were referring to in the "If you go to the ISO decoding website..." statement? I've been trying to bookmark a few such sites and if there is an actual ISO site, I've missed it but would like to check it out.

There might be, but I was referring to the tables at the Carbide Depot site which do a good job of listing out what the ISO/ANSI codes for tool holders are.

If you click on their "resources" tab they have a lot of other good stuff too, including the insert ANSI coding, feeds and speeds, etc. This link takes you to their consolidated resource page:

Carbide Depot Technical Resources for Manufacturing Professionals

[MichaelHenry]

Thanks Tim. There's a lot of info out there and I thought an ISO site might be the most comprehensive. Carbide Depot sure covers a lot of ground, though.