How to read Canela
The keys Canela prints in its own catalogs, gathered on one page: what each letter of a code means, which grade suits which material, which chipbreaker suits which cut. Every line names the catalog page it comes from.
- Catalog pages read
- 16
- Code keys
- 2
- Grades
- 21
- Chipbreakers
- 18
- Checked against the pages
- 6 November 2026
Read a code
Type a Canela turning insert or toolholder code. Each letter is read against the key Canela prints for it, as on page A23 for inserts and A63 for toolholders.
- 1 C Insert shape Rhombic 80° A01 p. A24
- 2 N Clearance angle 0° A01 p. A24
- 3 M Tolerance class m ±0.08–0.20 · d ±0.05–0.15 · s ±0.13 A01 p. A24
- 4 G Hole and chipbreaker Cylindrical hole, double-sided chipbreaker A01 p. A24
- 5 12 Insert size Inscribed circle 12.70 mm A01 p. A25
- 6 04 Thickness 4.76 mm A01 p. A25
- 7 08 Corner radius 0.8 mm A01 p. A25
- 8 MC Chipbreaker General purpose on all types of steel and stainless steel. A01 p. A04
- 9 TN15 Grade CVD coated carbide; on the grade chart P10–P25, M10–M25, K05–K20, S05–S15 A01 p. A08
Insert code key
An ISO turning insert code, position by position, with Canela’s own values. Take CNMG120408MC-TN15: C N M G are shape, clearance, tolerance and type, 12 04 08 are size, thickness and corner radius. After the corner radius come the chipbreaker and the grade, for example MC-TN15.
1Insert shapeA24
- V
- Rhombic 35°
- D
- Rhombic 55°
- E
- Rhombic 75°
- C
- Rhombic 80°
- M
- Rhombic 86°
- K
- Parallelogram 55°
- B
- Parallelogram 82°
- A
- Parallelogram 85°
- L
- Rectangular 90°
- P
- Pentagonal 108°
- H
- Hexagonal 120°
- O
- Octagonal 135°
- R
- Round
- S
- Square 90°
- T
- Triangular 60°
- W
- Trigon 80°
- X
- Special design
2Clearance angleA24
- A
- 3°
- B
- 5°
- C
- 7°
- D
- 15°
- E
- 20°
- F
- 25°
- G
- 30°
- N
- 0°
- P
- 11°
3Tolerance classA24
m: nose height, d: inscribed circle, s: thickness, in mm.
- A
- m ±0.005 · d ±0.025 · s ±0.025
- F
- m ±0.005 · d ±0.013 · s ±0.025
- C
- m ±0.013 · d ±0.025 · s ±0.025
- H
- m ±0.013 · d ±0.013 · s ±0.025
- E
- m ±0.025 · d ±0.025 · s ±0.025
- G
- m ±0.025 · d ±0.025 · s ±0.013
- J
- m ±0.005 · d ±0.05–0.15 · s ±0.025
- K
- m ±0.013 · d ±0.05–0.15 · s ±0.025
- L
- m ±0.025 · d ±0.05–0.15 · s ±0.025
- M
- m ±0.08–0.20 · d ±0.05–0.15 · s ±0.13
- N
- m ±0.08–0.20 · d ±0.05–0.15 · s ±0.025
- U
- m ±0.13–0.38 · d ±0.08–0.25 · s ±0.13
4Hole and chipbreakerA24
- N
- No hole, no chipbreaker
- R
- No hole, one-sided chipbreaker
- F
- No hole, double-sided chipbreaker
- A
- Cylindrical hole, no chipbreaker
- M
- Cylindrical hole, one-sided chipbreaker
- G
- Cylindrical hole, double-sided chipbreaker
- W
- Hole with one countersink (40–60°), no chipbreaker
- T
- Hole with one countersink (40–60°), one-sided chipbreaker
- Q
- Hole with double countersink (40–60°), no chipbreaker
- U
- Hole with double countersink (40–60°), double-sided chipbreaker
- B
- Hole with one countersink (70–90°), no chipbreaker
- H
- Hole with one countersink (70–90°), one-sided chipbreaker
- C
- Hole with double countersink (70–90°), no chipbreaker
- J
- Hole with double countersink (70–90°), double-sided chipbreaker
- X
- Special design
5Insert sizeA25
The symbol depends on the shape; the table gives the inscribed circle in mm.
| V | D | C | S | T | W | R | Inscribed circle, mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04 | 03 | 03 | 06 | 3.97 | |||
| 08 | 05 | 04 | 04 | 08 | 4.76 | ||
| 09 | 06 | 05 | 05 | 09 | 03 | 5.56 | |
| 06 | 6.00 | ||||||
| 11 | 07 | 06 | 06 | 11 | 04 | 6.35 | |
| 13 | 09 | 08 | 07 | 13 | 05 | 7.94 | |
| 08 | 8.00 | ||||||
| 16 | 11 | 09 | 09 | 16 | 06 | 9.52 | |
| 10 | 10.00 | ||||||
| 12 | 12.00 | ||||||
| 22 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 08 | 12.70 | |
| 19 | 16 | 15 | 27 | 10 | 15.87 | ||
| 16 | 16.00 | ||||||
| 23 | 19 | 19 | 33 | 13 | 19.00 | ||
| 20 | 20.00 | ||||||
| 27 | 22 | 22 | 38 | 22.22 | |||
| 25 | 25.00 | ||||||
| 31 | 25 | 25 | 44 | 25.40 | |||
| 38 | 32 | 31 | 54 | 31.75 | |||
| 32 | 32.00 |
Swipe the table sideways for the inscribed circle.
6ThicknessA25
- 01
- 1.59 mm
- 02
- 2.38 mm
- 03
- 3.18 mm
- T3
- 3.97 mm
- 04
- 4.76 mm
- 05
- 5.56 mm
- 06
- 6.35 mm
- 07
- 7.94 mm
- 09
- 9.52 mm
7Corner radiusA25
- 00
- 0.0 mm
- M0
- 0.0 mm
- 02
- 0.2 mm
- 04
- 0.4 mm
- 08
- 0.8 mm
- 12
- 1.2 mm
- 16
- 1.6 mm
- 20
- 2.0 mm
- 24
- 2.4 mm
- 32
- 3.2 mm
8Cutting edge conditionwhen givenA25
- F
- Sharp
- E
- Honed
- T
- Chamfered
- S
- Chamfered and honed
- K
- Double-chamfered
- P
- Double-chamfered and honed
9Cutting directionwhen givenA25
- R
- Right
- L
- Left
- N
- Neutral
The box label marks the material groups the insert suits: a filled dot for the main application, an empty dot for an extended one, with the feed (fz, mm/r) and the cutting speed (vc, m/min) for each. A23
Material groups
Grades and cutting data are given per ISO material group. Canela marks the groups on the box label and in every table.
- PSteel
- Machining, cementation, tempered and constructional steels.
- MStainless steel
- Canela’s English line for this group repeats group P on this page; the name is Canela’s.
- KCast iron
- Grey cast iron, tempered iron, spheroidal cast iron, CGI, sintered iron.
- NNon-ferrous materials
- Wrought and cast aluminium alloys, copper, copper alloys, non-metal materials.
- SHeat-resistant alloys and titanium
- Ni and Co-base alloys, Ti alloys.
- HHard materials
- Hardened steels (≥ 45 HRC), chilled castings, hard cast irons.
Source: A01 · A23.
Grades
Which grade suits which material, from Canela’s grade chart. A bar shows where the grade sits in each group, from the hardest-wearing end (05) to the toughest (40, 50).
| Grade | PP05–P50 | MM05–M40 | KK05–K40 | NN05–N30 | SS05–S30 | HH05–H30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KM15Uncoated carbide | not for this group | not for this group | K05–K20 | N05–N10 | S05 | not for this group |
| PM25Uncoated carbide | P20–P35 | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group |
| PM40Uncoated carbide | P25–P45 | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group |
| NC25Cermet | P05–P20 | M05–M15 | K05–K20 | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group |
| TN15CVD coated carbide | P10–P25 | M10–M25 | K05–K20 | not for this group | S05–S15 | not for this group |
| TK15CVD coated carbide | not for this group | not for this group | K10–K20 | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group |
| TN20CVD coated carbide | P15–P25 | not for this group | K10–K25 | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group |
| TN30CVD coated carbide | P25–P40 | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group |
| TN35CVD coated carbide | not for this group | M25–M40 | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group |
| ZR10PVD coated carbide | not for this group | not for this group | K05–K20 | N05–N10 | S05 | not for this group |
| TS15PVD coated carbide | not for this group | M10–M20 | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group |
| TS20PVD coated carbide | not for this group | M10–M30 | not for this group | not for this group | S10–S25 | not for this group |
| TIN25PVD coated carbide | P20–P35 | M20–M35 | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group | not for this group |
Bars are redrawn from the grade chart on A22; a range lists the rows a bar fully covers. Not on the chart: TL20, CX9, CC2, CX6, CW1, CC7, CB10, PD10; they are in the families below.
CVD coated carbideA08
- TN15
- TiCN+Al2O3+TiN
- TN20
- TiCN+Al2O3+TiN
- TN30
- TiCN+Al2O3+TiN
- TN35
- TiCN+Al2O3+TiN
- TK15
- TiCN+Al2O3
PVD coated carbideA10
- TL20
- TiAlN
- TS15
- TiAlN
- TS20
- TiN+TiAlN+TiN
- ZR10
- TiB2
- TIN25
- TiN-TiC-TiN
Uncoated carbideA12
- PM25
- WC+TiC+TaC+Co
- PM40
- WC+TiC+TaC+Co
- KM15
- WC+Co
CermetA14
- NC25
- Ti+W+Ta/Nb
CeramicA16
- CX9
- Al2O3, a trace of ZrO2
- CC2
- Al2O3+TiC
- CX6
- SiAlON
- CW1
- Composition not printed
- CC7
- Al2O3+TiC
CBN and PCDA18
- CB10
- CBN
- PD10
- PCD
Chipbreakers
Each chipbreaker works in a window of cutting depth and feed. Enter your cut to see which windows hold it.
A name with two dots, such as ..NMA, is read from letters 2 to 4 of the insert code itself (CNMA, WNMA). The windows are each chipbreaker’s main application area as printed on A04–A07; both scales are logarithmic, like the small charts beside each chipbreaker in the catalog.
Toolholder code key
The ISO toolholder code on Canela’s page A63, read on PCLNR2525M12, the toolholder that has a card in this preview.
1Clamping methodP
- C
- Top clamp
- D
- Dimple lock
- M
- Wedge clamp
- P
- Lever lock
- S
- Center screw
2Insert shapeC
- C
- Rhombic 80°
- D
- Rhombic 55°
- E
- Rhombic 75°
- K
- Parallelogram 55°
- R
- Round
- S
- Square
- T
- Triangular
- V
- Rhombic 35°
- W
- Trigon 80°
3Holder styleL
The angle as the key draws it.
- A
- 90°
- B
- 75°
- C
- 90°
- D
- 45°
- E
- 60°
- F
- 90°
- G
- 90°
- H
- 107°30′
- J
- 93°
- K
- 75°
- L
- 95°
- M
- 50°
- N
- 63°
- Q
- 117°30′
- R
- 75°
- S
- 45°
- T
- 60°
- V
- 72°30′
- X
- 113°
- Z
- 100°
4Insert clearance angleN
- B
- 5°
- C
- 7°
- N
- 0°
- P
- 11°
5HandR
- R
- Right
- L
- Left
- N
- Neutral
6Shank height25
In mm, written as two digits: 25 is 25 mm.
7Shank width25
In mm, written as two digits: 25 is 25 mm.
8Tool lengthM
- D
- 60 mm
- E
- 70 mm
- F
- 80 mm
- H
- 100 mm
- K
- 125 mm
- L
- 140 mm
- M
- 150 mm
- P
- 170 mm
- R
- 200 mm
- S
- 250 mm
- T
- 300 mm
- U
- 350 mm
- V
- 400 mm
- X
- Special
9Cutting edge length12
In mm, written as two digits: 12 is 12 mm.
Clamping systems
The first letter of a toolholder code names how it holds the insert. What Canela designs each system for, from page A62.
- DDimple lock
- Holds the insert still under high feed or heavily interrupted cuts.
- MWedge clamp
- Strong clamping for negative inserts in heavy duty work.
- M-KDouble lock
- Rigid clamping of negative inserts; first choice for negative ceramic and cermet inserts with a center hole.
- PLever lock
- A wide range of applications; first choice for general purpose turning holders.
- CTop clamp
- Flat positive inserts, with an added or a sintered chipbreaker.
- SCenter screw
- Positive inserts with a center hole, held by a Torx screw.
Where this comes from
Every value above was read from Canela’s own catalogs, page by page, on 6 November 2026. The metalworking knowledge base points to the same pages; the live site will take each manufacturer’s guide from it.
- A01Canela Turning InsertsA04, A05, A06, A07, A08, A10, A12, A14, A16, A18, A22, A23, A24, A25
- A02Canela ToolholdersA62, A63
In this preview the toolholder pages open in the library; the insert catalog opens on its shelf. On the live site every page reference opens its page.