The depth of cut is limited by the strength and thickness of the carbide insert, the rigidity of the machine and setup, the horsepower of the machine, and of course, the amount of material to be removed. An example of a relatively large depth of cut with an insert that produced large “9” shaped chips is shown in Figure F-28.
Edge wear and cratering are the most frequent tool breakdowns that occur. Edge wear (Figure F-29) is simply the breaking down of the tool relief.