Machining DataSheet for

General Information:
Material GroupP - Steel
Sub-GroupLow Carbon Steel
Tensile Strength500-650 [N/mm^2]
Machinability80%

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Machining Steel 1020

Steel 1020 is a Low Carbon Steel material with 0.2% carbon content. Most Carbon steels have between 0.08% to 1% carbon content. The machinability is very sensitive to the amount of carbon since carbon directly influences the hardness of steel. The "Sweet Spot" that yields the highest rating is 0.2%-0.3%.

Since Steel 1020 has a low carbon content, it is very soft; thus, it is almost impossible to break the chips, and "build up edge" ( BUE) is easily formed on the cutting edge. Therefore, although Its machinability rating is 80%, its a problematic material to machine. It is best to cut Steel 1020 with a sharp cutting edge to reduce built-up edge.

You can find here a list of machinability Ratings for different Carbon Steels.

Summery:

  • For general Turning of Steel 1020 at stable conditions use a grade with a Hard substrate and CVD coating.
  • In case you are running at a cutting speed that is lower than 490 SFM (150 m/min), it is better to use a grade with a
    • Hard substrate and PVD coating.
  • For general Milling use a grade with a Semi Hard substrate and PVD coating.
  • For detailed carbide grades recommendations, check the Below Chart, or use the Grades Wizrad.
  • Recommended Cutting speed range for turning at stable conditions is 980 - 1330 [SFM] / 300 - 405 [m/min].
  • Recommended Cutting speed range for milling with stable clamping and short overhang is 610 - 820 [SFM] / 185 - 250 [m/min]
  • For detailed cutting speed recomendations, check the Below Table, or use our Speed and Feed Calculator.

    • Equivalent International Designations for Steel 1020

    Standard Name
    sae1020
    wnr1.0402
    dinC22
    bs050A20
    ss1450
    anforCC20
    uniC20C21
    unfF.112

    Chemical Composition for Steel 1020

    Element Amount
    Manganese (Mn).30-.60%
    Carbon (C).18-.23%
    Sulfur (S)0.05%
    Phosphorus (P)0.04%

    Cutting Speeds Recomendations for Steel 1020

    * Click on the speeds below for higher precision in specific conditions!

    ApplicationVc (m/min)Vc (SFM)
    Turning300-405980-1330
    Milling185-250610-820
    Parting145-195480-640
    Grooving165-225540-740
    Drilling120-160390-520

    Important! The speed estimation is given for an ideal situation:

    • Most suitable carbide grade
    • Stable tool clamping
    • Stable workpiece clamping
    • Good quality raw material
    • A short overhang of the cutting tool.
    • Nominal hardness of the material.
    • etc.
    Click on the speeds in the above table to get better precision for specific parameters
    Or use our Speed and Feed Calculator


    Recommended Carbide Grades for Steel 1020

    * If you do nott understand the below table? Read This Explanation to make the most out of it!

    Grade for Turning

    Grade for Parting Off

    Grade for Grooving

    Grade for Milling (Indexable)

    Recommended Insert Cutting Edge Geometry for Steel 1020

    Honing Size:0.05-0.08 mm / 0.002-0.003"
    Rake Angle:11° -13°
    Land Angle:Positive
    Land Width:0.20-0.30 mm / 0.008-0.012"

    Learn more about carbide inserts Cutting-Edge Geometry Parameters.

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