# Materials

Reference for material documents in the Library — fields and classification groups.

Source: https://support.toolingmetrics.com/en/library/reference/materials/
Updated: 2026-10-29

A **Material** defines a workpiece material. Materials are assigned to Parts and used to select appropriate Cutting Data in the machining calculator.

## Fields

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **Name** | Material name (e.g., *S 45C*, *AlSi10Mg*). |
| **Standard** | Material standard designation (e.g., DIN, JIS, ASTM). |
| **ISO group** | ISO 513 classification group. Used by the machining calculator to filter cutting conditions. See [ISO material groups](#iso-material-groups) below. |
| **VDI 3323** | VDI 3323 classification. Provides additional grouping for cutting data selection. |
| **Hardness** | Hardness value and unit (HB, HRC, or HV). Affects cutting data recommendations. |
| **Density** | Material density (g/cm³). Used in some cutting result calculations. |
| **Notes** | Free-text notes about the material. |

## ISO material groups

| Group | Description | Example materials |
|---|---|---|
| P | Steel | Carbon steel, alloy steel, tool steel |
| M | Stainless steel | Austenitic, ferritic, martensitic |
| K | Cast iron | Grey cast iron, nodular cast iron |
| N | Non-ferrous metals | Aluminium alloys, copper alloys |
| S | High-temperature alloys | Titanium alloys, nickel-based superalloys |
| H | Hardened materials | Hardened steel, chilled cast iron |

## Preloaded materials

Tooling Metrics ships with a preloaded database of common workpiece materials. Search existing materials before creating a custom one. Custom materials are scoped to your organization and are not shared with other organizations.