Mild steel (low carbon steel) is used for machining and insert materials for single point cutting tool are of cubic boron nitride (CBN-grade tnma160408) (used for both finishing and roughing), cermet insert (for finishing), carbide insert (for roughing).

Besides steel and cast iron, also other metal materials are used in machine tool structures. Light metal alloys such as aluminum alloys have a significantly lower density compared to steel and cast iron. Thus, masses of moving machine components can be reduced.

Cutting tool materials are materials that are used to make cutting tools which are used in machining (drill bits, tool bits, milling cutters, etc.) but not other cutting tools like knives or punches. Cutting tool materials must be harder than the material of the workpiece, even at high temperatures during the process.

There are basically three types of tool material: tool steels; metal carbides; ceramics, including diamond-like materials.