A cutting tool for performing cutting operations on a workpiece when the cutting tool is rotated about a central axis by a machine tool, the cutting tool includes a generally cylindrical body disposed about the central axis. The generally cylindrical body includes a first end and an opposite second end. The cutting tool further includes a cutting portion and a mounting portion. The cutting portion is disposed at or about the first end of the generally cylindrical body and includes a number of cutting edges structured to engage the workpiece during cutting operations. The mounting portion is disposed at or about the opposite second end of the generally cylindrical body and is structured to be coupled to the machine tool. At least a portion of the generally cylindrical body comprises a molded portion formed via a molding process about the cutting portion in a manner that couples the cutting portion to the generally cylindrical body.

A surface-coated titanium carbonitride-based cermet cutting tool is a surface-coated TiCN-based cermet cutting tool in which a Ti compound layer that is a hard coating layer is deposited as a first layer on the surface of a TiCN-based cermet body containing W and Mo, and a Mo-enriched layer having an average thickness of 0.5 to 10 nm is formed at an interface between a TiCN phase of the body and the hard coating layer.

A cutting element, which is configured for the machining of a non-metallic composite material composed of a matrix and particles held together by the matrix, has a flank face, a rake face and a cutting edge which is coated with an edge coating and via which the flank face and the rake face are connected to one another, with which the non-metallic composite material can be machined in an improved fashion. The cutting edge within a cutting edge section thereof is curved in such a way that the cutting edge immediately beneath the edge coating in a section in a section plane that is perpendicular to the cutting edge has, at every point of the cutting edge section, a local radius of curvature which is greater than or equal to 10 m and less than or equal to 80 m.

A method for producing a coated cutting tool for metal machining having a substrate and coating is provided. The coating includes at least one layer of (Ti,Al)N having a cubic crystal phase. The method includes the deposition of a layer of Ti.sub.1-xAl.sub.xN, 0.70x0.98, the Ti.sub.1-xAl.sub.xN having cubic crystal phase. The layer of Ti.sub.1-xAl.sub.xN is deposited by cathodic arc evaporation at a vacuum chamber pressure of from 7 to 15 Pa of N.sub.2 gas, using a DC bias voltage of from 200 to 400 V and using an arc discharge current of from 75 to 250 A. A coated cutting tool for metal machining having a coating including a (Ti,Al)N multi-layer of alternating sub-layers of at least Ti.sub.1-yAl.sub.yN and Ti.sub.1-zAl.sub.zN, 0.35y0.65 and 0.80z0.98, with only cubic phase present is also provided.