Korloy
What is Korloy?
Korloy is a South Korean manufacturer of cutting tools founded in 1966. The company develops and manufactures machining tools designed for the metalworking industry, such as carbide inserts, drills, milling tools, and tool holding systems. Operating internationally, Korloy’s products are used in CNC machining, turning, milling, and drilling across various industries.
For machine shops and machining centers, Korloy is particularly known for its carbide-based solutions that combine innovative cutting edge geometries, chipbreaker technology, coating technologies, and carbide grades suitable for different ISO material groups.
The History of Korloy in the Metalworking Industry
Korloy was established in Seoul in the 1960s, a time of rapid industrial development in South Korea. The company launched its first production plant soon after its founding, and in the 1970s moved production to Cheongju, where its main operations are still located today.
During the 1980s, Korloy strengthened its research and development capabilities and expanded its expertise in carbide production and sintering processes. At the same time, the company adopted international quality systems like the ISO 9001 standard—a significant step toward global markets. Later, the company added the ISO 14001 environmental management standard to its operations.
Over the decades, Korloy has expanded into Europe, North America, and Asia by establishing subsidiaries and distribution networks, through which machinists and machine shops can access technical support and local service.
Korloy’s Product Range and Machining Tools
Korloy’s selection covers essential cutting tools for CNC machining. This includes turning inserts and tool holders for turning, milling inserts and cutters for milling, and a variety of drilling solutions, such as solid carbide and exchangeable insert drills. They also offer threading tools like taps and thread milling cutters.
Carbide is Korloy’s core material technology. Their carbide grades, based on tungsten carbide, are paired with advanced PVD and CVD coatings to enhance wear resistance, heat tolerance, and chip control. This makes their tools ideal for machining ISO P, ISO M, and ISO K material groups, such as steels, stainless steels, and cast irons in various machining applications.
For machinists, this means the ability to optimize cutting speeds, depths of cut, and feed rates based on the chosen material and machining strategy. The right cutting geometry and coating directly impact surface finish, tool life management, and process stability.
Korloy and Technological Development
Korloy is particularly invested in product development for cutting edge geometries, chipbreakers, and coating technology. In the metalworking industry, requirements increasingly focus on difficult-to-machine materials like heat-resistant steels and superalloys. In these applications, tool heat resistance, edge strength, and wear mechanism control are essential.
As digital systems become more widespread, tool data management—such as complying with the ISO 13399 standard—has become part of the modern machining environment. This supports CAM programming, toolpath simulation, and tool inventory control in the workshop.
Korloy as an International Player
Korloy operates on multiple continents through its own subsidiaries and dealers. Its units in Europe and the United States provide technical advice and application support for machining companies. This global presence enables consistent product standards and quality requirements across markets.
International reach is especially important for contract machine shops that are part of global supply chains and require unified tooling solutions across different production sites.
Summary
Founded in 1966, Korloy is a South Korean manufacturer of cutting tools whose product range includes tools for turning, milling, and drilling in CNC machining. The company is known for its carbide technology, coated inserts, and international operations. For machine shops, Korloy delivers solutions for machining different material groups as well as for enhancing process efficiency and managing tool life.
