Ford Global Powertrain needed to confirm the hypothesis that the cracks in the cylinder bores were caused by high cutting forces attributed to dull tools. Third Wave Systems’ AdvantEdge was selected to analyze the machining process. AdvantEdge analysis helped predict the forces at various stages of the tool wear of the inserts. The study helped ascertain the maximum allowable wear for the inserts and an effective tool change strategy to prevent the cracking from occurring in the future.