Tool Steels

Introduction

Encore Metals and its predecessors have been supplying steels to Western Canada since 1892. In the early days, stocks mainly consisted of mining and tool steels which were supplied directly to the mines and logging camps. Gradually the range of steels was extended to include alloy machinery and spring steels and shortly before World War II very small quantities of stainless steel. These were probably the first such inventories in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Tool Steels are a category of steels used to shape, cut and form an extremely wide variety of metals and other materials. The first known use of iron for tools dates back at least 6000 years. The fact that tools made from iron could be made harder by heating and quenching in water was known about 3000 years ago. Heating of iron in the solid state in contact with carbonaceous materials to produce hard tools was an art employed by blacksmiths and metal workers through the Dark and Middle Ages. It was not until 1740 that Sheffield steelmakers used a crucible melting process to produce iron carbon alloys of more homogeneous nature; these were similar to the water hardening steel, type W1 grade, produced today. It was in the mid-19th century that the benefits of alloy elements such as manganese, vanadium and tungsten became apparent, although the alloying was often accidental due to the coincidental deposition of these other elements in an iron ore body. At the turn of the century an understanding of alloying benefits commenced which, as more alloying elements became available, led progressively to controlled steelmaking additions of manganese, vanadium, tungsten, cobalt, chromium, nickel and molybdenum. This led to the evolution of today's range of specialized tool steels for cold and hot working of metals, molding plastics, as well as many other special purposes.2011

AISI 01

Specialty - AISI 01 Cold Work Grades Tool Steels Rounds, Flats, Plates, Drill Rod, Precision Ground Flats
Typical Analysis
C Mn Cr V W
.95 1.1 .6 .1 .6
Characteristics
  • Good edge holding ability
  • High hardenability, Low distortion in Heat-Treating
Typical Applications
  • Blanking and forming dies for short to medium production runs.
  • Measuring Tools, gauges, jogs and fixtures, Shear Blades
Typical Heat Treatment
Soft annealing 740-770℃ Cooling Furnace Hardness HB max. 230
Hardening from 780-820℃ Oil or hot bath 180-220℃ Hardness after quenching in HRC 64
Tempering
100 200 300 400
HRC 64 62 57 53
Property Tolerances
  • Standard Tolerances - Length: 36 inches
    AISI 01 Ground and Polished Drill Rod
    Size Range +/-
    2.000 to .500 .001
    .499 to .125 .0005
    .124 and less .0003
    Precision Ground Flat Stock
    Thickness +/-.001
    Width Up to 6" + .005/-.000

    Over 6" to 8" + .008/-.000
    Length + .250" - .000"

AISI A2, AISI D2

Specialty - AISI A2
Typical Analysis
C Cr Mo V
1.0 5.3 1.1 0.2
Characteristics
  • Higher hardenability
  • Very low distortion in heat treatment, high wear resistance and toughness
Typical Applications
  • Blanking and forming dies
  • Cold pilger mandrels, Cold coining dies, Punches, shear blades
Typical Heat Treatment
Soft annealing 800-840℃ Cooling Furnace Hardness HB max. 231
Hardening from 930-970℃ Oil or hot bath 500-550℃ Hardness after quenching in HRC 63
Tempering
100 200 300 400 500 600
HRC 63 62 59 57 59 52
Specialty - AISI D2
Typical Analysis
C Cr Mo V
1.55 12 .7 1.0
Characteristics
  • Highest wear resistance combined with good toughness
  • Best edge holding quality and dimensional stability after tempering
Typical Applications
  • Thread Rolling dies, Cold extrusion tools
  • Blanking and forming dies, precision blanking dies
  • Circular Shear Blades, Deep drawing tools
Typical Heat Treatment
Soft annealing 830-860℃ Cooling Furnace Hardness HB max. 250
Hardening from 1000-1050℃ Oil or hot bath 500-550℃ Hardness after quenching in HRC 63
Tempering
100 200 300 400 500 600
HRC 63 61 58 58 58 50

AISI S7, AISI H13 and H13 ESR

Specialty - AISI S7
Typical Analysis
C Cr Mo
.5 3.25 1.4
Characteristics
  • Most commonly used shock resisting tool steel
  • Very good toughness with medium hardenability
Typical Applications
  • Trimming Tools, Ejectors, Shear Blades, Chippers
  • Hammers, Swaging Dies
Typical Heat Treatment
Soft annealing 815-845℃ Cooling Furnace Hardness HB 187-223
Hardening from 925-950℃ In air or oil Hardness after quenching in HRC 61
Tempering
100 200 300 400 550 575
HRC 59 57 56 56 52 45
Specialty - AISI H13 and
H13 ESR
  • Hot Work Grades
Typical Analysis
C Si Cr Mo V
.40 1.0 5.3 1.4 1.0
Characteristics
  • High hot tensile strength, hot wear resistance and toughness
  • Good thermal conductivity and resistance to hot cracking
  • Excellent machinability due to additional calcium treatment
Typical Applications
  • Universal applicable Hot Work Tool Steel for pressure diecasting dies
  • Metal extrusion tools for processing light metals
  • Forging Dies, Moulds, Worms and Cylinders for processing plastics
  • For highest demands H13 ESR is suggested
Typical Heat Treatment
Soft annealing 750-800℃ Cooling Furnace Hardness HB max. 230
Hardening from 1020-1050℃ Oil or hot bath 500-500℃ Hardness or tensile Strength after quenching in HRC 54 N/mm² 1910
Tempering
100 200 300 400 500 550 600 650 700
HRC 53 52 52 54 56 54 50 42 32
N/mm² 1850 1790 1790 1910 2050 1910 1670 1330 1020

AISI M2, AISI P20

Specialty - AISI M2
  • High Speed Steels
Typical Analysis
C Si Cr V W
.90 4.1 5. 1.9 6.4
Characteristics
  • Standard high speed steel grade with balanced alloy composition
  • High toughness and good cutting power
Typical Applications
  • For all Metal for Roughing, Finishing, Twist Drills, Milling Cutters Taps, Broaches, Reamers, Counter-sinks, Chasers Suitable for Cold Forming Tools, Cold Extrusion Rams and Dies
Typical Heat Treatment
Soft annealing 820-860℃ 1st preheating °C up to approx. 400 in an air circulating furnace

2nd and 3rd Preheating ℃ a) 850 b) 850 and 1050
Cooling Furnace Hardening in a) hot bath 550℃/air b) oil c) air from 1180-1220℃

Tempering ℃ min. two times 530-560
Hardness HB 240-300 Hardness after quenching in HRC 61
Specialty - AISI P20
  • Plastic Mould Steels
Typical Analysis
C Mn Cr Mo
.40 1.5 1.9 .20
Characteristics
  • Quenched and tempered, Hardness as Supplied 280 to 325 HB
  • Excellent machinability due to additional calcium Treatment
  • Good polishability, Suitable for Texturing
Typical Applications
  • Plastic Injection Moulds, Mould Frames, Pressure Casting Dies, Pultrusion Dies
Typical Heat Treatment
Soft annealing 710-870℃ Cooling Furnace Hardness HB max. 235
Hardening from 840-870℃ Oil or hot bath 180-220℃ Hardness or tensile Strength after quenching in HRC 54 N/mm² 1730
Tempering
100 200 300 400 500 600 700
HRC 51 50 48 46 42 36 28
N/mm² 1730 1670 1570 1480 1330 1140 920

P20 + S, 420 and 420 ESR

Specialty - AISI P20 +S
  • Plastic Mould Grades
Typical Analysis
C Mn Cr Mo S
.40 1.5 1.9 .20 .05
Characteristics
  • Hardness as supplied 280-325 BH
  • Improved machinability to P20 with good polishability
Typical Applications
  • Plastic Moulds, Mould Frames and Pressure Casting Dies
  • Sleeves of Recipients
Typical Heat Treatment
  • Refer to Information for P20
Specialty - AISI 420 and 420 ESR
  • Plastic Mould Grades
Typical Analysis
C Cr
.42 13
Characteristics
  • Corrosion resistance plus good polishability
  • Good machinability due to the additional calcium treatment
  • For severe applications 420 ESR is suggested
Typical Applications
  • Moulds for processing corrosive plastics
Typical Heat Treatment
Soft annealing 760-800℃ Cooling Furnace Hardness HB max. 230
Hardening from 1020-1050℃ Oil or hot bath 500-550℃ Hardness after quenching in HRC 56
Tempering
100 200 300 400 500
HRC 56 55 52 51 52

Machining Allowance

When purchasers order hot rolled, forged, cold drawn or thermally treated products that are to be machined, it is necessary to make adequate allowances to remove surface decarburization by specifying appropriate larger sizes when ordering. It is essential that the allowance be observed when removing surface metal:

Diameter Allowance Over Finished Size
Up to ⅝" (16 mm) Incl. .032" (0.80 mm)
Over ⅝" (16 mm) to ⅞" (22 mm) Incl. .042" (1.07 mm)
Over ⅞" (22 mm) to 1" (25 mm) Incl. .046" (1.17 mm)
Over 1" (25 mm) to 1 ⅛" (29 mm) Incl. .050" (1.27 mm)
Over 1-⅛" (29 mm) to 1-¼" (32 mm) Incl. .056" (1.42 mm)
Over 1-¼" (32 mm) to 1-⅜" (35 mm) Incl. .060" (1.52 mm)
Over 1-⅜" (35 mm) to 1-½" (38 mm) Incl. .060" (1.52 mm)
Over 1-¼" (32 mm) to 1-⅜" (35 mm) Incl. .066" (1.68 mm)
Over 1-½" (38 mm) to 2" (50 mm) Incl. .084" (2.13 mm)
Over 2" (50 mm) to 2-½" (64 mm) Incl. 104" (2.64 mm)
Over 2-½" (64 mm) to 3-½" (90 mm) Incl. 144" (3.66 mm)
Over 3-½" (90 mm) to 4-½" (115 mm) Incl. 180" (4.57 mm)
Over 4-½" (115 mm) to 5-½" (140 mm) Incl. 220" (5.59 mm)
Over 5-½" (140 mm) to 6-½" (165 mm) Incl. 250" (6.35 mm)
Over 6-½" (165 mm) to 8" (200 mm) Incl. 310" (7.87 mm)
Over 8" (200 mm) to 9" (230 mm) Incl. 406" (10.31 mm)

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