Aobo Steel supply A2 steel for your project
Premium A2 Tool Steel Supplier for Unmatched Durability
A2 tool steel, or DIN 1.2363, is a deep-hardening, air-hardening tool steel. Due to its air-hardening properties, the deformation caused by hardening is about one-fourth that of tungsten-based oil-hardening tool steel. Its wear resistance is between chromium-type and high-carbon high-chromium-type tool steels, but its toughness is superior. This makes it especially suitable for applications requiring good wear resistance, toughness, and dimensional stability. It is widely used in blanking dies, forming dies, rolling dies, punch dies, calendering dies, thread rolling dies, and specific cutting blades.
The designation in the U.S. ASTM A681 system is A2. The grade is also AISI A2 tool steel in the AISI system. Similar designations in other national standards include ISO 100CrMoV5, Japan/JIS SKD12, USA/UNS T30102, Germany/DIN X100CrMoV5-1, and Germany/W-Nr. 1.2363. In the following article, we use A2 steel as a substitute.
Most cost-effective, high-quality supplier of D2 steel
We offer both D2 electric furnace steel and D2 ESR steel. Considering our customers’ purchasing costs, we produce D2 round bars with diameters under 200mm using the electric furnace method, which can meet Ultrasonic testing (UT) Sep 1921-84 D/d flaw detection. Customers can purchase high-standard D2 round bars at a lower cost. We adopt the ESR process for diameters above 200mm to ensure that the internal structure can meet Ultrasonic testing (UT) Sep 1921-84 E/e flaw detection.
Excellent D2 Forged Steel Supplier
Aobo Steel has over 20 years of experience in forging D2 steel, giving us a deep practical understanding of quality control in this field. Our D2 forged steel products mainly come in round bar, plate, and block shapes. We have over 40 suppliers providing the best processing services, enabling us to offer advantages such as short lead times, stable quality, and competitive prices.
Suply Range
The shapes of steel that Aobo Steel produces include A2 tool round bars and A2 plates.
| Shape | Size | Length | Surface finish | tolerance |
| round bar | diameter 20mm-400mm | length 2500mm-5800mm | black | 0/+5mm |
| peeled | 0/+5mm | |||
| turned(machined) | 0/+2mm | |||
| plate | width*thickness 100mm-800mm*10mm-400mm | length 2500mm-5800mm | black | 0/+5mm |
| peeled | 0/+5mm | |||
| turned(machined) | 0/+2mm |
A2 tool steel equivalent grades and chemical composition under different standards
| Standard | Grade | C (%) | Cr (%) | Mo (%) | V (%) | Si (%) | Mn (%) | P (%) | S (%) |
| ASTM A681:2007 | A2/T30102 | 0.95 – 1.05 | 4.80 – 5.50 | 0.90 – 1.40 | 0.15 – 0.35 | 0.10 – 0.50 | 0.40 – 1.00 | ≤0.030 | ≤0.030 |
| JIS G4404:2006 | SKD12 (X100CrMoV51) | 0.95 – 1.05 | 4.80 – 5.50 | 0.90 – 1.20 | 0.15 – 0.35 | 0.10 – 0.40 | 0.40 – 0.80 | ≤0.030 | ≤0.030 |
| ISO 4957:1999 | X100CrMoV51 | 0.95 – 1.05 | 4.80 – 5.50 | 0.90 – 1.20 | 0.15 – 0.35 | 0.10 – 0.40 | 0.40 – 0.80 | ≤0.030 | ≤0.030 |
| EN ISO 4957:2001 | X100CrMoV51 1.2363 | 0.95 – 1.05 | 4.80 – 5.50 | 0.90 – 1.20 | 0.15 – 0.35 | 0.10 – 0.40 | 0.40 – 0.80 | ≤0.030 | ≤0.030 |
| GB/T 1299—2000 | Cr5Mo1V/T20503 | 0.95 – 1.05 | 4.75 – 5.50 | 0.90 – 1.40 | 0.15 – 0.50 | ≤0.50 | ≤1.00 | ≤0.030 | ≤0.030 |
A2 steel physical properties
1. Critical Point Temperature
| Critical Point | Temperature (Approximate) / °C |
|---|---|
| Ac₁ | 795 |
| Accm | — |
| Ms | 168 |
2. Linear Expansion Coefficient
| Temperature / °C | Linear Expansion Coefficient α / × 10⁻⁶ °C⁻¹ |
|---|---|
| 20 ~ 100 | 8.2 |
| 20 ~ 300 | 11.3 |
| 20 ~ 500 | 12.4 |
| 20 ~ 700 | 12.9 |
3. Other Physical Properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Density (g/cm³) | 7.84 |
| Elastic Modulus E (Room Temperature) / MPa | 203,000 |
| Specific Heat Capacity c_p / [J/(kg·K)] | 460.55 |
Hot Forging Process Specification
Forging Process Specifications
| Item | Heating Temperature (°C) | Initial Forging Temperature (°C) | Final Forging Temperature (°C) | Cooling Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steel Ingot | 1100 ~ 1150 | 1050 ~ 1100 | 850 ~ 900 | High-temperature annealing, pit cooling, or sand cooling |
| Steel Billet | 1050 ~ 1100 | 1000 ~ 1050 | 850 ~ 900 | Pit cooling or sand cooling |
A2 tool steel Heat Treatment
1. Pre-Heat Treatment Process Specifications
| Pre-Heat Treatment Plan | Process Parameters |
|---|---|
| General Annealing, after Forging | Heating temperature: 840 ~ 870℃, holding time: 2 ~ 3h; furnace cooling to below 550℃, air cooling, hardness ≤248HBW |
| Isothermal Annealing after Forging | Heating temperature: 830 ~ 850℃, holding time: 2h; isothermal temperature: 710 ~ 730℃, holding time: 2 ~ 4h, furnace cooling to 500℃, air cooling to room temperature, hardness ≤248HBW |
2. Quenching
Recommended Quenching Process
| Scheme | First Preheating Temperature (°C) | Second Preheating Temperature (°C) | Quenching Temperature (°C) | Cooling Method | Hardness (HRC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 300 ~ 400 | 800 ~ 850 | 940 ~ 960 | Air or Oil Cooling | 62 ~ 63 |
| II | 300 ~ 400 | 800 ~ 850 | 980 ~ 1010 | Air or Oil Cooling | 62 ~ 65 |
Effect of Quenching Temperature on Hardness
| Quenching Temperature (°C) | 875 | 900 | 960 | 980 | 1020 | 1050 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardness (HRC) | 46.5 | 54 | 64.5 | 64.5 | 63 | 58 |
3. Tempering
Recommended Tempering Process
| Tempering Scheme | Tempering Temperature (°C) | Number of Tempering Cycles | Hardness (HRC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | 180 ~ 220 | 1 | 60 ~ 64 |
| II | 510 ~ 520 | 2 | 57 ~ 60 |
Hardness and retained austenite as a function of tempering
The graph illustrates the trade-off between hardness and retained austenite in A2 tool steel during tempering.
Effect of Tempering Temperature on Hardness
| Hardness (HRC) | ||||||||
| Tempering Temperature (°C) | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 450 | 500 | 520 | 580 |
| 954°C Quenching | 64.5 | 62 | 58 | 57 | 56 | 59 | 56 | 51 |
| 982°C Quenching | 65 | 62 | 58 | 58 | 56 | 58 | 57 | 51.5 |
A2 steel Applications
A2 steel excels in producing precise stamping dies, such as drawing dies, stretching dies, and forming dies, and can withstand repeated impact loads and wear.
Blanking Dies:
A2 steel’s toughness and wear resistance balance are ideal for blanking dies used in stamping and cutting operations.Forming Tools:
Its toughness ensures long service life, making A2 perfect for forming tools that endure mechanical stress.Punches and Shear Blades:
A2 steel’s wear resistance allows for producing durable punches and shear blades that withstand repeated use.Plastic Molds:
A2 offers excellent dimensional stability and resistance to stress, making it a top choice for precision plastic injection molding.
Why should you choose Aobo Steel as your tool steel supplier?
At Aobo Steel, we pride ourselves on our exceptional supply capacity and dedication to meeting customer demands. Our monthly shipments exceed 1,500 tons in the Chinese market, reflecting our robust production and delivery capabilities. With a strong network of over 40 trusted suppliers, we ensure a steady supply of high-quality tool steels to meet various industry needs.
To provide even greater flexibility, we maintain stock for select products, allowing us to fulfill urgent orders quickly. Additionally, we specialize in fully customizable solutions, tailoring our products to your exact specifications for optimal application performance.
Our strategic location near the Yangtze River gives us a significant advantage in export logistics, enabling fast and cost-effective shipping to customers worldwide. Whether you need standard products or custom orders, Aobo Steel is committed to delivering reliability, quality, and service excellence.
At Aobo Steel, quality control is at the heart of our operations. Our dedicated testing team with over 20 years of experience ensures every product meets the highest standards before leaving our facility. Our comprehensive quality assurance process includes chemical composition analysis, metallographic examination, hardness testing, physical performance evaluation, and ultrasonic testing (UT) to detect internal defects.
To guarantee reliability, we perform 100% quality inspection on all products before shipment, ensuring they meet the required specifications and industry standards. Additionally, we support third-party inspections upon request to provide our customers with extra confidence in the quality of our materials. With this rigorous approach, Aobo Steel consistently delivers tool steels that offer superior performance and dependability in various applications.
At Aobo Steel, our service capacity is designed to meet diverse customer needs efficiently and precisely. We provide fully customizable products, offering surface treatments, descaling, and custom-length cutting options to suit specific requirements. Our experienced foreign trade team is well-versed in handling international orders, ensuring smooth communication and seamless transactions.
To provide the best service, we guarantee a 24-hour rapid response to all inquiries, allowing us to address your needs promptly and effectively. At Aobo Steel, we are committed to delivering high-quality tool steels and exceptional customer service to support your success.
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