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AISI A2 tool steel is an air-hardening medium-alloy cold-work tool steel that is widely used, offering a favorable balance between wear resistance and toughness. Currently one of the most popular tool steels in the United States, it is commonly employed in high-precision tool manufacturing, such as gauges, precision measuring instruments, and complex dies for forming, […]

AISI D2 tool steel is a high-carbon, high-chromium steel that serves as the cornerstone for numerous demanding industrial applications. With its exceptional wear resistance, high hardness, and dimensional stability, D2 is the material of choice for long-lasting dies, blanking, forming, thread rolling, deep drawing, and shearing tools. However, while increasing the hardness of D2 steel

Extreme temperatures and pressures encountered in hot-working applications, such as forging, die casting, and extrusion, pose significant challenges to tool steels, often leading to failure due to wear, plastic deformation, and thermal fatigue. Selecting tool steel that maintains performance under severe conditions and prevents premature failure is crucial for achieving efficient and cost-effective production. Within

P20 tool steel finds extensive application in mold manufacturing and die casting. This low-alloy steel is typically supplied in a pre-hardened state (hardness approximately 30-40 HRC), enabling direct machining into complex molds without additional high-temperature heat treatment, thereby minimizing deformation and dimensional changes. It offers excellent machinability, polishability, and wear resistance. Primary applications include plastic

H13 tool steel stands as a powerhouse in the hot-work category, widely celebrated for its exceptional combination of hot hardness, toughness, and resistance to thermal fatigue. Its unique properties make it an indispensable material in demanding high-temperature applications such as die casting molds, hot forging dies, and hot extrusion tooling. This widespread adoption underscores its

Tool steel is a specialized steel designed for machining, forming, and cutting metals and plastics under demanding conditions. Among these, D2 tool steel stands out as the “workhorse” in cold working applications, offering high hardness, excellent wear resistance, and outstanding dimensional stability after heat treatment. This article will delve into the composition and core characteristics

A2 Tool Steel is a prominent air-hardening, medium-alloy cold-work tool steel, recognized for its balanced properties and significant attainable hardness. This steel, part of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) classification system, typically contains carbon, chromium,  molybdenum, and vanadium. These alloying elements contribute to its excellent wear resistance and high hardenability, allowing for air

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of D2 steel‘s properties, examining its chemical composition and revealing the metallurgical principles that determine its performance. For decades, it has served as a benchmark for performance, a workhorse material prized for its remarkable ability to resist wear and hold a sharp edge through demanding tasks. D2 tool steel

H13 tool steel is the most widely used steel among hot-work die steels, serving as a benchmark in this category. Therefore, the failure of H13 steel is a topic worthy of thorough discussion. Drawing upon our company’s over 20 years of industry experience and the latest international research findings, this article summarizes common factors contributing

H13 steel heat treatment’s purpose is to transform the steel’s microstructure to achieve desired properties such as high hardness, toughness, and superior hot hardness. The heat treatment process for H13, like other tool steels, generally involves four key stages: preheating, austenitizing, quenching, and tempering. What is H13 steel? H13 tool steel is a steel grade