Tool Material Identification

Tool and Die Materials by Tool Type

Repair and maintenance work starts with the material, because what a tool is made of decides how it is welded, hardened and ground. This page lists the tool types a mold, tool and die shop meets and the materials normally used for each of them, from blades, dies and molds through punches, hobs and gages to taps and press tools. The material names are given as they appear in the source, which mixes AISI grades, Werkstoff numbers and trade designations such as D2, 1.2767, EN30B and 420mod. This is a reference summary of published practice and not an Aobo Steel specification.

How to use the table

The list keeps the source grouping and runs in alphabetical order, so an entry reading Dies, hobbing is the hobbing row in the dies group. Where the source gives a tool type more than one material, the choice between them comes down to wear resistance against toughness for that particular tool.

Read the material column as the types of material that are used for the tool, not as a specification for it. A shop that has to weld or re-harden a die still has to know what the die is actually made of, and the entry only tells you what is likely.

Tool types and the material types used for them

Types of tool and their possible material type

Types of toolPossible types of material
AnvilsW1
Axes1045
Blades, flying shearD2
Blades, granulatorD2
Blades, hot shearingH13
Blades, rotary shearO1
Blades, shearA2, S1, L6
Blades, shear for hard thin materialsD3
Blades, shear heavy duty coldD3
Blades, shear thick materials1.2767
Blocks, die, cold, high pressing stress6F5
BroachesO1
BushingsO1
CamsO1
Centers, latheO1, L3
Chasers1.2419
Chisels, handS1
Chisels, pneumaticS1
Chucks, colletW1
Chucks, splitS4
ColletsO1
Cores, hammerW2
Cores, hot working1.2567
Cutters, circular for cold rolled stripD2
Cutters, millingO1
Cutters, strip splittingO1
Dies, wire drawingD2
Dies, blankingD2, D3, S1
Dies, coiningA2, O1, S1
Dies, cold workingW2
Dies, cuppingD2
Dies, cuttingW110
Dies, cutting, hotS1
Dies, deep drawing for sheet metalD2
Dies, die castingH13
Dies, die forging, small to medium workL6, S4
Dies, die-casting, to be hobbedP4
Dies, embossing6F5, 1.2762
Dies, embossing, hollowW110
Dies, embossing, largeW110
Dies, extrusion, cold workingD2
Dies, extrusion for aluminum and copperH13, H21
Dies, extrusion for rubber bonded syntheticsH13, H21
Dies, extrusion, hot workingH19
Dies, forging, cold workingA2, H13
Dies, forging, hot working (non-excessive temps.)S1
Dies, forging, hot workingH13, H21
Dies, forging, hot working, heavy duty1.2744
Dies, forming for sheet metalD2
Dies, gravity, for aluminum die castingH13, H21
Dies, gripperH13
Dies, hammer, drop forgeL6
Dies, headingD2A, L6
Dies, heading, cold workingA2, L6, H13
Dies, hobbingD2, L6
Dies, hot extrusionH21
Dies, hot working for non-ferrous metals1.2567, H21
Dies, leatherW1
Dies, lower, hot workingH21
Dies, medium runO1
Dies, molding partL6
Dies, molding for abrasive powder (ceramic)D3
Dies, molding, synthetic plasticP4, 1.2738
Dies, nail making, cold workingS1
Dies, plastic, corrosive420
Dies, pressing, chemically aggressive compounds1.2316
Dies, pressing, component1.2744, 1.2766, H12
Dies, pressure, for aluminum and zinc die castH13, H21
Dies, punchingW108, W110, A2, D2
Dies, resin (artificial), highly stressedP6
Dies, resin, corrosive420
Dies, snapW108, S1
Dies, split hot headingH13
Dies, swaging, hot working (non-excessive temps.)S1
Dies, thread rollingA2, D2, D3
Dies, threadingL3
Dies, trimmingA2, D2
Files1.2008
Gages, masterD3
Gages, plugD2, O1
Gages, ringD2, O1
HammersW1, 1045
Hobs, cuttingO1
Hobs, master, for cold hobbingD2, D3, L6, M2, T1
Jaws, chuckO1
Knives, cloth cuttingO1
Knives, paper cuttingO1
Knives, resin bonded material cuttingA2
Knives, wood cuttingA2
Liners, mold, for bricks and tilesD3
Mandrels, for aluminum tube drawingH13
Mandrels, for copper tube drawingH13
Mandrels, for steel tube drawingS1
Molds, aluminum or zinc die castH13, H21
Molds, chemically aggressive material420, 420mod.
Molds, complicated/intricateA2, D2, O1
Molds, compressionH13
Molds, compression, for lead, zinc and tin alloys420, 420mod.
Molds, compressive, highEN30B
Molds, cuttingEN30B, 410
Molds, cutting, high wear resistingD2
Molds, die casting, heavy duty420, 420mod.
Molds, glass420
Molds, long production runA2, D2, O1, 420mod.
Molds, plastic, cutD2
Molds, plastic injection, very high polish420mod.
Molds, plastic injection, very largeP20
Molds, presser casting, for light metalsH11
Molds, pressure casting1.2567
Molds, pressure casting, brassH19
Molds, rubber sealD2
Molds, transferH13
Pins, core, for moldsD2
Pins, ejectorH13, L1
PlungersH13
Presses, metal extruding, non-ferrous metalsH12
Punches, blankingD3
Punches, cold workingL2
Punches, cutting, complicated1.2127
Punches, drawingO1
Punches, engravingS1
Punches, headS1
Punches, high silicon and transformer materialD2, D3
Punches, hot workingH13, S1
Punches, stainless steel sheet and plateD2
Punches, steel sheet and plateD2, D3
Punches, tableting for abrasive and corrosive powdersD3
ReamersL3, D3, D2, O1
Rings, hammer roll1.2766
Rollers, sheet metal formingD2
Rollers, spinningA2
Rolls, cold, small1.2057
Rolls, tube expandingO1
Saddles, hammerW1, S4
Saddles, pressingS4
Saws, circular, woodworking1.1830
Saws, frame, woodworking1.1830
Saws, metal cutting1.2442
ScytheW110
Shears1045
Sleeves, abrasive and corrosive powder tablettingD3
Sleeves, drill1.2378
Stamps, mintingW2
StrainersW108
Taps, coldO1, L2
Taps, specialD2, M2
Tools, bending1.2767
Tools, blanking, hotS1
Tools, blanking, nutS1
Tools, burnishing1.2008
Tools, countersinkingL2
Tools, cutting, coldW108
Tools, cutting, dynamo and transformer sheets1.2378
Tools, cutting, heavy duty, coldD3
Tools, cutting, medium duty, coldA2, S1
Tools, cutting, medium temperatureS4
Tools, cutting, precision, cold1.2008
Tools, cutting, thread machiningO1
Tools, drawing, cold1.2057
Tools, embossingW110, 1.2767
Tools, embossing, high stress1.2762
Tools, heading, coldW2
Tools, impact, coldW108
Tools, knurlingA2, 1.2057
Tools, medium temperature piercingS1
Tools, metal extrusion pressH11
Tools, metal extrusionL6
Tools, piercing, hotH13
Tools, pneumaticS1
Tools, pre-formingS1
Tools, press, extrusion, heavy dutyH10A
Tools, press, for fine and medium workD2, O1
Tools, press, heavy dutyD2, D3
Tools, pressing, hot, complexed engravings1.2767
Tools, pressing, tubeL6
Tools, processing, synthetic plasticsP20
Tools, punching, heavy duty, coldD3
Tools, punching, hotS1
Tools, punching, medium duty, coldA2
Tools, scrapingL2
Tools, stone working, hardW110
Tools, stone working, medium hardW1
Tools, trimming, coldS4
Tools, trimming, hotH13, M2, S1, S4
Tools, trimming, medium temp.S1, M1, M2

Source, Handbook of Mold, Tool and Die Repair Welding (Steve Thompson), table 3.2, printed pages 24 to 28. Types of tool and their possible material type, 185 entries.

Tool names and possible materials are reproduced from the source. Obvious typographical errors in the source are corrected here, including sone working for stone working and powers for powders, and abbreviated entries such as cutt are written out in full. Grade designations are unchanged apart from case.

Some entries are Werkstoff or older trade numbers rather than AISI grades, which is how the source prints them. 420mod. is the modified 420 stainless mold steel.

Tool and Die Materials by Tool Type, printable PDF One PDF with all 185 tool types from the source table and the materials normally used for them, printed in the source order, with our contact details.
Download PDF, 212 KB

Checking the material before you order

Equivalent grades for the materials in the table are on the tool steel equivalent grades page, and their composition is on the tool steel composition chart. A die that is already in the shop can be checked with the file test and the Rockwell and Brinell methods on the hardness testing methods page. Individual grades are covered on their own pages, including A2 tool steel, D2 tool steel, D3 tool steel, O1 tool steel, H13 tool steel, P20 tool steel and 420 stainless steel.

Reference data compiled from Handbook of Mold, Tool and Die Repair Welding (Steve Thompson), table 3.2, printed pages 24 to 28.