Tool Steel Selection for Forming, Drawing & Bending Dies

Select tool steel by sliding friction, compressive force, bending stress, wear level, toughness requirement, and heat treatment stability. For forming, drawing, and bending dies, the main choice is usually between wear resistance, toughness, and resistance to deformation.

Quick Selection Guide by Tool Steel Grade

Choose the grade according to drawing depth, bending stress, friction level, production run length, and dimensional stability requirement.

Long-Run Drawing

D2 Tool Steel 1.2379 / SKD11 / Cr12Mo1V1

Recommended for long-run deep-drawing, cold-forming, and bending dies.

Reason: D2 provides strong wear resistance for abrasive wear and sliding friction, with good dimensional stability during heat treatment.

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Maximum Wear

D3 Tool Steel 1.2080 / SKD1 / Cr12

Recommended for drawing and forming dies where maximum wear resistance is required.

Reason: D3 offers high carbon content, strong compressive strength, and excellent wear resistance for severe forming conditions.

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Balanced Choice

A2 Tool Steel 1.2363 / SKD12

Recommended for bending dies, forming dies, and medium-run drawing dies.

Reason: A2 gives a strong balance of wear resistance and toughness, with low distortion during heat treatment.

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General Purpose

O1 Tool Steel 1.2510 / SKS3

Recommended for drawing, bending, and forming dies under general-purpose working conditions.

Reason: O1 provides good abrasion resistance and sufficient toughness with relatively small dimensional change during heat treatment.

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High Toughness

S1 Tool Steel 1.2550

Recommended for forming and bending dies where toughness is more important than maximum wear resistance.

Reason: S1 is selected when impact load, bending stress, or cracking risk makes brittle high-wear steel unsuitable.

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Shock Resistance

S7 Tool Steel 1.2355

Recommended for forming and bending dies under severe impact, deep configurations, or high bending stress.

Reason: S7 sacrifices some wear resistance to provide excellent impact strength and ductility.

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Selection Summary

This table gives a faster comparison when the buyer already knows the main working condition.

Main Requirement	Recommended Direction	Aobo Steel Grades
Long-run deep drawing, cold forming, and bending	High-carbon, high-chromium cold-work steel	D2
Maximum wear resistance and compressive strength	High-carbon cold-work steel	D3
Balanced wear resistance, toughness, and low distortion	Air-hardening medium-alloy cold-work steel	A2
General-purpose drawing, bending, and forming dies	Oil-hardening cold-work steel	O1
High bending stress, impact load, or cracking risk	Shock-resisting tool steel	S1, S7

Need Tool Steel for Forming, Drawing or Bending Dies?

Send your grade, size, quantity, and application. Aobo Steel can support bulk supply of tool steel round bars and plates for industrial buyers.

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