Tool steel Products Catalog

What is tool steel

Tool steels have good strength, toughness, hardness, wear resistance, and tempering stability. According to their different uses, tool steel can be divided into cutting edge, mold, and gauge steel. Depending on its chemical composition, tool steel can be divided into carbon, alloy, and high-speed steel.
High hardness and wear resistance are among the most important properties of tool steel. High wear resistance ensures and improves the tool life under the necessary conditions. In addition, different uses of tool steel have their own special performance requirements; for example, cutting edge steel also requires red hardness and a certain degree of strength and toughness, and gauge steel also requires high dimensional stability. High hardness, high wear resistance is one of the most important tool steel performance. High wear resistance ensures and improves the tool life under the necessary conditions. In addition, different uses of tool steel have their own special performance requirements; for example, cutting edge steel also requires red hardness and a certain degree of strength and toughness, and gauge steel also requires high dimensional stability.
Tool steel can be mainly used to manufacture various cutting, molding, and measuring tools.
The main properties of tool steel include hardness, wear resistance, strength, toughness, machinability, quenching temperature range, hardenability, decarburization sensitivity, heat treatment deformation, grinding, etc..

We have a more detailed article explaining tool steel. If you want more information, please click “What is tool steel?“

What is D2 steel?

D2 steel is a high-carbon, high-chromium special steel characterized by high hardness and good wear resistance. Under the steel standard system of different countries, D2 is equivalent to:

China: Cr12Mo1V1

USA: D2

Japan: SKD11

Germany: DIN 1.2379 / X153CrMoV12

Austria: BÖHLER K110

Sweden: ASSAB XW41

Characteristics of D2 steel

Good wear resistance

High hardness (usually 55-62 HRC, in special cases up to 64 HRC)

Good toughness (can withstand impacts better than D3 steels)

It can be a secondary hardened

Good resistance to oxidation and staining

Little change in shape when heat-treated

Uses of D2 steel

D2 steel is mainly used to manufacture cold-work dies, such as blanking dies, forming dies, deep drawing dies, extrusion dies, and bending dies.

D2 steel is also commonly employed in rendering components like punches, forming rolls, shear blades, trimming tools, and wire rolling dies.

D2 steels are also used in plastic molds that require high wear resistance, such as deep-drawing molds for compressors, in a few cases.

Comparison of D2 and other steels

Here are some of the frequent comparisons made between D2 and other steels.

D2 steel is tougher than D3 and D6 steel; however, its wear resistance is slightly lesser.

Compared to 440C steel, D2 steel is more wear-resistant; however, it is not as corrosion-resistant as 440C, so 440C is more suitable for surgical equipment.

In addition, D2 steel is unsuitable for high-speed cutting operations due to its low red-hot hardness, although D2 was originally developed as a replacement for M2 steel.

D3 steel overview

D3 steel is a high-carbon, high-chromium cold work tool steel, belonging to the D series of tool steels. Under the steel standard system of different countries, D3 is equivalent t: Cr12 in Chinese GB standard, 210Cr12 in German DIN 1.2080, ISO standard, and XW-5 in Swedish ASSAB standard.

Characteristics of D3 steel

Extremely high wear resistance: This is the most outstanding feature of D3 steel. Wear resistance is stronger than that of D2 steel, even 3-4 times higher than that of low-alloy tool steel.
Good hardenability: D3 steel can be quenched by oil cooling or air cooling, but because it does not contain molybdenum, it usually needs to be quenched in oil (especially in large sections) to ensure the formation of a martensitic organization and to avoid the generation of softer pearlite or bainite.
Higher hardness: The range of hardness after hardening is 60-66 HRC.
Lower toughness: Due to the high carbide content, D3 steel toughness is lower than D2 steel, almost unable to withstand large impact loads, prone to brittle cracking.
Other characteristics:

Quenching volume deformation is small
Better thermal stability
High compressive strength
Good resistance to softening after tempering

APPLICATIONS

Cold work molds with high wear resistance requirements: e.g., cold punching dies and punches (low impact loads, small and medium batch production).
Cold cutting shear blades: for shearing hard and thin metals.
Molds and tools: including drawing dies, gauges, embossing dies, thread rolling plates, deep drawing dies, cold extrusion dies and screw rolling dies.
Precision Plastic Molds: for large, complex molds that require high wear resistance.
Ceramic molding tools and other tools are subject to sheer wear.
Silicon steel sheet punching dies.

D3 steel vs D2 and SKD11

Vs. D2 steel: D3 steel has a higher carbon and carbide content and better wear resistance than D2 steel but lower toughness. D2 steel has a better balance of wear resistance and toughness and is suitable for a wider range of applications.
Vs. low alloy tool steels: D3 steels are 3-4 times more wear-resistant.
Vs. SKD11 (equivalent to D2 steel): D3 steel is harder but not as tough as SKD11 and is prone to micro-chipping at high stresses.

Heat Treatment Considerations

Forging Temperatures: Narrow range, below 870°C (1600°F) forging is not recommended.
Quenching requirements: Because of the absence of molybdenum, the transformation of austenite to pearlite is fast. Large sections need to be quenched in oil to obtain pure martensite organization. The quenching temperature is usually 950-1000 ℃.

Summarize

D3 steel is a cold work tool steel known for its extremely high wear resistance. It is suitable for scenarios requiring excellent wear resistance but low-impact loads. Its high carbon content gives it excellent hardness and wear resistance, but it also results in low toughness and a tendency for brittle cracking. Therefore, when selecting D3 steel, the advantages and disadvantages must be weighed against the specific operating conditions.

What is A2 steel?

A2 steel is an air-hardening medium-alloyed cold work mold steel with UNS number T30102.

Main characteristics of A2

Good hardenability: high hardness can be achieved by heat treatment.
Excellent toughness: shows good fracture resistance in cold work applications.
Good wear resistance: suitable for tools requiring durability.
Dimensional stability: low distortion during heat treatment.
Temper softening resistance: retains hardness at higher temperatures.
Moderate decarburization resistance: more controlled loss of surface carbon content during heat treatment.

Applications

Cold work molds
punches
Shear blades
Gauges
Wire rollers

Heat treatment process

The heat treatment process for A2 steel includes the following key steps:

Austenitizing temperature: typically 925-980°C (1700-1800°F), hardened by air quenching. Note: The lower end of the temperature range given in the document (925°C) may be on the low side, industry standards prefer 980-1020°C.
Tempering: Tempering temperature affects hardness and toughness. Low-temperature tempering increases hardness. High-temperature tempering enhances tthe oughness.
Sub-zero cooling can further enhance hardness.

A2 steel has low distortion in heat treatment and high quenching safety, making it suitable for manufacturing tools that require precise dimensions.

Comparison with other steels

Compared with D2 steel, A2 steel has better toughness but slightly less wear resistance.
Compared with O1 steel, A2 steel has better hardening ability and deformation control.
Compared with S7 steel, A2 steel has better wear resistance but slightly lower toughness.

Overview of O1 Steel

O1 steel is a cold work mold steel hardened by oil quenching. It is suitable for small—and medium-sized series production and applications where high dimensional stability is required.

Main Characteristics

High hardening capacity: hardness up to 57-62 HRC after quenching.
Toughness/wear resistance: higher toughness and moderate wear resistance than other oil-hardening tool steels, suitable for medium production demand.
Low heat treatment distortion: dimensional stability and low distortion at low heat treatment.
Good processability and low cost: moderate alloy content, easy to process, high economy.
Low heat treatment temperature: austenitization temperature is 790-815°C and is not sensitive to overheating.

Applications

Cold work molds: such as blanking molds, punching molds, bending molds, deep drawing molds, and embossing molds, etc.
Small tools: such as taps, reamers, drills, gauges, etc.
Other applications: calibration tools, woodworking tools, cold heading dies, etc.
In some cases, O1 steel replaces W1 steel, reducing the risk of deformation and cracking.

O1 is particularly suitable for small and medium-volume production.

Heat treatment process

Preheating: preheat to approx. 650°C before forging.
Forging: Minimum temperature 815°C.
Annealing: approx. 725°C furnace cooling.
Austenitizing: 790-815°C.
Hardening: oil quenching.
Tempering: 150-260°C low-temperature tempering.

Comparison with other steels

It has slightly lower hardenability and distortion control than A2 steel but better machinability.
D2/D3 steel has better wear resistance than O1 steel, but O1 steel has better toughness.
O1 steel has better hardenability and deformation control than W1 steel.
It possesses better hardness but less toughness in comparison to S1 steel.

Summary

The strengths of O1 steel lie in the balance of hardness, toughness, wear resistance, and machinability, which makes it particularly suitable for scenarios where high dimensional accuracy and stability are required.

O2 steel overview

O2 steel is oil quenching hardening cold work tool steel with good hardness, wear resistance, and excellent dimensional stability. It is especially suitable for manufacturing various cold work molds and tools that require precision dimensions and relatively low cost.

Properties of O2 steel

High hardness and wear resistance: Similar to O1 steel, O2 steel has a high carbon content, which allows it to achieve high hardness after hardening. Its alloying content (mainly manganese) gives it good wear resistance.
Good hardenability: O2 steels can be hardened by oil quenching to fairly large cross-sectional sizes. However, their hardenability is usually inferior to that of O1 steels.
Lower austenitizing temperature: O2 steel reaches its maximum hardness at a lower temperature of 790-820°C (1454-1508°F).
Low dimensional change: O2 steel has the smallest dimensional change during heat treatment of any O tool steel.
Good machinability: Although O2 is harder, O2 can still be machined in the annealed condition with good machinability.
Lower alloying costs: Compared to tool steels containing more alloying elements, O2 steels are relatively low cost, making them an economical and practical choice.

Applications

O2 steel is commonly used in the manufacture of various cold work tools, including blanking dies, molding dies, embossing dies, cutting tools, gauges, and so on. Due to its good dimensional stability, it is particularly suitable for manufacturing precision molds and gauges.

O2 steel Heat Treatment

Like O1 steel, O2 steel is recommended to be preheated to approximately 650°C (1200°F) before forging.
Its common austenitizing temperatures range from 790°C to 815°C (1450°F to 1500°F).
It is usually hardened by oil quenching. Simple-shaped O2 steel parts can also be safely water-quenched.
Tempering is usually done at lower temperatures to maintain its high hardness.

Comparison with other steels

Compared to O1 steels, O2 steels show less dimensional change during heat treatment, but their hardenability may be a little less than that of O1. O1 steels usually have slightly higher toughness.
Compared to D2 steel, O2 steel is less wear-resistant than D2 steel, but O2 is tougher and less costly.

S7 steel overview

S7 steel is a tough steel tool steel with good wear resistance and heat treatment stability. It is widely used in cold work and some hot work molds and tools that need to withstand impact loads.

Characteristics and Properties.

The main characteristic of S7 steel is its very high shock resistance. It performs well when subjected to impact loads and does not fracture easily.
S7 steel has excellent grindability.
S7 steel is very stable in heat treatment.

Applications

S7 steel is commonly used to manufacture punches, blanking dies, gripper dies, cold-forming dies, and shears.
Due to its high impact toughness, S7 steel is suitable for shear blades, rivet sets, cold header punches, and knock-out pins.
S7 steel is recommended for molds that require very high impact toughness. Its strength and wear resistance make it suitable for automated molding operations.
S7 has excellent polishability, making it suitable for various clear plastic molds.
S7 steel can also be used as hand chisels.

What is DC53 steel

DC53 steel is the standard grade of DAIDO.

Some properties of DC53 steel:

High toughness and wear resistance: DC53 steel is a high-chromium cold work die steel with high toughness and wear resistance.
Supply status: DC53 steel hardness ≤250HBW.

Heat treatment

Quenching temperature: 1040 ~ 1080 ℃, oil-cooled or air-cooled
Tempering temperature: 100 ℃ / 200 ℃ / 300 ℃ / 400 ℃ / 500 ℃, corresponding to the hardness of 63HRC / 61HRC / 59HRC / 60HRC / 62HRC1 .

1.2436 overview

1.2436 steel is a high-carbon, high-chromium tungsten alloy cold work die steel with excellent wear resistance and good toughness, widely used in various cold work molds and tools that require high wear resistance.

Characteristics

1.2436 steel has very high wear resistance and toughness retention ability.
1.2436 steel is supplied with a hardness of 230 to 255 HBW.

1.2436 is equivalent to

China GB standard grade: Cr12W
German DIN material number: 1.2436
German DIN grade: X210CrW12
Japan JIS standard grade: SKD2

Quenching and Tempering

The quenching temperature is 960℃, oil-cooled. The tempering temperature can be 180℃ / 250℃ / 300℃, and the corresponding tempering hardness is 63HRC / 61HRC / 60HRC.

Applications

It is mainly used for punching dies for thin and hard materials (e.g., silicon steel sheets).
It can be used for all kinds of cold stamping dies with high wear resistance and high service life, as well as cold shear edges and thread rolling plates.
It is suitable for molds with complex shapes and is easy to deform.
It is used for bending, deep drawing, crimping,g, and spinning forming molds.
It is used for pipe and profile forming rolls, knurling dies, and other molds for the forming process.
It is used for cold drawing and finishing molds.
It is used for metal powder parts compaction molds.
It is used in concave molds for cold composite molds.
It is used for ceramic and abrasive plastic molding dies, etc.

What is H11

H11 steel is a hot work die steel with good hardenability, moderate heat strength and wear resistance, excellent toughness, and resistance to thermal fatigue. It is widely used in various hot work dies, especially where high toughness and resistance to impact loads are required. It differs from H13 in composition and properties, and the choice of steel depends on the application’s specific needs.

Properties

It has good hardenability and can be air-cooled and hardened for diameters up to 150mm.
H11 steel has high thermal strength and wear resistance at medium temperatures.
It has good toughness, even in the quenched state, and it also has a certain toughness.
H11 steel has exceptionally good thermal fatigue resistance.
Compared with H13 steel, H11 steel is slightly less thermally strong and thermally stable than H13 steel, but the toughness may be better.

H11 Applications

– Die casting molds:

Die casting molds for aluminum, zinc, and magnesium castings.
Aluminum alloy die-casting molds.

– Forging dies:

High-speed hammer forging dies.
Forging Dies and Inserts.
Hammer forging dies.
Warm forging punch and bottom die.
Roll forging.
Segmented Rolling.
Pendulum forging.
Axial closed die rolling.

– Extrusion Dies:

Extrusion dies.
Hot extrusion dies.
Hot Extrusion Tooling.

– Hot working tools:

Hot working punches, piercers, and mandrels.
Shear blades for thermal processing.

– Other hot working dies:

Hot edge cutting dies.
Bolt dies.
Mold locking dies.
Hot bending dies.
Hot calibration molds.

– Plastic Molds

H13 steel overview

H13 steel is an air-cooled, hardening hot work mold steel widely used internationally1. It is known as ASTM-H13 in the USA, JIS SKD61 in Japan, and DIN 1.2344 in Germany.

Properties

H13 steel has high hardenability and resistance to hot cracking.
The alloy design of H13 steel provides high hardenability at relatively low austenitizing temperatures (about 1020°C), low heat treatment distortion, low tendency to oxidation, good tempering stability, resistance to liquid aluminum attack, and high resistance to thermal fatigue.
H13 steel is highly tough and resistant to hot and cold fatigue, so cracks are not easy to expand.
It has good strength and hardness, high wear resistance and toughness at higher temperatures, excellent comprehensive mechanical properties, and high tempering resistance.
It can make die-casting molds with a temperature rise of not more than 600℃.
High-quality H13 steel through electro-slag remelting(ESR) production, a special forging process with high purity and isotropic mechanical properties. The service life of die-casting molds made of high-quality H13 steel is 2 times longer than that of ordinary H11 steel9.

Applications

Manufacture of hot forging dies or cavities
Manufacture of die-casting dies for aluminum, copper, and their alloys.
Manufacture of extrusion dies for aluminum profiles.
In machine forging dies, H11 and H13 steels can replace 5CrNiMo and 3Cr2W8V steels to improve die life.
It can be used in roll-froging molds.
Replace 3Cr2W8V steel in the bearing industry to make grinding rolls.
Due to its high hardness and good polishability, ESR H13 steel is commonly used in plastic molds that require high polish, such as automotive lenses and high-finish molds.
It is also suitable for making forging, hot extrusion, and fine-forging dies with high-impact loads.
It can be used as a material for aluminum and zinc die-casting molds and their accessories (such as plunger sleeves, punches, etc.).
It is used in automobile engine molds, cell phone aluminum shell molds, etc.
It can be used in hot extrusion dies, hot stamping dies, and hot shear blades.

What is M2 Steel

M2 steel is an extremely versatile high-speed tool steel with excellent all-around properties. It is most widely used in cutting tools. Its balanced hardness, toughness, wear resistance, and grindability make it the material of choice for a wide range of general-purpose and high-performance cutting tools.

Applications

M2 steel is the main material used to manufacture standard cutting tools and is particularly suitable for producing twist drills. It is also widely used to manufacture milling cutters and saw blades. Other applications include punches for cold heading dies, shear blades, rolls, and thread rolling dies.

What is M35 steel

M35 is a molybdenum-based high-speed tool steel that is used very widely worldwide.

Characteristics

Hardness: After proper heat treatment, it can achieve a hardness as high as 69 HRC, but it typically ranges between 64 and 66 HRC.
Wear Resistance and Hot Hardness: M35’s hot hardness and wear resistance exceed those of W6Mo5Cr4V2 steel. Its cobalt content enhances temper hardness and hot hardness, enabling faster cutting speeds.
Machinability and Grindability: It has good machinability.

Applications

M35 steel is used for various high-performance tools, including:

Cold forging dies, deep drawing dies, and cutting tools.
Machining operations require high hot hardness, such as on difficult-to-machine aerospace materials and heat-treated high-strength steels.
Machining aluminum alloys, soft steel, stainless steel, nickel-based alloys, and similar materials.
Complex tools, such as forming milling cutters and precision broaches.
Lathe tools, drills, reamers, and milling cutters.
High-precision complex tools.

M42 steel overview

M42 steel is a molybdenum-based high-speed tool steel widely recognized for its high hardness, hot hardness, and good wear resistance.

Characteristics:

Hardness: M42 steel can achieve very high hardness, typically in the 67-70 HRC range after proper heat treatment. This is higher than conventional high-speed steels like M2.
Hot Hardness and Wear Resistance: The cobalt content in M42 significantly enhances its hot hardness and resistance to wear, allowing it to maintain its cutting ability at higher temperatures and on difficult-to-machine materials. It generally exhibits higher hot hardness and wear resistance compared to M2 steel.
Grindability: Despite its high hardness, M42 has relatively good grindability compared to other super-high-speed steels with high vanadium content.

Applications:

M42 steel is well-suited for demanding machining operations on a variety of materials, including:

High-strength and heat-resistant alloys such as titanium-based and nickel-based alloys.
It is commonly used to manufacture high-performance cutting tools such as drills, milling cutters, reamers, taps, broaches, gear-cutting, and single-point cutting tools.
It is also used for cold working tools, such as cold extrusion punches, dies, and forming tools, where high wear resistance is required.

What is P20 mold steel?

P20 steel is a versatile and widely used pre-hardened plastic mold steel1. It is a low-alloy steel typically supplied in a pre-hardened condition, usually between 28-43 HRC. This pre-hardening eliminates the need for post-machining heat treatment in many applications, reducing the risk of distortion.

Applications

P20 steel is primarily used for plastic injection molds. Its versatility makes it suitable for various plastic materials, including general thermoplastics like polyethylene, polypropylene, ABS, and acrylics. It is also used for die-casting of low-melting alloys such as zinc. Specific applications mentioned include:

Large and medium-sized molds.
Molds for car parts like bumpers and instrument panels.
Molds for household appliances and consumer electronics.
Molds require good polishability and etching properties.
Mold bases and support components.
Blow molds and extrusion dies.

Properties:

Good Machinability: P20 steel offers good machinability in the pre-hardened state. Some modified versions with sulfur (like P20S and P20SRE) offer even better machinability.
Good Polishability: It can be polished to achieve a good surface finish, often suitable for visual parts. However, other steels, like stainless mold steels, might be preferred for very high polish requirements.
Fair Wear Resistance: P20 offers adequate wear resistance for moderate production runs. Surface treatments like nitriding, carburizing, or hard coatings can be applied for higher wear resistance needs.
Good Hardenability: It has sufficient hardenability for medium-sized molds, allowing for relatively uniform hardness distribution. However, core hardness in very large sections might be lower.
Weldability: P20 steel generally has good weldability, making it suitable for mold repairs, although precautions like preheating and post-weld treatment are often recommended.

Equivalents:

China GB: 3Cr2Mo5

Germany DIN: 1.2311

P20+Ni steel overview

P20+Ni steel is a popular choice for plastic mold makers needing improved performance over standard P20, particularly in larger molds and those requiring better polishability, toughness, and weldability.

Compared to standard P20 steel, “P20+Ni” typically offers:

Better toughness.
Improved resistance to heat fatigue cracking.
Good polishability and suitability for etching. The steel’s low gas and impurity content ensures a good surface finish after polishing.
Generally good weldability, with lower welding crack sensitivity compared to P20.
Improved corrosion resistance is especially important for molds with corrosive plastics like PVC.

Applications

Large and high-quality plastic injection molds, including those used in the automotive, IT, and home appliance industries.
Molds for transparent plastic parts due to their good polishability.
Blow molds and extrusion dies.
Mold bases and other heavy-duty mold components.
High-usage molds require good wear resistance and toughness.

Equivalent Grades:

Germany DIN: 1.2738

China GB: 3Cr2NiMo

Why choose Aobo Steel as your tool steel supplier

Under the premise of ensuring quality, our prices are approximately 3% lower than the market price.

Before shipment, all goods undergo 100% strict component, UT, and hardness testing.

The goods are strictly reinforced during container loading to ensure safe sea transportation.

We are online 24 hours a day to answer any questions from customers at any time.

With over 20 years of experience in forged tool steel production, we have a deep understanding of our products.

We offer over 100 types of steel, including tool, alloy, stainless, alloy structural, and carbon steel.

We provide free cutting services.

With over 40 processing suppliers surrounding us, we can deliver more than 2,000 tons of steel monthly.