TOOL STEELS / POWDER METALS

Tool steel metal is a versatile material that is well-suited to making tools. Tool steel is a particularly hard material that withstands heat and resists abrasion.

Metal powders are the base materials for the production of metallic component through the conventional powder metallurgy route or the emerging field of additive manufacturing.

A2

Good toughness, excellent stability, good strength, moderate machinability, moderate grindability

A2 is a carbon-chrome air-hardening tool steel. It is known for being a general purpose and versatile tool steel, with better wear resistance than the "S" grades, and more toughness and strength than the "D" grades. Its end applications vary widely.

Markets Applications Forms
Industrial Blanking tools, punch dies, gauges, blades, stamping dies, trim dies, hammers, industrial knives, plastic injection tools Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

A6

Good toughness, excellent stability, medium wear resistance, good machinability

A6 tool steel is an air-hardening tool steel characterized by its though hardening abilities while using low austenitizing temperatures typically associated with oil-hardening tool steels.

Specs Markets Applications Forms
ASTM A681 Industrial Blanking dies, forming dies, stamping dies, precision tools, plastic molds, ball screws, punches, thread roll dies Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

S1

Good machinability, good abrasion resistance, good hot and cold work characteristics, high fatigue strength, medium hot hardness

S1 is a shock resisting tool steel for both hot and cold work. The addition of tungsten increases its fatigue resistance. The addition of chromium increases the hardness and resistance to abrasion of the S1.

Specs Markets Applications Forms
ASTM A681, FED QQ-T-570, SAE J437, SAE J438, UNS T41901 Industrial Punches, chisels, tools, shear blades, slitter knives, coining dies Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

S5

High strength, adequate abrasion resistance, high shock resistance, high load capacity

S5 is a silicon-manganese tool steel that is known for its shock-resistance characteristics. It has the highest impact toughness relative to the rest of the 'S' steel family. It is usually oil-quenched but it can also be quenched in water with satisfactory results.

Specs Markets Applications Forms
ASTM A681, FED QQ-T-570, SAE J437, SAE J438, UNS T41905 Industrial Pneumatic tools, shear blades, mandrels, heavy-duty punches, and stamping dies Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

S7

Suitable for both hot and cold forming, excellent impact resistance, excellent shock resistance, medium resistance to softening in high temperatures, lower resistance to wear relative to similar elements

S7 is a versatile tool steel that contains relatively low levels of carbon when compared to the D2 and A2. It resists distortion during heat treatment and is very tough, but is less resistant to wear than similar materials.

Markets Applications Forms
Industrial Shear blades, swaging dies, gripper dies, chisels, punches, plastic injection molds, hot work tools Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

M2

High toughness, great resistance to wear, good red hardness, good machinability

M2 is a well balanced high speed steel that is useful in a variety of applications. The M2 is the most popular high speed steel because of its desired properties and economy.

Specs Markets Applications Forms
ASTM A681 Industrial Cutting tools, milling cutters, end mills, form tools Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

M42

Good machinability, well-balanced toughness, wear resistance, and red hardness properties

M42 is a high-speed, molybdenum based steel alloy that is widely used for its great red-hardness relative to other high speed steels.

Markets Applications Forms
Industrial Cutting tools, milling cutters, end mills, form tools, saws, knives Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

O1

Good durability, excellent wear resistance, holds good cutting edge, excellent toughness

O1 is part of the oil-hardening cold-work tool steels family, which consists of O1, O2, O6, and O7. The O1 consists of chromium, manganese, and tungsten. Moreover, the O1 has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive when compared to the other oil-hardening steels. It is also a good general purpose tool and die steel.

Specs Markets Applications Forms
DIN 1.2510, B.S. BO 1, ASTM A681, FED QQ-T-570, SAE J437, SAE J438, UNS T31501 Industrial Gauges, cutting tools, woodworking tools Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

O6

Excellent machinability, self-lubricating in dry environments, excellent metal-to-metal resistance

O6 is part of the oil-hardening cold-work tool steels family, which consists of O1, O2, O6, and O7. The O6 consists of carbon, manganese, silicon, and molybdenum. It has outstanding resistance to metal-to-metal sliding wear and galling.

Specs Markets Applications Forms
ASTM A681, FED QQ-T-570, SAE J437, SAE J438, UNS T31506 Industrial Thread gauges, cams, sleeves, forming rolls, dies, arbors, other machine tool parts Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

L6

Relatively better impact toughness compared to other oil-hardening grades, very good toughness, good hardness, high wear resistance

The L6 is an oil-hardening steel that is versatile and useful in many end applications. It has very good toughness due to its relatively high nickel content.

Specs Markets Applications Forms
ASTM A681, UNS T61206, SAE J437, SAE J438 Industrial, Automotive & Transportation Arbors, clutch parts, dis saws, drift pins, swages, hubs, shear blades Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

D2

High wear resistance, relatively low toughness comparted to alloyed steels, sensitive to heat treatment

The D2 is a high carbon, high chromium tool steel. It is commonly used in cold work applications that require high wear resistance and compression strength.

Specs Markets Applications Forms
ASTM A681, DIN 1.2379, SAE J437, SAE J438 Industrial, Automotive & Transportation Shear blades, planer blades, knife blades, industrial cutting tools Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

420

Good ductility, excellent corrosion resistance, good strength, good hardness

The 420 is a high-quality stainless steel that also contains 13% chromium. It is usually used for molding purposes. Like other stainless steels, the 420 can be hardened by heat treatment.

Specs Markets Applications Forms
ASTM A276 Aerospace, Industrial, Automotive & Transportation, Energy Knife blades, shear blades, scissors, hand tools, cutlery, surgical equipment Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

P20

Good toughness

The P20 is a general purpose mold steel that is commonly used in the plastics industry. The P20 is versatile, and characterized for its good toughness.

Specs Applications Forms
ASTM A681 Plastic molds, backers, hydro forming mold tools Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

H13

Good toughness, high temperature resistance, temper resistance

The H-13 is an air hardening tool steel that contains 5% chromium. It is one of the most popular hot work steels in the market due to its resistance to a number of environments.

Specs Applications Forms
ASTM A681 Extrusion tooling, bolsters, forging dies, die inserts, mandrels Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

A11 PM

Great wear resistance, high toughness, high strength, good machinability, high dimensional stability, great non-deforming properties

A11 is a high vanadium, high carbon tool steel known for its exceptional good wear resistance. It provides a mid-point between the oil hardening and the high carbon grades.

Specs Markets Applications Forms
AISI A11 Industrial Blanking dies, forming dies, screw tips, wear inserts, shear blades, woodworking tools, slitter knives Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

T15 PM

High wear resistance, high impact toughness, high bend strength, superior cleanliness, long cutting tool life, excellent cold working properties

T15 PM is a high speed tool steel that combines great wear resistance with high impact toughness and tensile strength. This unique combination is a result of its fine grain size and outstanding cleanliness. Moreover, T15 PM offers a longer cutting tool life relative to the 'M' tool steel family.

Markets Applications Forms
Industrial Broaches, End Mills, Form Tools, Hobs, Tabs, and Cut Off Blades Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

M4 PM

High wear resistance, high impact toughness, high bend strength, great flexibility, good machinability, grindability, and dimensional stability

M4 PM is a flexible, tungsten molybdenum-vanadium, high speed tool that combines excellent wear resistance with impact toughness and bend strength. It offers superior cutting tool life than the 'M' steel family, and improved cold work tooling than the 'D' steel family.

Specs Markets Applications Forms
ASTM A600, SAE J438, SAE J437, UNS T11304 Industrial Cutting tools, punches, dies, shears, compacting tools, milling tools, broachers Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

CR1018

Good balance of toughness, strength, and ductility, good hardness, good machinability, good mechanical properties

CR1018 is a low carbon steel that is best used for carburized parts. CR1018 produces a hard and uniform case. Also, it shows better mechanical properties, machining, and hardness relative to similar metals.

Markets Applications Forms
Industrial fixtures, mounting plates, pinions, bending, crimping, swaging Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

A36

High strength, great formability, great weldability

A36 is a relatively low cost, low-carbon steel. It is suitable for a large variety of applications, but is mostly used in the construction sector in different industries.

Specs Markets Applications Forms
ASTM 36 Industrial, Automotive & Transportation, Energy Bridges, buildings, general structural applications, automotive components, oil and gas structures Bar, Rectangular Bar, Plate, Tubing, Sheet, Strip, Coil

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