7/28/2019 Selection of Tool Steel

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Selection of tool steel 

October 8, 2010

By wisetool 

Found the following chart from the Internet. I thought it is a good idea to share this piece of information with my Blog readers.

This chart comparing the toughness and wear resistance of some common tool steels such as A-

2, D-2, L-6, O-1, S-7 and H-13. It provides a guide to the tool designers when comes to selection

of correct tool steel.

D-2 tool steel 

This is a high carbon, high chromium tool steel used on applications requiring high wears

resistance. D-2 steel can be surface treated such as nitride, titanium nitride if to increase it

surface hardness.

O-1 cold work steel 

O-1 is common oil hardening tool steel that may be hardened from fairly low temperatures with

little size change. O-1 can be given standard surface treatments such as hard chrome plating if 

desired. Nitriding is not generally practical due to a substantial loss of core hardness.

AISI L-6 tool steel 

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This is tough, high- strength tool steel that suitable for general purpose applications.

Like wise, L-6 can be given standard surface treatments such as hard chrome plating if desired but not suitable for Nitriding process due to a substantial loss of core hardness.

AISI A-2 tool steel 

It is an air hardening medium alloy tool steel that is heat treatable to HRC 60-62. It has wear resistance intermediate between the oil hardening tool steels ( O-1) and the high carbon

chromium tool steels ( D-2) . Because it offers a combination of good toughness along with

moderate wear resistance, it has been widely used for many years in variety of cold work 

applications. A-2 is quite easily machined in the annealed condition and exhibits minimaldistortion on hardening, making it an excellent choice for dies of complicated design.

A-2 can be surface treated such as nitriding, titanium nitride coating to further improve it surfaceharness, hence, improve wear resistance.

S7 Cold work tool steel 

S-7 is a shock-resistant air hardening tool steel. It commonly applied for high impact resistanceapplication such as coining, clod forging. It offers good toughness to withstand chipping and

 breaking, combined with high attainable hardness and good wear resistance.

S7 is not typically suitable for nitriding or similar surface treatments.

H-13 hot work tool steel 

H-13 is the most popular and most versatile hot work tool steel that provides a good balance of toughness, heat check resistance, and high temperature strength. It may be used for tooltemperatures up to about 1000 F (530 C).

Because of its high tempering temperatures characteristic, H-13can be treated by most surfacetreating processes, including conventional and ion nitriding, titanium nitriding, and other 

coatings or treatments to further improve it surface hardness.