Tool Steel

Tool steel is made from carbon steels and alloy steels that are particularly well-suited to be made into tools and tooling, including cutting tools, dies, hand tools, blades, etc. Their suitability comes from their distinctive hardness, resistance to abrasion and deformation, and their ability to hold a cutting edge at elevated temperatures. As a result, tool steels are suited for use in the shaping of other materials, for cutting, machining, stamping or forging.

Tool steels are produced under strictly regulated circumstances to obtain the appropriate quality, with a carbon concentration ranging from 0.5% to 1.5%. The presence of carbides in their matrix plays the dominant role in the qualities of tool steel. The four major alloying elements that form carbides in tool steel are tungsten, chromium, vanadium and molybdenum. The rate of dissolution of the different carbides into the austenite form of the iron determines the high-temperature performance of steel. For these steels to operate as intended, proper heat treatment is crucial. To reduce the likelihood of cracking during water quenching, the manganese content is frequently kept low.

There are six groups of tool steel: water-hardening, cold-work, shock-resistant, high-speed, hot-work and special purpose. The choice of group to select depends on cost, working temperature, required surface hardness, strength, shock resistance, and toughness requirements. The more severe the service condition such as high temperatures, corrosiveness, etc, the higher the alloy content and consequent amount of carbides required for the tool steel.

ADDere’s additive manufacturing can streamline the development and production process of large-scale components made from tool steel. Contact us today and see if your manufacturing operations can benefit from ADDere’s additive manufacturing with tool steel.