Tool Steel
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High-carbon steel alloyed for hardness, abrasion resistance, and heat resistance, used to make cutting, shaping, and forming tools.
Tool steels are alloyed steels designed to make cutting tools, dies, molds, and wear-resistant components. They achieve extreme hardness (up to 70 HRC) through careful alloying with tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, and chromium, combined with precise heat treatment. Global tool steel production is relatively small (< 1% of total steel) but critical to manufacturing productivity.
Designation Guide
AISI classifies tool steels by application letter: W (water-hardening), O (oil-hardening), A (air-hardening), D (high-carbon high-chromium), H (hot work), T and M (high-speed, tungsten and molybdenum types respectively), and S (shock-resisting). M2 is the most common high-speed steel. D2 is the workhorse cold-work die steel. H13 dominates hot-work applications including die casting and extrusion.
Selection Tips
For cutting tools (drills, end mills), M2 or M42 high-speed steel provides the best balance of hardness, toughness, and red hardness. For cold stamping dies, D2 offers excellent wear resistance. For hot forging dies and aluminum die-casting molds, H13 resists thermal fatigue. Powder metallurgy (PM) tool steels like CPM S30V offer finer carbide distribution for improved toughness and edge retention.