Tool Steel / Die Steel
Tool steels include cold work steel, hot work steel and plastics mould steel.
Cold Work Steels are used for cutting and pressing tools, for dies and knives, For stamping and drawing tools, hobs, thread rolling tools and in many other applications due to their typical properties high hardness, good toughness and compressive strength and high wear resistance.
Hot Work Steels are required in tools for forging, die casting and the extrusion of metals. It includes tool steels which adopt a constant temperature about 200 C during application.
They are helpful for the design of non cutting tools. They are used for die casting , continuous casting and die forging.
Plastic mould steels are used for making the molds and dies that are needed to manufacture plastic products. For the manufacture of plastic parts, steels are required which have a high wear resistance and good polishing ability, which can be easily machined, grained have adequate corrosion resistance. Depending on the properties required, case-hardening steels, heat treatable steels, corrosion resistant steels, nitriding steels and martensite hardening steels or high performance powder metallurgical materials are used. For Plastic Mold steel grades these are delivered in pre-hardened condition with hardness ranging from 180HB to 400HB
