German Hot-work alloy tool steels are specifically designed for hot and warm working applications such as forging, embossing, deep drawing, hot cutting and shearing. With their excellent strength, toughness and ductility at elevated temperatures, these steels can stand up to high shear force and high temperature. In order to meet the varied requirements of today’s tool and die makers, the hot-work alloy tool steels are standardized, including AISI H-series and DIN/W-series, as well as some special grades. These steels are typically supplied in the annealed, normalized and air-hardened condition and can be machined after heat treatment.
AISI H-series, the most widely used hot-work alloy tool steels, are known for their excellent combination of wear resistance, red hardness, toughness and thermal shock resistance. The alloying elements such as chromium, tungsten, molybdenum and vanadium significantly improve their properties and allow for superior performance during hot-work operations. The individual grades in AISI H-series vary in their chemical compositions and recommended heat treatment procedures and applications.
DIN/W-series, on the other hand, are primarily designed for forging operations where maximum impact and thermal fatigue resistance are required. The tool and die makers use them in forging dies, mandrels, punches and dies that frequently come in contact with high-temperature forging tools. With the benefit of containing higher vanadium and nickel contents, these steels offer superior wear resistance, hardness and strength at elevated temperatures, making them the ideal choice for forging tools.
There are also a few special grades of hot-work alloy tool steels that provide superior performance in certain applications. A2-TIS is a well-known grade of hot-work alloy tool steel that is renowned for its superior wear resistance and low corrosion resistance. This steel is used in many demanding applications such as for hot cutting and forming of metals, as well as for plastic injection moulds and die-casting molds. H13-TIS is another such grade that offers good machinability, hardness, toughness and wear resistance. It is primarily used in hot-work applications that involve high-temperature cutting and shearing.
To ensure the best performance from your hot-work alloy tool steels, it is important to ensure that you follow the recommended heat treatment procedures for each particular grade. Pre-heating, hardening, tempering and other such operations should be carried out as per the recommendations provided by the manufacturer. Regular inspections should also be conducted to ensure that the tool steels have not been subjected to excessive temperatures. By doing this, tool and die makers can take advantage of the superior strength, toughness and wear resistance of the hot-work alloy tool steels and achieve superior operational performance.
