Common World Steel Standards
AISI 12L14: AISI 12L14 is a resulfurized, rephosphorized low carbon steel with lead added to make it workable. It is one of the most popular and versatile lead-bearing steels among machinists. It is a very good steel for cutting purposes, able to hold accurate cuts even when machined at high speeds.
AISI 1020: 1020 is a low-carbon steel containing 0.20% carbon and 0.50% manganese. It has good hardening abilities as well as good machinability. 1020 is often used in its cold drawn state, but it can also be used in hot rolled or normalized conditions. 1020 can be annealed and hardened to increase its strength and hardness which makes it a good choice for many applications.
AISI 1045: 1045 is a medium-carbon steel containing 0.45% carbon. It offers good machinability and is often used in applications that require strength and wear resistance. 1045 steel is also very malleable, allowing it to take on higher impacts to simulate wear or other similar applications.
AISI 4140: 4140 is an alloy steel containing chromium, molybdenum, and carbon. It is a low alloy steel known for its strength, toughness and good wear resistance. 4140 can be heat-treated and hardened and is often used for shafts, connecting rods, pins and valves.
AISI A2: A2 is an air-hardening tool steel that is heat-treated to achieve good wear resistance and hardness. It is a highly wear-resistant steel and is often used in applications that require being able to withstand heavy wear and tear, such as dies and injection molding.
AISI D2: D2 is an air-hardening, high carbon, high chromium tool steel that is often used in applications that require good wear and abrasion resistance. It has good hardness and toughness and is often used in cold working processes such as stamping, forming and cutting.
AISI H13: H13 is a hot-work tool steel that is often used in applications that require good heat-resistance and toughness, such as die-casting and forging. It is chromium-molybdenum-vanadium alloy steel with good wear resistance, toughness and heat-resistance.
AISI 1018: 1018 is a low carbon steel containing 0.18% carbon. It is a great steel for general and cold work applications, due to its good machinability and low hardenability. It is often used in applications where finishing and precision tolerances are not needed and strength is not the primary requirement.
AISI 4130: 4130 is a low alloy chromium-molybdenum steel containing 0.30% carbon. It is a good steel for applications requiring good strength and toughness, such as for aerospace and automotive components. It also can be used for parts where hardenability and heat-resistance are not important.
AISI P20: P20 is a low-carbon, chromium-molybdenum alloy steel used for various types of applications. It is an excellent choice for welded parts which require strength, toughness and excellent wear-resistance. It is often used in molds and die-casting applications where good wear-resistance is required.
AISI S7: S7 is an air-hardening tool steel containing 1.20-1.50% carbon, 1.00-2.00% chromium, and 0.30-0.50% manganese. It is a highly wear-resistant steel often used in applications that require good strength and a good wear-resistance such as cold and hot work tools.
AISI M2: M2 is a high-speed steel containing 0.90-1.05% carbon, 4.00-4.50% chromium and 5.00-5.50% tungsten. It is a very popular steel for high-speed cutting applications and is often used in drill bits, punches, taps, reamers and milling cutters.
