Die steel

Mould Steel

Mould steel is an essential material for industrial manufacturing. Its purpose is to make and shape molds. It is one of the important consumable materials used in industrial production.

Mould steel has a wide range of applications, such as die casting, plastic injection moulding, pressure die-casting and stamping. The material is also used in making punch and die components, saw blades, forming tools and x-ray masks.

Mould steel is available in different grades, and according to customer requirements, it can be subjected to heat treatments, such as normalizing, tempering, annealing, ageing and other post-processes.

Depending on the requirements of the customer, mould steel can be classified as low-carbon and high-carbon, and it can be used in different applications. Low-carbon mould steel is used for general and precision molds, and applications where greater wear resistance or corrosion resistance is not required. High-carbon mould steel is used for applications where better wear and abrasion resistance are needed. High-carbon steel can also be further processed by being heated and treated to give the steel specific characteristics.

Mould steel is typically produced from two or more alloys that are blended together to produce a homogeneous material. The alloys used in mould steel production are often nickel, cobalt, and chromium. Nickel helps to increase the strength, hardness and wear resistance of the steel, while cobalt and chromium increase the steels corrosion resistance.

There are many factors to consider when selecting the right mould steel, such as the working environment and the end product. Specialty processes may be required if the finished product has a specific surface finish or hardness. These specialty processes may include nanosteel technology or hot-tooling, depending on the level of precision required.

The cost of mould steel depends on the quality, grade and treatment methods used. The cost of high-end mould steel can be more expensive than lower-grade steel, but the quality of the end product is the factor to consider when choosing the right material. It is important to select the correct grade of mould steel for the application, as this determines the quality of the final product.

In conclusion, mould steel is an essential material for industrial manufacturing and is available in different grades and alloys. Factors such as the working environment, end product, cost, and quality need to be considered before selecting the right grade of mould steel. It is important to choose the right grade of steel, as this determines the quality of the end product.

Mold Steel

Mold steel refers to a kind of engineering steel which is used to process plastic molds, die-casting molds, rubber molds and other molds. It is characterized by hot workability, good hardenability, small deformation after heat treatment, small hardness change after heat treatment, good polishing performance, good abrasion resistance, and enough toughness and cold cracking.

1. Classification of Mold Steel

Generally speaking, mold steel can be divided into cold working die steel and hot working die steel. Cold working die steel refers to a kind of steel that is hardened and tempered at low temperature (generally under 300 ℃). It has excellent cutting performance and mechanical properties, high hardness after hardening, small deformation after heat treatment, good toughness, and suitable for making cold punching dies or cold forming dies. Hot working die steel refers to a kind of steel that is heat-treated (hardened, quenched, tempered and normalized) at a high temperature, which has good hot hardness as well as thermal fatigue resistance, and is suitable for making hot punches, hot extrusion dies, hot forging dies and hot shearing dies.

2. Common Mold Steel Variety

Based on the alloying elements and properties, the commonly used mold steel varieties include carbon tool steel (4Cr2Mo), high speed steel (H13, D2, T1, W18Cr4V), ultra-high strength steel (3Cr2W8V) and corrosion-resistant die steel (S136, NAK80). Different steel grades are suitable for different uses, and users should select steel grades in accordance with their own requirements.

3. Heat Treatment of Mold Steel

The heat treatment of mold steel is divided into pre-hardened type and softening type. For the pre-hardened type, after the steel is quenched, it is heated to a certain temperature and then cooled in the air, which can maintain a certain hardness; for the softening type, after quenching, it is heated to a certain temperature and then cooled with water, oil or inert gas. In addition, the heat treatment process of die steel should pay attention to heat preservation, temperature control and cooling treatment. The heat treatment process of different steel should also be selected according to the performance requirements of the mold.