What is Tool Steels ?

What is Tool Steels ?

Tool steels are steels which are manufactured under carefully controlled conditions with carbon content between 0.7% and 1.5% and low manganese content to reduce the possibility of cracking during water quenching. Proper heat treating of these steels is important for adequate performance.

Tool steels refers to a variety of carbon and alloy steels that are particularly well-suited to be made into tools. Their suitability comes from their distinctive hardness, resistance to abrasion and deformation and their ability to hold a cutting edge at elevated temperatures. As a result tool steels are suited for their use in the shaping of other materials.

There are six groups of tool steel:

water-hardening tool steels,

cold-work tool steels,

shock-resisting tool steels,

high-speed tool steels,

hot-work tool steels,

special purpose/plastic mold tools steels.

Tool steel's suitability comes from its alloy's properties:

Distinctive hardness

Resistance to abrasion

Ability to hold a cutting edge

Red-hardness

Other factors in tool steel selection include:

Machinability

Grindability

Tolerances

Polishability