Cold Work Tool Steel
These are steels used to cut or form materials that are at low temperatures (under 200ºC). This group possesses high hardenability and wear resistance, and average toughness and heat softening resistance. They are used in production of larger parts or parts that require minimal distortion during hardening
The use of oil quenching and air-hardening helps reduce distortion, avoiding the higher stresses caused by the quicker water quenching. More alloying elements are used in these steels, as compared to the water-hardening class. These alloys increase the steels' hardenability, and thus require a less severe quenching process and as a result are less likely to crack. They have high surface hardness and are often used to make knife blades. The machinability of the oil hardening grades is high but for the high carbon-chromium types is low.
Cold work tool steel are expected to have following properties:
- Wear Resistance
- Good strength
- Toughness and ductality
- Machinability
- Heat Treatablity
