Cold Work Tool Steel

Cold work tool steel has a good combination of wear resistance, toughness and compressive strength. This permits heavy forming and cutting operations at room temperature.

Typical uses for Cold Work Tool Steel:

  • Blanking dies, trim dies, forming dies, coining dies, drawing dies, punches, shear blades, knives, thread-rolling dies, forming rolls, powder compaction tooling, and many other applications involving metal forming.
  • These grades may also be used in abrasive plastic processing applications.
  • Find the technical data sheets for cold work tool steel below.

Cold Work Tool Steel Stock Sizes

The cold work grades below are generally available from stock. The technical data sheets for each grade are available for download.

A2

A2 is an air hardening tool steel with good toughness and excellent dimensional stability in heat treatment.

Available in the following sizes:

  • Rounds: 0.250” dia. through 20” dia.
  • Flats: 0.250” thick through 8” thick.

A2 is also available in:

  • Drill Rod
  • Precision Ground Flat Stock
  • Hollow Bar

A2 ESR

A2 ESR is a premium, Electro Slag Remelt version of A2 tool steel.

Available in the following sizes:

  • Rounds: 0.500” dia. through 16” dia.
  • Flats: Available on request

D2

D2 is a high carbon, high chromium air hardening tool steel having good wear resistance and moderate toughness.

Available in the following sizes:

  • Rounds: 0.375” dia. through 38” dia.
  • Flats: 0.150” thick through 12” thick

D2 is also available in:

  • Drill Rod
  • Precision Ground Flat Stock
  • Hollow Bar

D2 ESR

D2 ESR is a premium, Electro Slag Remelt, version of D2 tool steel.

Available in the following sizes:

  • Rounds: 0.500” dia. through 16” dia.
  • Flats: Available on request

SB Wear

SB Wear is an air hardening cold work tool steel with high wear resistance combined with moderate toughness.

Available in the following sizes:

  • Rounds: 0.75” dia. through 10.15” dia.
  • Flats: 0.750” through 5.00” thick

PSB 22

PSB 22 is an air hardening cold work tool steel with an excellent balance of wear resistance and toughness combined with moderate temper resistance.

Available in the following sizes:

  • Rounds: 1.00” dia through 9.00” dia.
  • Flats: 0.500” through 5.00” thick

O1

O1 is an oil hardening tool steel with moderate toughness and relatively high hardness.

Available in the following sizes:

  • Rounds: 0.250” dia. through 20” dia.

O1 is also available in:

  • Drill Rod
  • Precision Ground Flat Stock.

S7

S7 is a shock resistant, air hardening tool steel having high impact toughness and moderate hardness.

Available in the following sizes:

  • Rounds: 0.250” dia. through 20” dia.
  • Flats: 0.250” through 8” thick

S7 is also available in:

  • Drill Rod
  • Precision Ground Flat Stock
  • Hollow Bar

S7 ESR

S7 ESR is a premium, Electro Slag Remelt, version of S7 tool steel.

Available in the following sizes:

  • Rounds: 0.500” dia. through 2.75” dia.
  • Flats: 3.00” through 5.25” thick

L6

L6 is an oil hardening tool steel with high toughness and relatively high hardness.

Available in the following sizes:

  • Rounds: 1.00” dia. through 14” dia.

S5

S5 is an oil hardening tool steel having high impact toughness and relatively high hardness.

Available in the following sizes:

  • Rounds: 0.365” dia. through 6.00” dia.

PM A11

PM A11 has excellent wear resistance with very good toughness and strength making it well suited for many cold work tooling applications.

Available in the following sizes:

  • Rounds: .375" dia through 12" dia.
  • Flats: .145" thick through 4.000" thick

PM M4

PM M4 is a special purpose high speed steel produced exhibiting better wear resistance than M2 or M3.

Available in the following sizes:

  • Rounds: .375" dia. through 12" dia.
  • Flats: 0.100" thick through 6.00" thick
    • Saw cut widths up to 24"

SB Chipper Knife

SB Chipper Knife is a modified A8 air hardened tool steel that is readily machinable with good grinding characteristics

Please inquire for available sizes

PSB 27

PSB 27 is a premium PM Sprayformed tool steel designed as an upgrade to D2. It combines excellent wear resistance with a high resistance to chipping.

Available in the following sizes:

  • Rounds: 0.75" dia through 12" dia.
  • Flats: 0.082" through .265" thick.

M2

M2 is the most common type of high speed steel and is commonly used in cold work applications.

Available in the following sizes:

  • Rounds: 0.134" dia through 10" dia.
  • Flats: 0.03" through 3.03" thick

PSB38

PSB38 is a Spray Formed particle metallurgy high speed steel and can be used in cold work applications, similar to M2 high speed steel.  PSB38 will provide higher wear resistance than M2.

Available in the following sizes:

  • Call for availability.

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