Introduction
Tooling applications often operate under demanding conditions involving high pressure, repeated impact, friction, elevated temperatures and continuous production cycles. The material selected for dies, punches, forming tools and other tooling components therefore plays an important role in overall tool performance.
Cold Work and Hot Work Tool Steels are developed for different operating environments. Understanding the difference between these two categories can help manufacturers and engineering teams select a suitable material for their tooling requirements.
TSI Metals supplies selected grades for demanding die, mould, cutting, forming, forging, extrusion and related industrial applications.
What Is Cold Work Tool Steel
Cold Work Tool Steel is generally used for tooling applications where the material is processed without exposure to the high operating temperatures associated with hot working.
The tooling may experience repeated mechanical loads, friction and abrasive wear. Therefore, properties such as hardness, wear resistance, dimensional stability and edge retention can be important.
Common applications include:
- Punches
- Blanking dies
- Forming dies
- Shearing tools
- Slitting knives
- Cutting tools
- Wear components
TSI Metals supplies D2 and D3 among its cold work tool steel offerings.
D2 For Wear-Intensive Tooling
D2 is a high-carbon, high-chromium cold work tool steel known for high wear resistance and good dimensional stability after suitable heat treatment.
It is commonly considered for applications such as:
- Dies
- Punches
- Forming tools
- Shear blades
- Slitting knives
- Pelletizer knives
- Cutting tools
D2 is particularly relevant where wear resistance and edge retention are important and where tooling operates under cold-working conditions.
D3 For Extreme Wear Resistance
D3 is a high-carbon, high-chromium tool steel designed for applications where very high wear resistance is required.
It can be considered for:
- Blanking tools
- Dies
- Punches
- Forming dies
- Industrial blades
- Embossing and coining dies
- Wear plates and liners
- Plastic and rubber processing tools
D3 is particularly suitable for applications where abrasion and wear are major considerations.
What Is Hot Work Tool Steel
Hot Work Tool Steel is designed for tooling applications involving elevated operating temperatures. These applications can expose tooling to repeated heating and cooling cycles, mechanical loads and thermal fatigue.
Important characteristics can include:
- Hot strength
- Thermal fatigue resistance
- Toughness
- Thermal shock resistance
- Wear resistance
- Dimensional stability
TSI Metals supplies H11, H13 and H21 for selected hot work tooling applications.
H11 For Thermal Stress
H11 is an air-hardening hot work tool steel used in applications involving high thermal and mechanical stress.
It can be considered for:
- Forging dies
- Extrusion tooling
- Press tools
- Hot-working applications
- High-temperature tooling
Its combination of toughness and thermal fatigue resistance makes it suitable for tooling exposed to repeated heating and cooling.
H13 For High-Temperature Tooling
H13 is a widely used hot work tool steel for applications where tooling must withstand elevated temperatures and repeated thermal cycles.
Typical applications include:
- Die casting dies
- Forging dies
- Extrusion tooling
- Hot shear blades
- Hot cutting tools
- Plastic moulding applications
H13 is valued for its combination of hot strength, toughness, thermal fatigue resistance and dimensional stability.
H21 For Severe Heat Conditions
H21 is a tungsten-based hot work tool steel intended for demanding thermal environments.
It can be considered for applications such as:
- Hot forging dies
- Hot shear blades
- Die casting tooling
- Extrusion tools
- Glass and ceramic moulding tooling
Its hot hardness and resistance to softening make it suitable for applications involving severe thermal conditions.
Selecting The Right Tool Steel
Selecting tool steel should begin with the actual operating environment.
Consider:
- Working temperature
- Impact and mechanical loads
- Wear conditions
- Required hardness
- Thermal cycling
- Tool geometry
- Machining requirements
- Heat-treatment requirements
- Expected production conditions
Cold work grades such as D2 and D3 are generally considered for cold-working applications, while H11, H13 and H21 are intended for hot-working environments.
Conclusion
Choosing the right tool steel is an important part of developing reliable tooling. Cold Work Tool Steels such as D2 and D3 are used for demanding wear and cutting applications, while Hot Work Tool Steels such as H11, H13 and H21 are designed for applications involving elevated temperatures and thermal cycling.
TSI Metals supplies die and tool steel solutions for demanding industrial applications, with options available in different forms and supply conditions.
Have a tooling requirement? Talk to TSI Metals about your material requirement.
