Tool steel
Cold work, hot work, plastic mould, high-speed and powder metallurgical steel from voestalpine BÖHLER, with documentation and traceability.
Tool steel is made to meet high demands on hardness, wear resistance and dimensional stability. It is the material that makes it possible to build tools that keep both their edge and their measurements under hard use, in cold and hot working alike. Pegol supplies tool steel from voestalpine BÖHLER. Our story began in 1945, and that experience goes in at the design stage, while the choice of material can still be influenced. Which grade is right depends on how hot the tool runs, how it is loaded and how dimensionally stable it has to be after hardening.
Which grade is right is rarely settled by a single value. Working temperature, load, dimensional stability after hardening and how the tool is to be machined all pull against each other, and that trade-off is what we help with.
Together with voestalpine BÖHLER we can bring in metallurgical and application-engineering expertise when a choice of material is difficult. Tell us what the tool has to do and how it is built today, and we will start there.
Product range
Cold work steel
For tools where the surface does not normally exceed 200 °C. The requirements are high wear resistance and hardness, resistance to plastic deformation, fracture resistance and low dimensional change during heat treatment. Used in stamping and fine blanking, sheet metal forming and cold forming.
- Working temperature normally up to 200 °C
- Wear resistance, fracture resistance and dimensional stability
- For punches, cutting tools and dies
Hot work steel
For forging and die-casting tools under hard, hot load. Hardness and compressive strength have to hold up to 600 °C, and the tool must withstand thermal fatigue and heat checking. BÖHLER concentrates on remelted steels, where purity is what decides the life of the tool.
- Hardness and compressive strength up to 600 °C
- Resists heat checking and thermal fatigue
- For rolls, forging tools and die-casting moulds
Plastic mould steel
For moulds producing plastic parts and for forming light metals such as zinc and aluminium. The material has to resist abrasive and corrosive wear, since molten plastic or metal is forced into the mould under high pressure. Polishability is often as hard a requirement as hardness.
- Corrosion resistance with plastics such as PVC
- Wear resistance at temperatures up to approximately 400 °C
- Polishability and frequently large dimensions
High-speed steel
Alloyed steel with high wear resistance and cutting capacity, for tools working under high frictional heat. The material does not soften until 600 °C, which lets lathe tools, drills and milling cutters run for long periods without wearing down.
- Retains hardness above 600 °C
- For drilling, milling, threading and broaching
Powder metallurgical steel
Tool steel produced by powder metallurgy. The steel is atomised into powder and compacted into a finer microstructure, which lets it carry higher loads and last longer than conventionally produced steel. BÖHLER's powder metallurgical grades carry the MICROCLEAN designation.
- Finer and more uniform microstructure
- Combines wear resistance with toughness
- BÖHLER MICROCLEAN
Technical properties
| Cold work steel, working temperature | The tool surface does not normally exceed 200 °C. |
|---|---|
| Cold work steel, property requirements | Wear resistance and hardness, compressive strength, fracture resistance, low dimensional change during heat treatment and fatigue strength. |
| Hot work steel, working temperature | Hardness and compressive strength at temperatures up to 600 °C. |
| Hot work steel, production | Remelted steels. Protective-gas ESR or vacuum arc remelting is used to minimise non-metallic inclusions and segregations. |
| Plastic mould steel, working temperature | Wear resistance and hardness at temperatures up to approximately 400 °C. |
| Plastic mould steel, property requirements | Corrosion resistance when processing plastics such as PVC and under critical cooling conditions, mechanical strength, toughness and polishability. |
| High-speed steel, working temperature | Wear resistance, hardness and compressive strength at temperatures above 600 °C. |
| Powder metallurgical steel | BÖHLER's powder metallurgical steels under the MICROCLEAN designation are homogeneous and particularly clean. |
| Documentation | Complete documentation and full traceability follow the material. |
The grade is chosen from the tool's working temperature, its load and how dimensionally stable it has to be after hardening. Designations, analyses and hardening recommendations per grade are held by voestalpine BÖHLER, and we go through them with you before the material is settled.
Industries where this product is used
Aftermarket for this product
Support does not end at delivery. Together with voestalpine BÖHLER we offer metallurgical and application-engineering expertise all the way from idea to finished product, and their technicians can come out to you when an application needs looking at on site. Documentation and traceability follow the material, which means a tool that is not behaving as expected can be traced backwards.
Read more about our aftermarketFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between cold work and hot work tool steel?
Cold work steel is used in tools where the surface does not normally exceed 200 °C, such as punches and cutting tools. Hot work steel is intended for tools running hot, where hardness and compressive strength have to hold up to 600 °C, such as forging tools and die-casting moulds.
Why is hot work steel remelted?
To remove non-metallic inclusions and segregations. Purity and homogeneity decide how long the tool lasts, which is why processes such as protective-gas ESR or vacuum arc remelting are used.
When is powder metallurgical steel worth the extra cost?
When the tool needs hardness and toughness at the same time. Powder metallurgy gives a finer and more uniform microstructure than conventionally produced steel, which lets the tool carry higher loads and last longer. We recommend it for particularly demanding needs, not as a default.
Which steel suits cutting tools?
High-speed steel, often in a powder metallurgical grade. It combines edge retention and wear resistance with hot hardness and toughness, which is what drilling, milling, threading and broaching demand.
What is required of steel for plastic moulds?
Corrosion resistance, since plastics such as PVC attack the mould and the cooling conditions can be critical. Beyond that, wear resistance up to around 400 °C, mechanical strength, toughness and polishability. The moulds are also frequently large.
Related terms in the glossary:High-speed steel,Powder metallurgical steel
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