Tool & Die Steels for Metalforming
Cold work tool steels comprise the family of tool steels with a combination of wear, toughness and compressive strength characteristics permitting relatively heavy forming and cutting operations at room temperature. They may typically be used for blanking or trim dies, forming dies, coining dies, drawing dies, punches, shear blades, knives, thread-rolling dies, forming rolls, powder compaction tooling, or any other applications involving metal forming. These grades may also be used as molds for abrasive plastic molding applications.

This section includes conventionally produced tool steels as well as a selection of CPM (Crucible Particle Metallurgy) tool steels commonly used for high performance long run cold forming applications. These CPM grades offer enhanced wear resistance resulting in exceptional die life with improved toughness. They are the highest wear resistant tools available.

Summary information concerning heat treatment, annealing, service property comparisons, annealed hardnesses and chemistry are listed on the Chemistries & Heat Treatments Tables. More specific information concerning each grade is included within each grade section.