Tool steel from EHG for tool and mould making

Processing services – Professional, high-precision steel and metal processing

With our modern machinery, we process the products precisely according to your wishes.

Sawing and cutting

We cut steel and metal precisely to length, in Europe's most high-tech cutting and sawing centre.

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Tube laser cutting

Thanks to laser technology, we are able to saw, drill, mill and deburr steel and metal in a single process step.

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Friction drilling

Using modern equipment, we realise chipless passages in thin-walled profiles.

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Thread cutting

We directly cut threads in steel, aluminium and other metals.

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Edge and surface finishing

We deliver metal blanks deburred and free of rust, scale and rolling skin. If required, we can also provide blanks preserved, lasered or barrel finished.

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What is tool steel used for?

Tool steel is mainly used in industry for the manufacture of tools and production of moulds for castings made of metal or plastic. Typical areas of application include:

Production of standard parts, such as screws, nuts or bolts
Production of cutting and forming tools, such as dies or punches
Production of moulds for castings made of metal or plastic

A wide variety of possible applications exist, depending on the temperature range and alloy content:

Unalloyed cold work tool steel is primarily used in tool making.
Alloyed cold work steel is used in mould making and in the food industry.
Hot work steel is used in the chipless shaping of workpieces. It is used for die casting, extrusion, drop forging and pipe production.
High-speed steel (HSS) is mainly used in metal-cutting production on machine tools as a cutting material (e.g. as drills, threading tools or saw blades). Three to four times higher cutting speeds can be achieved with high-speed steel than with ordinary tool steel.

What are the properties of tool steel?

Different properties are required of tool steel, depending on the application. Basic characteristics include:

High tensile strength
High wear resistance
A high degree of hardness
High ductility

Further valued properties include corrosion resistance, machinability and heat resistance, although it is commonly the case that several properties are required and specified in combination by the designer. The properties of tool steel can differ greatly depending on the alloy, temperature range or tempering form:

Unalloyed cold work steels

These are still tough at the core and are particularly resistant to crack propagation or breakage. They are well-suited to machining. The operating temperature of these steels is up to 200°C.

Alloyed cold work steels

These steels have a higher mechanical strength, which makes them less sensitive to deformation.

Hot work steels

These steels are used when high wear and heat resistance is required. Their operating temperature is up to 400°C.

High-speed steels

These steels are characterised by very high hardness, edge retention and wear resistance. Furthermore, they have a very high heat resistance with an operating temperature of up to 600°C.

What is tool steel made of?

Unalloyed tool steel mainly consists of iron, small quantities of tungsten, chromium, copper, lead, manganese or silicon and contains 0.5-1.5% carbon. It is therefore also referred to as high carbon steel (AHSS) or carbon steel. This steel can be hardened by quenching and tempering, although it cannot be completely hardened due to its high critical cooling rate.

In alloyed tool steel, various alloying elements (such as chromium, cobalt, manganese, molybdenum or vanadium) are added to the steel depending on the desired properties. Vanadium, for example, provides increased resistance to wear, heat and tempering. Complete through-hardening is usually possible with alloyed tool steel. If the alloy content is higher than 5%, it is referred to as high-alloy tool steel.