P20 Mold Steel
Pre-hardened low alloy tool steel that goes straight to machining without heat treatment
Specifications
Mould Steel and High Speed Steel for Tool Rooms and Die Shops
A tool room loses more time waiting for a block than cutting one. Tianyu Metal stocks the four families a die shop actually orders: pre-hardened P20 1.2311 and 718 for plastic mould cavities and bolsters.
A tool room loses more time waiting for a block than cutting one. Tianyu Metal stocks the four families a die shop actually orders: pre-hardened P20 1.2311 and 718 for plastic mould cavities and bolsters, D2 SKD11 and 1.2379 for blanking and forming dies, M2 M35 and T1 high speed steel for cutting tools, and 41CrAlMo7 1.8509 for nitrided inserts and mould bases. All of it is supplied in thicknesses from 0 to 1000mm cut to the block size on your drawing, in raw milling or grinding surface condition. Every grade ships with a mill test certificate and a sample can be released before the die is committed.
Pain Points
What Goes Wrong Buying Steel For Tooling and Mould Making
Heat Treating a Cavity Block You Could Have Bought Hardened
Sending a mould block out for hardening adds a queue, a distortion risk and a rework loop. P20 1.2311 and 718 are supplied pre-hardened and go straight into mould processing, which takes the heat treatment step out of the build.
Porosity Found After the Cavity Is Cut
A void in a cavity face is discovered after the machining hours are already spent. Mould steel forged and rolled to a dense structure and checked by ultrasonic inspection for pores and surface defects protects the machining investment.
Cavities That Will Not Take a Mirror Finish
A block with inclusions polishes to a blur and the moulded part carries the marks. A clean steel is what makes polishing and etching possible, and pre-hardened mould grades are supplied for exactly that duty.
Cold Work Dies Growing After Hardening
A blanking die that moves in heat treatment loses its clearance and its life. D2 SKD11 1.2379 is a strong hardenability cold work die steel with stable size, vanadium and molybdenum for wear resistance and vacuum degassing to keep the steel clean.
Drills and Cutters Losing the Edge at Speed
Tools that soften at the cutting edge fail on feed rather than on wear. M2 reaches up to 65 HRC after treatment from a delivery condition at or below 260 HB, M35 carries 5 percent cobalt and reaches 64-66 HRC, and T1 covers 62-66 HRC where tungsten content is the reason for the choice.
Buying a Full Plate for One Insert
Ordering standard plate to make a small insert leaves a drop the tool room cannot use. Blocks are cut to the ordered size across the 0 to 1000mm thickness range so you pay for the block and not the offcut.
Requirements
What This Sector Needs From a Steel Supplier
- Pre-hardened plastic mould steel that can be machined on arrival without a hardening cycle
- Cold work die steel with stable size after heat treatment so punch and die clearance survives the quench
- High speed steel in M2 M35 and T1 equivalents covering the 62-66 HRC working range
- Blocks cut to the drawing size within the 0 to 1000mm thickness range rather than standard plate
- Raw milling or grinding surface condition so the block arrives ready for the first machining operation
- A mill test certificate against the grade and a sample block before a tooling program is committed
Recommended Products
Steel We Supply Into Tooling and Mould Making
1.2311/718 Mold Steel
Pre hardened low alloy mold steel that goes straight to machining without heat treatment
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Vacuum degassed cold work die steel with strong hardenability and stable size
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Vanadium and molybdenum alloyed cold work die steel with stable size after hardening
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1.3343 high speed steel
Medium alloy high speed steel supplied against the DIN 1.3343 designation
SpecificationsM35 high speed steel
Molybdenum cobalt tool steel also listed as W6Mo5Cr4V2Co5 1.3243 and SKH55
Specifications1.3243 high speed steel
Molybdenum cobalt high speed tool steel for drills reamers broaches and gear cutters
SpecificationsTypical Applications
Where the Material Ends Up
Plastic Injection Mould Cavities and Cores
P20 1.2311 3Cr2Mo 618 718 and 35CrMo7 for cavities cores and mould frames that need polishing or etching after machining.
Blanking and Forming Dies
D2 SKD11 1.2379 X153CrMoV12 for blanking and forming dies forming rolls press tools punches bits and bushes.
Cutting Tool Manufacture
M2 1.3343 SKH51 for twist drills taps milling cutters saws and knives, with M35 1.3243 SKH55 for drills reamers gear cutters and broaches.
Turning and Slotting Tools
T1 1.3355 W18Cr4V SKH2 for turning planing and slotting tools threading dies profile cutters and reamers where tungsten content is specified.
Nitrided Inserts and Mould Bases
41CrAlMo7 1.8509 38CrMoAl nitriding steel in 5-500mm diameter for mould bases inserts gears and hot forming tools.
Die Casting and Hot Working Tools
Cold work grades with high thermal stability thermal fatigue resistance and thermal conductivity where the tool sees repeated heat cycles.
How an Order Runs
From Enquiry To Delivered Material
Grade Enquiry by Equivalent
Tell us the grade in whatever standard your drawing uses. P20 1.2311 3Cr2Mo 618 718 35CrMo7 are one family, D2 SKD11 1.2379 X12M X153CrMoV12 another, M2 1.3343 SKH51 HS6-5-2 a third.
Delivery Condition Choice
Annealed for a block you will harden yourself or quenched and tempered where the grade is supplied pre-hardened and goes straight to machining.
Block Sizing
Thickness is available from 0 to 1000mm and length and width are cut to the customized size on your block list.
Surface Preparation
Supplied as raw material or milled or ground depending on how much stock your machining allowance expects to see.
Soundness Check
Mould steel is checked by ultrasonic inspection for pores and surface defects so a cavity is not cut into a void.
Certificate and Sample
A mill test certificate is issued against the ordered grade and a sample block can be released for a trial cut before the program runs.
Packing for the Tool Room
Blocks are marked by grade and size and edge protected so they arrive identifiable and undamaged at the tool store.
Delivery Capability
What We Commit To on Shipment
- Blocks marked with grade and size so the tool store does not have to identify steel by spark test
- Mill test certificate released with the shipping documents under TT or LC terms
- Mould and high speed steel supplied in the annealed delivery condition so blanks machine before hardening
- Export packing with edge protection on block and bar bundles for sea freight
- Export shipments to Southeast Asia South America and Africa
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Tooling and Mould Making Steel Supply FAQ
Is P20 supplied pre-hardened or do we harden it ourselves?
It is supplied in a pre-hardened state and can go directly into mould processing without a heat treatment cycle, which is the reason it is specified for plastic mould cavities and mould frames when the build time is tight.
What is the difference between M2 and M35 for our drills?
M2 is the general purpose tungsten molybdenum grade at a delivery hardness at or below 260 HB reaching up to 65 HRC after treatment. M35 adds 5 percent cobalt and reaches 64-66 HRC, which is why it is chosen for drills reamers gear cutters and broaches running harder duty.
Which grade holds size best through hardening on a blanking die?
D2 SKD11 1.2379 is the usual answer. It has strong hardenability and stable size, contains vanadium and molybdenum for wear resistance and is vacuum degassed to keep the steel clean through the quench.
How large a block can you cut?
Thickness runs from 0 to 1000mm and length and width are cut to your size, so bolsters and large cavity blocks are supplied as a block rather than as plate you have to saw down.
What surface condition do the blocks arrive in?
Raw material, milled or ground. Pick the one that matches the machining allowance your program expects, since a ground block saves a roughing pass and a raw block costs less.
Can we test a block before committing the tooling order?
Samples are available. Send the grade the block size and the operation you want to trial and we will confirm what can be released, along with the mill test certificate for the heat.
Sourcing Steel For Tooling and Mould Making
Pre-hardened plastic mould steel that can be machined on arrival without a hardening cycle Send that with the sizes and quantity and we will confirm availability and what the certificate covers.