Defining manufacturing sequence of a tool steel - Literature review Example

Accordingly, the tool steel and die steel has different classification, referring to the metallurgical composition and heat treatment measures used in making these products. For example, cold work and hot work category of steel have remarkably different carbon, chromium, magnesium, cobalt, and nickel and tungsten percentage representation. While tool steels are fundamentally medium or high carbon steels, they have varied amounts of specific elements that shape them into specialized application tools, with significant characteristics.

Carbon in the tool steel helps it to gain greater hardness required to do the cutting and have wear-resistant properties. The other elements provide greater strength and toughness to the tool steel. The addition of such elements helps in retaining the size and shape of the tool, while ensuring that the specific tool maintains its strength and hardness during the heat-treatment process. As composition of tool steel varies according to the specific tool application, the aim of his paper is to discuss different types of steel alloys that can be used for manufacture of specific tools.

Accordingly, the related changes in the microstructure of tool steel, as it undergoes various manufacturing and heat treatment processes are detailed in the following pages. Addition of Chromium enables the tool steel to gain properties of greater hardness, toughness and wears resistance. Cobalt addition results in increased red hardness, which makes tools applicable for use at higher temperature during operation. Manganese helps the tool steel in quick hardening, while going through heat treatment process.

Larger addition of this element, between 1.2 to 1.6 percentages enables the steel to quench in oil instead of water, while lowering the quenching temperature, meant for hardening the tool steel. Molybdenum also helps