Tool steel is a term applied to a variety of high-hardness, abrasion-resistant steels used for applications such as dies (stamping or extrusion), cutting or shearing, mold making, or impact applications such as hammers ( personal or industrial). Its heat treatment is similar to that of hardenable low-alloy steels.
Air-hardened tool steels reduce distortion caused by quenching in water and have a balance between wear resistance and toughness.
Plastic mold steels are low-carbon steels that are molded and then carburized, hardened and quenched to a high surface hardness, making them ideal for injection molds and die-casting dies. .
