Tool Steel And Its Various Grades

Tool steel refers to carbon and alloy steels that are ideal to be made into tools. The material is preferred by many people due to its great features. For example, the material has a distinctive hardness, is able to hold a cutting edge, and it’s resistant to corrosion. It’s also resistant to deformation even when exposed to high temperatures.

Grades of the material

Tool steel is usually classified into different grades. The divisions are made using the SAE steel grade system that categorizes each type of steel using a letter that indicates the properties or production method of the material.

The most common division is the W-grade. The division is common due to low cost. The most common types of W-grade are silicon, manganese, and molybdenum. The good side with this division is that it’s hard. While this is the case, the material is brittle and it doesn’t stand up well to high temperatures (above 150 degrees).

W-grade tools are usually used in making blades such as razors, and shear blades.

Other than W-grade, there are other divisions such as Grades A, D, and O. These divisions are produced by cold-working which is a process where steel is subjected to mechanical stress and as a result it undergoes plastic deformation. The good side with the process is that it aids in increasing the tensile strength of steel.

Steel in this grade is used in making blades and machine tools.

A-grade steel is usually air-hardened while O-grade is usually oil-hardened. By hardening the materials you reduce distortion levels.

There is also steel that is categorized as H-grade. The material in this grade is said to be hot-working and it’s created by bringing about plastic deformation in steel via extended exposure to high temperatures.

Materials in this grade are characterized by high strength and hardness; however, they tend to suffer from slight distortions which are brought by cooling and thermal contraction processes.

There are also T and M grades which are characterized by their ability to retain high hardness at high temperatures. T-grade steel contains high amounts of tungsten while M-grade contains high amounts of molybdenum.

Conclusion

These are some of the main grades of tool steel. When buying the material you should be cautious and ensure that you buy the grade that will be ideal for you. You should also ensure that you buy the materials from a reputable store that won’t rip you off.

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