Tough tool steel

Toolox tool steel from Hasco (Lüdenscheid, Germany; ) is a prehardened and tempered alternative to the conventional plastic tool steel materials 1.2311 and 1.2312. It boasts exceptionally low residual stresses, enabling nearly distortion-free machining, and features high toughness (1080 N/mm2 tensile strength) and high dimensional stability, even at high cutting rates.

Despite its high strength, Toolox 33 can be machined more readily than other prehardened and tempered grades of tool steel. Toolox 33 is available in the familiar Hasco standard dimensions as a P1100 standard plate. Special sizes can be supplied on request.

Toolox 44, says Hasco, is the only tool steel supplied ex stock worldwide that is prehardened to 45 Rockwell C. Normal premachining and heat treatment processes are not required, thus reducing costs and the risk of scrap. Toolox 44 can also be supplied in special dimensions. High temperature tolerance (590°C) means the steels can also be gas-nitrided and PVD-coated, while a homogeneous structure allows for excellent polishing and etching results. Furthermore, outstanding heat conductivity values improve molding cycle times and tool life. —stephen.moore@cancom.com