ASSAB TOOL STEEL FOR

FORGING
APPLICATIONS
HOT FORGING
OF METALS
In hot forging a heated up billet is pressed between
a die set to a nearly finished product. Large numbers
of solid metal parts are produced in aluminium alloys,
copper alloys, steel or super-alloys where irregular
shapes need to be combined with good mechanical
properties.The main methods of drop forging are
hammer forging and press forging.

HAMMER FORGING
Hammer forging is characterised by a very short
contact time and very rapid rate of increase of force
with time (impact loading). The cumulative contact
time for the bottom die can be fairly long if one
includes the time between blows. However, since a
lubricant with “blow-out” effect is normally used with
hammers, effective contact between the part and the
die only occurs during the actual forging blow.
These features imply that impact toughness and
ductility are important properties for die steel to
be used in hammer dies. This does not mean to say
that wear resistance is not important, particularly in
smaller dies, which in fact normally fail as a result of
wear. In hammer forging, there is a lot to be said for
using inserts of a more wear-resistant die steel which
are shrink fitted into a tough holder material.

CONTENTS
HOT FORGING 2

WARM FORGING 5

PROGRESSIVE FORGING 6
EFFECT OF FORGING PARAMETERS
8
ON DIE LIFE
DIE DESIGN AND DIE LIFE 9

REQUIREMENTS OF DIE MATERIAL 10

MANUFACTURE AND MAINTENANCE 12

OF FORGING DIE
SURFACE TREATMENT 13
PRODUCT PROGRAMME FOR 14
FORGING APPLICATION
TOOL STEEL SELECTION CHART 15

“ASSAB” and the logo are trademark registered. The information contained herein is based on our present state of knowledge and is intended to provide
general notes on our products and their uses. Therefore, it should not be construed as a warranty of specific properties of the products described or a
warranty for fitness for a particular purpose. Each user of ASSAB products is responsible for making its own determination as to the suitability of ASSAB
products and services.

Edition 20210505

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For larger, high-production hammer dies, which may WEAR
be resunk a number of times, it is important that
If all other failure mechanisms are suppressed, a
the die steel used has sufficient hardenability that
forging die will ultimately wear out (parts out of
the later cavities are not sunk in softer material with
tolerance). Wear occurs when the work material
inferior wear resistance.
plus oxide scale glide at high velocity relative to the
cavity surface under the action of high pressure. It
PRESS FORGING
is most pronounced at convex radii and in the flash
In press forging, the contact time under pressure land. Wear is increased drastically if the forging
is much longer, and the impact load is much lower temperature is reduced (higher flow stress for the
than in hammer forging. In general terms, this means ork material).
that the heat resistance and elevated temperature
The explosion which occurs via combustion of oil-
wear resistance of the die steel are relatively
based lubricant in the confined space between forging
more important than the ability to withstand
and die can also give rise to a type of erosive wear.
impact loading. However, one must optimize
impact toughness and ductility in relation to wear
resistance; this applies particularly for large press
dies which are not supported from the sides. Since
the surface temperature of press dies will during
service generally be higher than for hammer dies, it
is important that the die surface is not excessively
chilled by lubrication. Otherwise, premature heat
checking or even thermal shock cracking may result.

TYPICAL DIE FAILURES

The deterioration of forging dies is usually associated Wear
with several processes which may operate
simultaneously. However, one of these normally GROSS CRACKING
dominates and is the ultimate cause of failure. In Forging dies might fail as a result of some form of
general, four distinct damage mechanisms can be gross cracking. This may occur during a single cycle
distinguished: or, as is most common, over a number of cycles; in
z wear the latter instance, the crack growth proceeds via
z mechanical fatigue and gross cracking a high-stress fatigue mechanism. Gross cracking
z plastic deformation is more frequent in hammer blocks than in press
z thermal fatigue cracking (heat checking) tooling, because of the greater degree of impact.

Different damage mechanisms can dominate in

different parts of the cavity.

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Gross cracking is a failure condition which can THERMAL FATIGUE CRACKING
almost always be rectified. Normally, cracking lies in This results if the surface of the cavities is subjected
one or more of the following: to excessive temperature changes during the forging
z overloading, e.g. work material temperature too cycle. Such temperature changes create thermal
low stresses and strains at the die surface which eventually
z die design, e.g. too sharp radii or too thin wall lead to cracking via a low-cycle fatigue mechanism
thickness (heat checking).
z inadequate preheating of the die Thermal fatigue cracking is increased by the following
z inadequate toughness of die steel (wrong factors:
selection) z cavity surface at too high temperature
z too high hardness of die material (excessive billet temperature and/or long
z poor quality heat treatment/surface treatment contact time)
z inadequate die support/alignment z excessive cooling of die surface between
forgings
z inadequate preheating of die
z wrong selection of die steel and/or poor heat
treatment
All these factors will increase the difference between
maximum and minimum temperature in the die
surface.

Totally cracked die

PLASTIC DEFORMATION
This occurs when the die is locally subjected to
stresses in excess of the yield strength of the die
steel. Plastic deformation is quite common at small
convex radii, or when long thin tooling components
e.g. punches, are subjected to high bending stresses.
The following can be the cause of plastic deformation
in forging dies:
z too low billet temperature (high flow stress of
work material)
z inadequate hot strength of die steel
z die temperature too high
z die material too soft

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DIE MATERIAL PROPERTIES
The properties profile required for tool steel in
forging dies depends to some extent on the type of
forging operation, on the work material and on the
size of the part, depth of cavity etc.
However, a number of general characteristics
will always be required in all forging operations.
The particular die damage mechanism are given in
parentheses.
z Sufficient hardness and ability to retain this at
elevated temperatures—temper resistance
(wear, plastic deformation, thermal fatigue
cracking).
z Enhanced level of hot tensile strength and hot
hardness (wear, plastic deformation, thermal
fatigue cracking).
z Good toughness and ductility at low and
elevated temperatures (gross cracking, thermal
shock cracking, thermal fatigue cracking). It is
important that the die steel exhibits adequate
toughness/ductility in all directions.
z Adequate level of fatigue resistance (gross
cracking).
z Sufficient hardenability (retention of wear
resistance etc. if the die is resunk).
z Amenability to weld repair.
z Good machinability, especially prehardened die
blocks.

WARM FORGING
Warm forging is a precision forging operation carried
out at a temperature range between 550–950°C It is
useful for forging of details with intricate shapes, with
desirable grain flow, good surface finish and tighter
dimensional tolerances than if hot forged.
The weight of the forged piece is between 0.1–50
kg and the production rate about 10–40 pieces per
minute. The contact time is about 200 ms and the
mechanical loads at 600°C are 3 to 5 times higher
than in hot forging.
Automatic multistation presses with integrated
cooling/lubricating systems are often used.

Typical processes in warm forging

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TYPICAL FAILURES TYPICAL FAILURES
During the warm forging operation the tool parts are Tool parts used in the progressive forging, such as die,
exposed to rather high temperature, high mechanical stem, stem holder, punch and counter punch-ejector
loads and intensive cooling. are subjected to very high stresses.
As a result of this alternate heating and cooling the As the production speed is very high, the die parts
tool parts are subjected to high thermal fatigue. need to be water-cooled to protect them against
overheating. Nevertheless, despite intensive cooling,
An additional factor is the degree of hot wear of the
the tool surfaces can be strongly heated, even by the
material, which depends on the surface temperatures
brief contact, with the hot metal being forged.
and the mechanical stresses on the tool.
As a result of this alternate heating and cooling the
die parts are subjected to extremely high thermal
TOOL MATERIAL PROPERTIES
fatigue. The degree of the thermal fatigue cracking
The tool parts are subjected to both high mechanical constitutes a measure of the material life.
stresses and high thermal stresses.
An additional factor is the degree of hot wear of the
For these reasons a tool steel has to be chosen which material, which depends on the surface temperatures
has a good temper resistance, good wear resistance, and the mechanical stresses on the die.
high hot yield strength, good thermal conductivity
and good thermal fatigue resistance. A warm forging
steel must exhibit a properties profile which is in TOOL MATERIAL PROPERTIES
between the typical properties profiles for hot work The required properties profile of the hot forming
and cold work steel. die and die parts are:
z high temperature strength and good temper
resistance to withstand hot wear and thermal
PROGRESSIVE FORGING fatigue cracking
In progressive forging a large number of symmetrical, z good thermal conductivity to withstand thermal
precision-forged parts with forged weights of up to fatigue cracking
about 5 kg are produced. z good hot ductility and toughness to resist
The fully automatic process involves supplying hot initiation and rapid spread of thermal fatigue
cracking
rolled bars at one end of the line, heating them
inductively, cutting them to the required size, shaping
them in 3–4 stages and discharging finished forgings
at the other end of the line.
Depending on the weight of the forgings, production
capacity is between 50 and 180 per minute.

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1. Two-part cutting bush
2. Work metal
3. Stopper
4. Cutter
5. Blank
6. Stem/Punch
6a. Hollow punch
7. Bolster
7a. Counter punch-ejector
8. Die
9. Waste metal
10. Piercer
11. Product

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EFFECT OF FORGING TYPICAL HOT FORGING TEMPERATURES

PARAMETERS ON DIE STEEL 1050 - 1250OC

LIFE CU-ALLOYS 650 - 800OC

Apart from the influence of the actual die material AL-ALLOYS 350 - 500OC
and its heat treatment/surface treatment, a number
TI-ALLOYS 800 - 1000OC
of parameters related to the forging operation affect
die life:
z billet temperature
z billet shape and surface condition BILLET SHAPE AND SURFACE
z work material CONDITION
z cavity stress level and contact time The greater the difference between the shape of
the billet and that of the final forging, the greater is
z type of forging operation
the degree of wear because the relative movement
z type of lubricant
between work material and die must increase.
Likewise, hard, adherent scale on the billet surface
BILLET TEMPERATURE
will increase wear, especially if the gliding distance is
Reduced billet temperature in forging is favourable large.
from the viewpoint of mechanical properties in the
forged part itself. This is particularly important if WORK MATERIAL
the components are not heat treated after forging.
The higher the flow stress of the work material,
However, the higher flow stress of the work
the faster is die deterioration due to wear and/or
material, which is associated with a reduced forging
plastic deformation, at the same time as the risk for
temperature, results in both increased wear and a
gross cracking is increased. Hence, stainless steel is
higher risk for plastic deformation. Further, since
more difficult to forge than carbon steel at the same
the forging loads increase, the probability for gross
temperature.
cracking is enhanced.

FORGEABILITY

High Constructional steels

Stainless
Moderate steels
Ni- and
Al-Mg-alloys Co- alloys

Ti-alloys
Low

Low Moderate High

IMPACT ENERGY OR PRESS POWER

Forgeability of different types of material.

8 | STEEL FOR FORGING APPLICATIONS

CAVITY STRESS LEVEL AND z correct use and design of setting plugs, punches
CONTACT TIME and knockout pins
z sufficiently large cushion-face area in hammer
An increased stress level in the cavity, can be found,
forging in relation both to die block thickness
for example, in high precision forging, and has the
and to the capacity of the hammer used.
following consequences:
z increased stress in the tool with higher risk for Improper die support, insufficient material thickness
deformation or gross cracking in the die and too small radii are all very common
z increased heat transfer from billet to die (heat reasons for a die failing catastrophically by cracking,
checking) and will be further enlarged upon.
z more pronounced wear
Prolonged contact between billet and die during
forging results in accelerated wear and a greater risk
for heat checking. For very long contact times, the
surface layer of the tool may become so hot that it
transforms to austenite. Cracking problems can then
be experienced if this layer rehardens during the
cooling part of the cycle.

TYPE OF FORGING OPERATION

Because of the much higher impact load, hammer dies
tend to fail by cracking to an extent which is greater
than in press forging where the loading rate is lower.
Thermal fatigue (heat checking) is more common
in powder forging and other near-net-shape forging
processes involving long contact times.

TYPE OF LUBRICANT
Oil-based lubricants can give rise to excessive wear/
erosion due to the explosion-like combustion of
the oil between billet and cavity. On the other hand,
water base lubricants cool the die surface to a
greater extent which increases the risk of thermal
fatigue cracking. Grinding of dove-tail radii.

DIE DESIGN AND DIE LIFE DIE SUPPORT

Assuming that the forging equipment is in good It is very important that the die is properly supported
condition (properly adjusted and without excessive underneath by a perfectly flat backing surface with
play in the ram guide system), then adherence to the sufficient hardness. Concave depressions in the
following “die design” principles will reduce the risk support surface immediately under the die cavity are
for catastrophic die failure: particularly deleterious because they exaggerate the
tensile stresses at radii.
z proper die support
z dovetails, if used, should be properly Proper backing is especially important in hammer
dimensioned, forging because there is usually no side support in
z have sufficiently large radii and beproperly this case. When dies of greatly different dimensions
finished (grinding marks should betangential and are used on the same press or hammer, it is essential
not axial), see figure below. to remove any cavities in the backing block or plate
z sufficient wall thickness, and sufficient material when switching from a small to a large die.
below the cavity and between individual cavities For press forging, side support of the die is desirable
z adequate radii and fillets in the cavity but this is not always possible. Shrink fitting of inserts
z proper dimensioning of flash land and gutter into a massive holder provides the best security
z proper design of parting plane and, if used, die against cracking in press dies.
locks

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FILLET RADII
The greatest tensile stresses in a forging die occur
at the radii between the sides and bottom of the
cavity. The smaller the radius, the higher the stresses.
In general, the forging should be designed so that
die fillet radii less than 2 mm can be avoided. For
deeper cavities, >50 mm, this radius limit needs to be
increased to 5 mm (0.2 inch).
It is especially important during die making that As a rule of thumb for solid die blocks in press
radii are ground and polished with grinding marks, forging the thickness below the cavity should be at
if any, in the tangential direction. In particular, EDM least 1.5 x cavity depth.
residues, which may contain cracks, must be removed
completely at radii (and preferably from the rest of As a minimum wall thickness in hammer forging the
the die as well). recommendations are according to the table below.
Disatance cavity
If this is not possible, then the die should at least be Depth of cavity (h) to outer edge of a
retempered at 25°C below the previous tempering die (t)

temperature. mm mm

6 12
DIE MATERIAL AND WALL 10 20
THICKNESS
16 32
A number of more or less empirical methods or
25 40
dimensioning of forging dies are available, which
range in complexity from simple “rule of thumb” to 40 56
fairly advanced nomograms with a theoretical base. 63 80
However, there is no doubt that the stresses imparted 100 110
to the die by a given forging machine increase 120 130
profoundly as the die dimensions are decreased.
160 160

Mnimum wall thickness (t) recommended in hammer

dies between cavity and outer edge.

REQUIREMENTS FOR DIE

MATERIAL
HARDENABILITY
In large press or hammer dies made from pre-
hardened die steel, it is important that the hardness is
uniform throughout the block. If the die steel has too
low hardenability, the block will become softer away
from its outer surface and die life for deep cavities or
after progressive resinking will be impaired.

TOUGHNESS AND DUCTILITY

The surface of the cavity can during use easily
develop small cracks or other blemishes whichmay
Minimum height (Hmin) of hammer dies with a maximum propagate in an unstable manner under theaction of
depth of cavity (hmax).
the high forging stresses, especially atradii etc. Notch
toughness indicates the ability of the die material to
resist crack development from such defects.
All products, in the ASSAB tool steel programme for
the forging industry, are characterised by the highest
levels of toughness and ductility in all directions in
the bar or block. Hence, the forger can rest assured

10 | STEEL FOR FORGING APPLICATIONS

that the resistance to gross cracking is the highest
possible in dies made from ASSAB die steel.
Proper die preheating will considerably reduce the
risk for catastrophic failure via cracking.

TEMPER RESISTANCE
The better the steel retains its hardness as the
temperature or the time increases, the better its
temper resistance.
Temper resistance can be assessed from the
tempering curve for a hardened tool steel. In this,
the hardness at room temperature is plotted against
tempering temperature for given tempering time.
Another method of presenting temper resistance
data is to plot room temperature hardness against
time at a given tempering temperature.

ASSAB 8407 SUPREME

HOT STRENGTH AND HOT

HARDNESS
In contrast to temper resistance, which is defined
in terms of hardness at room temperature, hot
strength and hot hardness refer to properties at high
temperature. In general, improved temper resistance
is associated with increased hot strength and hot
hardness. It can be pointed out that good hot hardness
and hot strength are important prerequisites for
enhanced wear resistance at elevated temperatures.
ASSAB 8407 SUPREME
A high level of hot hardness and hot strength is also
important in order to achieve adequate resistance to
thermal fatigue cracking.

FATIGUE RESISTANCE
ASSAB tool steel for forging dies are produced to
the highest possible quality standards, especially
with regard to freedom from nonmetallic inclusions.
This imparts a degree of fatigue resistance which is
adequate for even the most demanding applications
where forging dies are subjected to cyclic loading
with high maximum loads. batch to batch.

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MANUFACTURE These properties are controlled through proper
choice of austenitizing temperature, cooling
AND MAINTENANCE OF conditions during hardening and tempering
FORGING DIE temperature and time.

Machinability, weldability and, when applicable, For forging dies, where toughness is of the utmost
response to heat treatment and surface treatment importance, it is essential that the coolingrate
are important parameters influencing the relative during hardening is sufficiently rapid that undesirable
ease of manufacture and maintenance of forging dies. microconstituents such as pronounced grain-
boundary carbide precipitation, pearlite and coarse
MACHINABILITY upper bainite can be avoided. Furthermore, the
Machinability is a vital consideration when forging austenitizing conditions should be such that excessive
dies are machined from prehardened die blocks. grain growth can not occur, since this is detrimental
as regards to toughness. Because forging dies are
The tool steel for forging applications from ASSAB
sometimes EDM’d extensively after heat treatment,
are characterised by freedom from oxidic inclusions
there is generally no problem to cope with the
and a uniform microstructure.
greater dimensional change and distortion which
These features, in combination with the low hardness results when the rate of cooling during hardening is
in the annealed condition usually 170– 200 HB, are to rapid. Remember, however, that EDM’d dies should
ensure excellent machinability. always be given an additional temper at about 25°C
below the previous tempering temperature. Detailed
Even if these grades are supplied prehardened, the
heat treatment recommendations for the various
extreme cleanliness and microstructural homogeneity
grades, in ASSAB’s tool steel programme for forging
ensure that machining can normally be carried out
dies, are given in the product brochure.
without difficulty.
For all products, advanced process control guarantees WELD REPAIR OF FORGING DIES
that the variations in machining characteristics are
Cracked or worn forging dies are often refurbished
minimal from batch to batch.
via welding. This is especially true in the case of
large dies where the tool steel itself represents a
HEAT TREATMENT
considerable portion of the total die cost.
If forging dies are manufactured from die steel in the
annealed condition, then the tool must subsequently
be heat treated in order that the steel develops its
SURFACE TREATMENT
optimum combination of hardness, toughness, heat The cavity in forging dies is quite often surface
resistance and wear resistance. treated in order to enhance wear resistance.

Notch toughness of ASSAB 8407 Supreme, 44–46 HRC, as a function of quench rate.

12 | STEEL FOR FORGING APPLICATIONS

NITRIDING Nitriding to layer thicknesses >0.3 mm is not to be
recommended for forging dies. The reason is that the
Nitriding is a thermochemical treatment giving a
nitrided layer is brittle and easily cracks during service.
hard surface layer which is very resistant to wear.
The underlying steel can not resist the propagation
In favourable cases, the process also renders a
of such surface cracks if the layer thickness is too
compressive residual stress in the surface of the die
great and the entire die may fail catastrophically.
which helps counteract heat checking.
0.3 mm maximum nitride layer thickness is a general
However, the nitrided layer is very brittle and may
recommendation; this maximum value should be
crack or spall when subjected to mechanical loading,
decreased if the impression has very sharp radii or if
especially impact loading. Nitriding is usually carried
the die steel is used at high hardness.
out by one of four methods, nitrocarburizing in salt-
bath or gas, gas nitriding or plasma (ion) nitriding. The formation of the so-called “white layer” should
also be avoided because of brittlenesss.
Before nitriding, the tool should be hardened and
double tempered, the latter at a temperature at least
25–50°C (50–90°F) above the nitriding temperature.
The surface hardness attained and the thickness of
the nitrided layer depend on the nitriding method,
nitriding time and the character of the steel being
treated. Typical data can be found in the ASSAB
product brochures for the different tool steel.

200oC

20oC

0.05 0.1 0.30 0.45 mm

Bending strength of ASSAB 8407 Supreme as a function of nitriding depth.

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PRODUCT PROGRAMME FOR FORGING APPLICATIONS
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
ASSAB grade Characteristic / Application
DIEVAR Dievar possesses a combination of excellent toughness and very good hot strength,
resulting in a superior hot-work die steel that have excellent resistance to heat
checking and gross cracking. It is specifically developed to improve the potential heat-
checking resistance above and beyond that of other commercially available die steels.
Dievar is capable of achieving its very unique properties profile in even the largest
of cross sections. Such unique properties profile makes it a suitable choice for high
demand hot-work applications like die casting, forging and extrusion.
UNIMAX Unimax is a universal tool steel with an excellent combination of high ductility and
high hardness. Due to its exceptional properties, it can be used for cold-work, plastic-
moulding and hot-work applications. Typical forging applications include — warm forging
and progressive forging. Unimax is also a perfect choice for making trimming tools (i.e.,
punch and die). It is ideal for both hot trimming and cold trimming applications.

ASSAB 8407 2M ASSAB 8407 2M is a H13 grade with good high-temperature strength and hot-wear
resistance. It has a comprehensive dimension programme of round sizes. 8407 2M is
processed in a special way (microdised) giving a high purity and a good structure for
better tool performance.
ASSAB 8407 SUPREME ASSAB 8407 Supreme is an electroslag remelted steel, which attains high purity and
a very fine structure. It is a premium H13 grade with significantly improved isotropic
properties compared to conventionally produced H13 grades. This improvement,
coupled with a high level of cleanliness and homogeneous structure, makes 8407
Supreme particularly suitable for demanding applications (e.g., tooling subjected to
high stresses). It meets the requirements of NADCA #207–2008..
QRO 90 SUPREME QRO 90 Supreme has a good combination of high-temperature strength, temper
resistance and thermal conductivity. QRO 90 Supreme has given many outstanding
results for press forging of steel and brass, particularly in small- and medium-sized
inserts or dies. It is also eminently suitable for progressive forging, upset forging,
extrusion forging, powder forging and all processes where heavy water cooling is used.
Formvar Formvar is a solid upgrade choice from H11/H13 forging dies. With good tempering
resistance and hot yield strength.

ASSAB PM 23 SUPERCLEAN Powder metallurgy high-speed steels characterised by high compressive strength,
ASSAB PM 30 SUPERCLEAN high hardness after hardening, good toughness, very good wear resistance, very good
dimensional stability during heat treatment, and very good tempering resistance.
These grades are used for forging applications where very good wear resistance is
needed.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ASSAB grade AISI (WNr.) Analysis % Supplied
hardness
C Si Mn Cr Mo V Others Brinell

DIEVAR - 0.35 0.2 0.5 5.0 2.3 0.6 - ~160

UNIMAX - 0.50 0.2 0.5 5.0 2.3 0.5 - ~185

ASSAB 8407 2M H13 (1.2344) 0.39 1.0 0.4 5.3 1.3 0.9 - ~180

ASSAB 8407 SUPREME H13 (1.2344) 0.39 1.0 0.4 5.2 1.4 0.9 - ~180

QRO 90 SUPREME - 0.38 0.3 0.8 2.6 2.3 0.9 Microalloyed ~180

FORMVAR - 0.55 0.2 0.5 5.0 2.3 0.6 - <229

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QUALITATIVE COMPARISON OF RESISTANCE OF BASIC PROPERTIES
ASSAB grade Hot Wear Plastic Deformation Premature Cracking Heat Checking
DIEVAR
UNIMAX
ASSAB 8407 2M
ASSAB 8407 SUPREME
QRO 90 SUPREME
FORMVAR
The longer the bar, the better.

TOOL STEEL SELECTION CHART

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Forging Application ASSAB Steel Hardness
Hammer forging Inserts DIEVAR 44 - 52 HRC
ASSAB 8407 SUPREME 40 - 50 HRC
ASSAB 8407 2M 40 - 48 HRC
Press forging Dies DIEVAR 44 - 52 HRC
QRO 90 SUPREME 44 - 48 HRC
UNIMAX 52 - 57 HRC
ASSAB 840 SUPREME 40 - 50 HRC
ASSAB 8407 2M 38 -48 HRC

Warm forging Tools UNIMAX 53 - 58 HRC

DIEVAR 50 - 52 HRC

Progressive forging Tools QRO 90 SUPREME 42 - 52 HRC

UNIMAX 52 - 58 HRC
DIEVAR 45 - 52 HRC
Hot pressing / stamping Dies / inserts for Cu- and Al- forgings QRO 90 SUPREME 46 - 50 HRC
UNIMAX 52 - 56 HRC
DIEVAR 46 - 52 HRC
ASSAB 8407 SUPREME 44 - 52 HRC
ASSAB 8407 2M 44 - 50 HRC
Upset forging Tools UNIMAX 52 - 56 HRC
DIEVAR 49 - 52 HRC
Trimming Hot trimming UNIMAX 52 - 58 HRC
ASSAB 8407 2M 45 - 52 HRC

Cold trimming UNIMAX 54 - 58 HRC

CALMAX 52 - 58 HRC
ASSAB 88 56 - 62 HRC

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Choosing the right steel is of vital importance. ASSAB engineers
and metallurgists are always ready to assist you in your choice
of the optimum steel grade and the best treatment for each
application. ASSAB not only supplies steel products with superior
quality, we offer state-of-the-art machining, heat treatment and
surface treatment services to enhance steel properties to meet
your requirement in the shortest lead time. Using a holistic
approach as a one-stop solution provider, we are more than just
another tool steel supplier.

ASSAB and Uddeholm are present on every continent. This

ensures you that high quality tool steel and local support are
available wherever you are. Together we secure our position as
the world’s leading supplier of tooling materials.

For more information, please visit

www.assab.com