Find your markets
ASSAB.com
  • China
  • Hong Kong
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Taiwan
  • Philippines
  • Vietnam
  • Thailand
  • Malaysia
  • Singapore
  • Indonesia
Choose your language
中文(简体)日本語English
  • English
  • About Us
    About Us
    • Welcome to ASSAB
    • Management
    • Shared Values
    • Corporate Responsibility
    • Compliance
  • Products
    Products
    • Tool steel
      • Hot Work
        • Die Casting
        • Hot Extrusion (Metal)
        • Hot Forging
        • Hot Stamping
      • Plastics
        • Injection Moulding
        • Compression Moulding
        • Transfer Moulding
        • Blow Moulding
        • Extrusion (Plastics)
      • Cold Work
        • Blanking
        • Cold Drawing
        • Cold Extrusion (Metal)
        • Fine Blanking
        • Cold Forging
        • Cold Forming
        • Powder Compacting
        • Cold Rolling
        • Shearing (Industry Knives)
      • Powder Metallurgy
    • Steel for Components
      • Tool Holder
      • Recycling
      • Food Processing
      • Machinery Parts
    • Strip Steel
    • Machinery Steel
    • Other products
  • Applications
    Applications
    • Die Casting
    • Hot Extrusion (Metal)
    • Hot Forging
    • Hot Stamping
    • Injection Moulding
    • Compression Moulding
    • Transfer Moulding
    • Blow Moulding
    • Extrusion (Plastics)
    • Blanking
    • Cold Drawing
    • Cold Extrusion (Metal)
    • Fine Blanking
    • Cold Forging
    • Cold Forming
    • Powder Compacting
    • Cold Rolling
    • Shearing (Industry Knives)
  • Services
    Services
    • Heat Treatment
    • Surface Treatment
      • ABP
      • Potential-Controlled Nitriding, Nitrocarburising and Oxidation
      • Nitriding and Nitrocarburising
    • Surface Coating
    • Consultancy and Technical Support
    • Global Solutions
    • Machining
  • Locations
Cold Work Page Header
Products
  • Tool steel
    • Hot Work
    • Plastics
    • Cold Work
      • Blanking
      • Cold Drawing
      • Cold Extrusion (Metal)
      • Fine Blanking
      • Cold Forging
      • Cold Forming
      • Powder Compacting
      • Cold Rolling
      • Shearing (Industry Knives)
    • Powder Metallurgy
  • Steel for Components
  • Strip Steel
  • Machinery Steel
  • Other products

Cold Work

Different processes are used for the production of metal tools under cold condition, broadly defined as surface temperatures below 200°C. These processes include blanking, drawing, cold extrusion, fine blanking, cold forging, cold forming, powder compacting, cold rolling and shearing (industrial knives). The choice of the best steel for the forming and blanking tools must, however, not only take the process into consideration, but also the type of metal being formed or blanked.

ASSAB’s product programme for cold work steel comprises different combinations of resistance to abrasive and adhesive wear, plastic deformation, and chipping and cracking; machinability and grindability, and heat treatment properties.

When selecting the right steel grades, a good place to start is to analyse tool failure mechanisms in the various processes as ultimately optimum properties are those that will extend the working life of the tool.

Common cold work failure mechanisms are:

  1. Wear chipping
  2. Plastic deformation
  3. Cracking
  4. Galling

Due to cyclic mechanical loading and sliding contact between work material and tool surface, the active surfaces of the tool are exposed to damage. The destruction of the tool will lead to quality problems on the formed parts as well as production interruption and downtime.

To peak die performance and increase its lifespan, improving its resistance to chipping and cracking from stamping stainless and high strength steel is key. A time tested method to increase ductility and toughness is the powder metallurgy process – which involves melting metal and turning the molten metal into powder through atomisation, before it is solidified with improved profile properties.

At ASSAB, product development is moving towards more robust steel with higher resistance to wear and greater durability. Fitting that bill is our ASSAB SuperClean powder steel grades characterised by high galling resistance, high adhesive wear resistance, good chipping and cracking resistance, high compressive strength, good through hardening properties and good dimensional stability in hardening.

For more information, please click here.

Downloads

Cold Work

ASSAB tool steel for Cold Works 

Vanadis 8 SuperClean

 Vanadis 8 SuperClean is a powder tool steel with a unique combination of extremely high wear resistance and ductility. It improves the lifetime of the tool due to lower risk for chipping and cracking. It is perfect for very long production series and challenging tool environments.

ASSAB DF-3

A general purpose tool steel with good surface hardness and wear resistance that requires simple heat treating. ASSAB DF-3 is suitable for short to medium production runs.

ASSAB XW-5

ASSAB XW-5 is high alloyed tool steel suitable for medium and long run tooling in applications where a very good abrasive wear resistance is needed. ASSAB XW-5 contains large carbides which are advantageous for abrasive wear resistance. In markets served by Uddeholm, ASSAB XW-5 is promoted as Sverker 3.

ASSAB XW-10

ASSAB XW-10 is a medium alloyed tool steel with a good resistance to both the abrasive and adhesive types of wear as well as good resistance to cracking. This combination makes ASSAB XW-10 an all purpose tool steel for medium run cold work applications. In markets served by Uddeholm, ASSAB XW-10 is promoted as Rigor.

ASSAB XW-42

ASSAB XW-42 is a high-carbon tool steel that consists of 12% Chromium. It has high wear resistance and toughness. This type of steel (AISI D2, DIN standard 1.2379, JIS SKD 11) is the most common steel in cold work applications worldwide.

CARMO

Carmo is a prehardened medium alloyed tool steel suitable for short and medium run tooling in applications where a very high chipping resistance is required. The property profile makes Carmo a robust cold work tool steel for heavy duty blanking and forming. Same chemical composition as Calmax but delivered in prehardened condition.

CALMAX

Calmax has high toughness, good wear resistance and good polishability. It is a suitable tool for plastic mould applications. Same chemical composition as Carmo but delivered in soft annealed condition.

VIKING

Viking is a versatile, high alloyed tool steel characterized by the excellent combination of toughness and wear resistance required for chipper-knives and heavy duty blanking and forming.

CALDIE

Caldie is a medium alloyed tool steel suitable for short and medium run tooling in applications where a combination of very high chipping resistance and compressive strength is required. The property profile makes Caldie a robust cold work tool steel for heavy duty blanking and forming of AHSS (Advanced High Strength Steel).

ASSAB 88

ASSAB 88 is a high alloyed tool steel with a very broad property profile. It is also a very good steel for all types of surface treatments. This combination means that ASSAB 88 is an extremely versatile conventional tool steel for medium run cold work tooling. In markets served by Uddeholm, ASSAB 88 is promoted as Sleipner.

ASSAB PM 23 SUPERCLEAN

ASSAB PM 23 SuperClean is powder high speed steel with excellent wear resistance and toughness. ASSAB PM 23 SuperClean is perfect for high volume cold work applications like blanking of harder materials, e.g. carbon steel or cold rolled strip steel. It is also suitable for forming thinner work materials. In markets served by Uddeholm, ASSAB PM 23 SuperClean is promoted as Vanadis 23 SuperClean.

ASSAB PM 30 SUPERCLEAN

ASSAB PM 30 SuperClean is powder high speed steel meant for cutting tools and other cold work applications. It has excellent wear resistance and toughness. The PM process gives a good machinability and grindability as well as a good dimension stability during heat treatment. In markets served by Uddeholm, ASSAB PM 30 SuperClean is promoted as Vanadis 30 SuperClean.

ASSAB PM 60 SUPERCLEAN

ASSAB PM 60 SuperClean is powder high speed steel suitable for cutting tools and other cold work applications. This is a premium steel with extreme wear resistance and high hot hardness. In markets served by Uddeholm, ASSAB PM 60 SuperClean is promoted as Vanadis 60 SuperClean.

VANADIS 4 EXTRA SUPERCLEAN

Vanadis 4 Extra SuperClean is powder tool steel for long run tooling. This is the most versatile PM tool steel on the market today, combining high wear resistance with very good ductility and resistance to chipping of edges. Excellent machinability in both soft and hard condition ensures advantages in both tool making and tool maintenance, where high demands on adhesive wear and chipping resistance are required.

VANADIS 10 SUPERCLEAN

Vanadis 10 SuperClean is a powder tool steel with the highest wear resistance of all the PM tool steel grades, making Vanadis 10 SuperClean suitable for the highest production volumes of abrasive materials. The PM process ensures better chipping resistance than the conventional produced high wear resistant tool steel.

VANCRON 40 SUPERCLEAN

Vancron 40 SuperClean is the most innovative PM tool steel on the market today. Solid state nitriding of the powder particles enables extremely high nitrogen alloy content, giving the tool an "internal surface coating", and the best resistance to galling and adhesive wear. The machinability in hard condition is the best of all the PM grades, ensuring benefits in tool making, as well as tool maintenance.

UNIMAX

Unimax is a high hardness electroslag remelted tool steel which provides great wear resistance even over extended time at elevated temperatures. This product is suitable for coating and nitriding. Unimax performs very well in precision forging, hot stamping and moulding of reinforced plastics.

About Us
  • Welcome to ASSAB
  • Management
  • Shared Values
  • Corporate Responsibility
  • Compliance
Products
  • Tool steel
  • Die Casting
  • Blow Moulding
  • Fine Blanking
  • Powder Compacting
Services
  • Heat Treatment
  • Surface Treatment
  • Surface Coating
  • Machining
  • Downloads
© 2018 ASSAB GROUP
  • Disclaimer
  • Imprint
  • Sitemap
Back to top