HEAT TREATMENT OF TOOL STEEL

Contents
What is tool steel? .................................... 3
Hardening and tempering ......................... 3
Dimensional and shape stability ............... 7
Surface treatment ..................................... 8
Testing of mechanical properties .............. 10
Some words of advice to tool designers ... 11

This information is based on our present state of knowledge and is intended to provide general
notes on our products and their uses. It should not therefore be construed as a warranty of
specific properties of the products described or a warranty for fitness for a particular purpose.
Classified according to EU Directive 1999/45/EC
For further information see our “Material Safety Data Sheets”.

Edition 6, 12.2007
The latest revised edition of this brochure is the English version, SS-EN ISO 9001
SS-EN ISO 14001
which is always published on our web site www.uddeholm.com
 HEAT TREATMENT

The purpose of this brochure is to pro-

vide some idea of how tool steel is heat
Hardening Note that the carbides are partially dis-
solved. This means that the matrix be-
treated and how it behaves. and tempering comes alloyed with carbon and
Special attention is paid to hardness, When a tool is hardened, many factors carbide-forming elements.
toughness and dimensional stability. influence the result. When the steel is heated to the hard-
ening temperature (austenitizing tem-
SOME THEORETICAL ASPECTS perature), the carbides are partially dis-
solved, and the matrix is also altered. It
What is tool steel? In soft annealed tool steel, most of the
is transformed from ferrite to austenite.
alloying elements are bound up with
Uddeholm has concentrated its tool This means that the iron atoms change
carbon in carbides. In addition to these
steel range on high alloyed types of their position in the atomic lattice and
there are the alloying elements cobalt
steel, intended primarily for purposes make room for atoms of carbon and
and nickel, which do not form carbides
such as plastics moulding, blanking and alloying elements. The carbon and alloy-
but are instead dissolved in the matrix.
forming, die casting, extrusion, forging ing elements from the carbides are dis-
When the steel is heated for harden-
and wood-working. solved in the matrix.
ing, the basic idea is to dissolve the car-
Conventional high speed steels and If the steel is quenched sufficiently
bides to such a degree that the matrix
powder metallurgy (PM) steels are also rapid in the hardening process, the car-
acquires an alloying content that gives
included in the range. bon atoms do not have time to reposi-
the hardening effect—without becom-
Tool steel is normally delivered in the tion themselves to allow the reforming
ing coarse grained and brittle.
soft annealed condition. This is to make of ferrite from austenite, i.e. as in an-
the material easy to machine with cutt- nealing. Instead, they are fixed in posi-
ing tools and to give it a microstructure = Iron atoms tions where they really do not have
suitable for hardening. = Possible positions for carbon enough room, and the result is high
The microstructure consists of a soft atoms microstresses that can be defined as in-
matrix in which carbides are embedded. creased hardness. This hard structure is
In carbon steel, these carbides consist of called martensite. Thus, martensite can
iron carbide, while in the alloyed steel be seen as a forced solution of carbon
they are chromium (Cr), tungsten (W), in ferrite.
molybdenum (Mo) or vanadium (V) When a steel is hardened, the matrix
carbides, depending on the composition is not completely converted into mar-
of the steel. Carbides are compounds of tensite. Some austenite is always left
carbon and these alloying elements and 2,86 A and is called “retained austenite”. The
are characterized by very high hardness. amount increases with increasing alloy-
A higher carbide content means higher Unit cell in a ferrite crystal ing content, higher hardening tempera-
resistance to wear. Body centred cubic (BCC) ture and longer soaking times.
In alloy steels, it is important that the After quenching, the steel has a
carbides are evenly distributed. microstructure consisting of martensite,
Other alloying elements are also retained austenite and carbides. This
used in tool steel, such as cobalt (Co) structure contains inherent stresses that
and nickel (Ni), but these do not form can easily cause cracking. But this can
carbides. Cobalt is normally used to im- be prevented by reheating the steel to a
prove red hardness in high speed steels, certain temperature, reducing the stres-
nickel to improve through-hardening ses and transforming the retained aus-
properties. 3,57 A
tenite to an extent that depends upon
the reheating temperature. This reheat-
Unit cell in an austenite crystal ing after hardening is called tempering.
Face centred cubic (FCC) Hardening of a tool steel should always
be followed immediately by tempering.
It should be noted that tempering at
low temperatures only affects the mar-
tensite, while tempering at high tem-
2.98 A perature also affects the retained auste-
nite.
After one tempering at high tem-
perature, the microstructure consists of
tempered martensite, newlyformed
2,85 A
martensite, some retained austenite and
Unit cell in a martensite crystal carbides.

3
HEAT TREATMENT

Precipitated secondary (newly formed) HOW HARDENING AND TEMPERING combined. Heating and cooling rates
carbides and newly formed martensite IS DONE IN PRACTICE can be compared with salt bath. The
can increase hardness during high- Distortion due to hardening must be Al-oxides and gas used as protective
temperature tempering. Typical of this is taken into consideration when a tool is atmosphere are less detrimental to the
the so called secondary hardening of rough-machined. Rough machining environment than salt bath.
e.g. high speed steel and high alloyed causes local heating and mechanical It is important that the tools are
tool steels. working of the steel, which gives rise to protected against oxidation and decar-
inherent stresses. This is not serious on burization. The best protection is pro-
Hardness vided by a vacuum furnace, where the
a symmetrical part of simple design, but
can be significant in asymmetrical surface of the steel remains unaffected.
C
B machining, for example of one half of a Furnaces with a controlled protective
die casting die. Here, stress relieving is gas atmosphere or salt baths also pro-
D
always recommended. vide good protection.
If an electric muffle furnace is used,
Stress relieving the tool can be protected by packing it
A This treatment is done after rough in spent charcoal or cast iron chips.
Tempering temperature machining and entails heating to 550– It should be observed that these
A = martensite tempering 650°C (1020–1200°F). The material packing materials can have a carburiz-
B = carbide precipitation
should be heated until it has achieved ing effect if the steels have a low car-
C = transformation of retained austenite to bon content, such as conventional hot
martensite uniform temperature all the way
D = tempering diagram for high speed steel through and then cooled slowly, for work steels.
and high alloy tool steel
example in a furnace.
A+B+C = D
The idea behind stress relieving is
The diagram shows the influence of different that the yield strength of the material at
parameters on the secondary hardening. the elevated temperature is so low that
the material cannot resist the inherent
stresses. The yield strength is exceeded
Tool steel should always be double- and these stresses are released, result-
tempered. The second tempering takes ing in a greater or lesser degree of dis-
care of the newly formed martensite tortion.
formed after the first tempering. Three
tempers are recommended for high The correct work sequence is: Vacuum furnace
speed steel with a high carbon content. rough machining, stress relieving and
semifinish machining.
The excuse that stress relieving takes
too much time is hardly valid. Rectifying
a part during semifinish machining of
an annealed material is with few excep-
tions cheaper than making dimensional
adjustments during finish machining of
a hardened tool.

Heating to hardening temperature

Tempered once. Salt bath furnace
The fundamental rule for heating to
hardening temperature is that it should
take place slowly. This minimizes distor-
tion.
In vacuum furnaces and furnaces
with controlled protective gas atmos-
phere, the heat is increased gradually.
When molten salt baths are used, pre-
heating is employed, whereas heating is
automatically slow in a muffle furnace
Tempered twice. 1000x
when steel is packed in castiron chips.
In a fluidized bed the advantages of Batch type furnace
Uddeholm Rigor, hardened with a controlled atmosphere
salt bath and protective atmosphere are
and tempered.
4
 HEAT TREATMENT

Wrapping in stainless steel foil also in the microstructure can take place, Temperature
provides good protection when heating risking a poor tool performance. AC3
in a muffle furnace. Water is used as a quenching me- AC1
Decarburization results in low sur- dium for unalloyed steels. 8–10% so-
face hardness and a risk of cracking. dium chloride (salt) or soda should be
Carburization results in a harder added to the water in order to achieve
surface layer, which can have negative optimum cooling efficiency. Water hard-
effects. ening can often cause problems in the
form of distortion and quench cracks.
Holding time at Oil hardening is safer, but hardening in Core
air or martempering is best of all.
hardening temperature Surface
Oil should be used for low alloyed
It is not possible to state exact recom- steels. The oil should be of good quality,
mendations briefly to cover all heating and preferably of the rapid quenching
situations. type. It should be kept clean and must MS
Factors such as furnace type, furnace be changed after a certain period of use.
rating, temperature level, the weight of Hardening oils should have a tempera-
the charge in relation to the size of the ture of 50–70°C (140–160°F) to give
the best cooling efficiency. Lower tem- Martensite
furnace etc., must be taken into consid-
eration in each case. peratures mean higher viscosity, i.e. the
We can, however, give one recom- oil is thicker. The quenching process as expressed in a
mendation that is valid in virtually all Hardening in oil is not the safest way TTT graph
situations: to quench steel, in view of the risks of
• when the steel has reached hardening distortion and hardening cracks. These ture of the salt bath is normally kept at
temperature through its entire thick- risks can be reduced by means of mar- about 500°C (930°F). This temperature
ness, hold at this temperature for tempering. In this process, the material ensures a relatively mild thermal shock,
30 minutes. An exception to this rule is quenched in two steps. First it is but a sufficient cooling rate to avoid
is for thin parts heated in salt baths at cooled from hardening temperature in a phase transformations.
high temperature, or high speed steel. salt bath whose temperature is just Full martensite transformation has,
Here the entire period of immersion is above the MS temperature. It is kept in many cases, time to occur when the
often only a few minutes. there until the temperature has equal- steel is cooled in air from the martem-
ized between the surface and the core, pering bath temperature. However, if
Quenching after which the tool can be allowed to the dimensions are big, it is often nec-
The choice between a fast and slow cool freely in air down through the essary to use a forced quenching rate
quenching rate is usually a compromise; martensite transformation range. depending of the hardenability of the
to get the best microstructure and tool When martempering oil hardening steel.
performance, the quenching rate should steels, it should also be kept in mind
be rapid; to minimize distortion, a slow that the material transforms relatively Temperature

quenching rate is recommended. rapid and should not be kept too long at
Slow quenching results in less tem- the martempering bath temperature.
AC3
perature difference between the surface This can lead to excessive bainite trans-
AC1
and core of a part, and sections of dif- formation and the risk of low hardness.
ferent thickness will have a more uni- High alloy steels can be hardened in
form cooling rate. oil, a martempering bath or air. The
This is of great importance when advantages and disadvantages of the
quenching through the martensite different methods can be discussed.
range, below the Ms temperature. Mar- Oil gives a good finish and high Core
tensite formation leads to an increase in hardness, but it also maximizes the risk
volume and stresses in the material. This of excessive distortion or cracking. In
is also the reason why quenching the case of thick parts, quenching in oil Surface
should be interrupted before room tem- is often the only way to achieve maxi- MS
perature has been reached, normally at mum hardness.
50–70°C (120–160°F). Martempering in salt bath produces
However, if the quenching rate is too Martensite
a good finish, high hardness and less
slow, especially with heavier cross- risk of excessive distortion or cracking. Time
sections, undersirable transformations For certain types of steel, the tempera- Martempering

5
HEAT TREATMENT

Air quenching entails the least risk of expected. Hardness in the centre of important consideration, the choice of
excessive distortion. A tendency to- heavy sections is even lower. tempering temperature must often be a
wards lower hardness is noticeable at This effect can be critical with high compromise. If possible, however, prior-
greater thicknesses. One disadvantage speed steel and hot work steel, where a ity should be given to toughness.
is a poorer finish. centre section can be cooled so slowly
Some oxidation takes place when the that carbide precipitation takes place on How many tempers are required?
material comes into contact with air the way down. Here, the matrix be- Two tempers are recommended for tool
and cools slowly from the high harden- comes depleted of carbon and carbide- steel and three are considered neces-
ing temperatures. forming alloying elements. The result is sary for high speed steel with a high
The choice of quenching medium reduced hardness and strength of the carbon content, e.g. over 1%.
must be made from job to job, but a core. Two tempers are always recom-
general recommendation could perhaps mended. If the basic rule in quenching is
be made as follows: Tempering followed—to interrupt at 50–70°C
The material should be tempered imme- (120–160°F)—then a certain amount of
Temperature diately after quenching. Quenching austenite remains untransformed when
Hardening temperature should be stopped at a temperature of the material is to be tempered. When
50–70°C (120–160°F) and tempering the material cools after tempering, most
should be done at once. If this is not of the austenite is transformed to mar-
Oil possible, the material must be kept tensite. It is untempered. A second tem-
Air
Surface
Salt bath warm, e.g. in a special “hot cabinet”, pering gives the material optimum
MS awaiting tempering. toughness at the hardness in question.
Core
The choice of tempering temperature The same line of reasoning can be
Room temperature is often determined by experience. How- applied with regard to retained auste-
ever, certain guidelines can be drawn nite in high speed steel. In this case,
Time and the following factors can be taken however, the retained austenite is highly
Cooling rates for various media
into consideration: alloyed and slow transforming. During
• hardness tempering, some diffusion takes place in
A martempering bath is the safest in • toughness the austenite, secondary carbides are
most cases. • dimension change. precipitated, the austenite becomes
Air is used when dimensional stabil- If maximum hardness is desired, tem- lower alloyed and is more easily trans-
ity is crucial. per at about 200°C (390°F), but never formed to martensite when it cools after
Oil should be avoided and used only lower than 180°C (360°F). High speed tempering. Here, several temperings can
when it is necessary to achieve satisfac- steel is normally tempered at about be beneficial in driving the transforma-
tory hardness in heavy sections. 20°C (36°F) above the peak of the sec- tion of the retained austenite further to
Three well known quenching meth- ondary hardening temperature. martensite.
ods have been mentioned here. Some If a lower hardness is desired, this
new concepts have been introduced means a higher tempering temperature. Holding times in connection
with modern types of furnaces, and the Reduced hardness does not always with tempering
technique of quenching at a controlled mean increased toughness, as is evident Here also, one should avoid all compli-
rate in a protective gas atmosphere or from the toughness values in our pro- cated formulae and rules of thumb, and
in a vacuum furnace with gas is becom- duct brochures. Avoid tempering within adopt the following recommendation:
ing increasingly widespread. The cooling temperature ranges that reduce tough- After the tool is heated through, hold
rate is roughly the same as in air for ness. If dimensional stability is also an the material for at least 2 hours at full
protective gas atmosphere, but the temperature each time.
problem of oxidized surfaces is elimi-
nated. Modern vacuum furnaces have
the possibility to use overpressure
during quenching which increases the
quenching speed. The surfaces are com-
pletely clean after a vacuum hardening,
With these techniques, as with
quenching in air, the risks of excessively
slow cooling must be borne in mind,
even for vacuum furnaces if no over-
pressure is used. The effect is that sur- Convection type
face hardness is normally lower than tempering furnace
6
 HEAT TREATMENT

Dimensional and material be stress relieved after rough quenching can be done, the less distor-
machining. Any distorsion can then be tion will occur due to thermal stresses.
shape stability adjusted during semifinish machining It is important that the quenching
DISTORTION DURING THE prior to the hardening operation. medium is applied as uniformly as pos-
HARDENING AND TEMPERING OF sible. This is especially valid when
TOOL STEEL Thermal stresses forced air or protective gas atmosphere
(as in vacuum furnaces) is used. Other-
When a piece of tool steel is hardened These stresses are created when a piece
wise temperature differences in the tool
and tempered, some warpage or distor- is heated. They increase if heating takes
can lead to significant distortion.
tion normally occurs. This distortion is place rapidly or unevenly. The volume
usually greater at high temperature. of the steel is increased by heating.
This is well known, and it is normal Uneven heating can result in local varia- Transformation stresses
practice to leave some machining allow- tions in volume growth, leading to stres-
This type of stress arises when the
ance on the tool prior to hardening. This ses and distortion.
microstructure of the steel is trans-
makes it possible to adjust the tool to As an alternative with large or com-
formed. This is because the three micro-
the correct dimensions after hardening plex parts, heating can be done in pre-
structures in question—ferrite, auste-
and tempering by grinding, for example. heating stages in order to equalize the
nite and martensite—have different
temperature in the component.
densities, i.e. volumes.
How does distortion take place? The greatest effect is caused by
Linear expansion mm/100 mm
The cause is stresses in the material. transformation from austenite to mar-
These stresses can be divided into: tensite. This causes a volume increase.
• machining stresses 0,8 Excessively rapid and uneven
• thermal stresses quenching can also cause local marten-
0,6
• transformation stresses. site formation and thereby volume
0,4 increases locally in a piece and give rise
Machining stresses to stresses in this section. These stresses
0,2
This type of stress is generated during can lead to distortion and, in some
machining operations such as turning, cases, quenching cracks.
100 200 300 400 500 600°C
milling and grinding. (For example, such
Temperature
stresses are formed to a greater extent Volume
during cold forming operations such as Effect of temperature on the linear expansion
blanking, bending and drawing.) of Uddeholm ORVAR 2 Microdized, soft annealed
If stresses have built up in a part,
they will be released during heating. An attempt should always be made
Heating reduces strength, releasing to heat slowly enough so that the
stresses through local distortion. This temperature remains virtually equal Trans- Transformation
can lead to overall distortion. formation to austenite
throughout the piece.
to martensite AC1 AC3
In order to reduce this distortion What has been said regarding heat- Ms
while heating during the hardening ing also applies to quenching. Very Temperature
process, a stress relieving operation can powerful stresses arise during quench- Volume changes due to structural
be carried out prior to the hardening ing. As a general rule, the slower that transformation
operation. It is recommended that the

Yield strength Rp0,2

MPa

400

300
250
200

100

100 200 300 400 500 600°C

Temperature
Effect of temperature on the yield strength of
Uddeholm Orvar 2 Microdized, soft annealed
7
HEAT TREATMENT

HOW CAN DISTORTION to –80°C (–95 to –110°F), soaking time Nitriding is done in gas at about 510°C
BE REDUCED? 1–3 hours, followed by tempering. (950°F) and in salt or gas at about
Distortion can be minimized by: The sub-zero treatment leads to a 570°C (1060°F) or as ion nitriding,
• keeping the design simple and reduction of retained austenite content. normally at around 500°C (930°F). The
symmetrical This, in turn, will result in a hardness process therefore requires steels that
increase of 1–2 HRC in comparison to are resistant to tempering in order not
• eliminating machining stresses by
not sub-zero treated tools if low tem- to reduce the core strength.
stress relieving after rough machining
perature tempering is used. For high
• heating slowly during hardening
temperature tempered tools there will Examples of applications
• using a suitable grade of steel be little or no hardness increase and • Nitriding is used in some cases on
• quenching the piece as slowly as when referencing the normal tempering prehardened plastic moulds in order
possible, but quick enough to obtain curves, a 25 to 50°C (45 to 90°F) lower to prevent indentation and defects on
a correct microstructure in the steel tempering temperature should be cho- the parting faces. It should be noted,
• tempering at a suitable temperature. sen to achieve the required hardness. however, that a nitrided surface can-
Tools that are high temperature not be machined with cutting tools
The following values for machining
tempered, even without a sub-zero and can only be ground with diffi-
allowances can be used as guidelines.
treatment, will normally have a low culty. A nitrided surface will cause
Machining allowance retained austenite content and in most problems in weld repairing as well.
Grade of steel on length and diameter cases, a sufficient dimensional stability.
as % of dimension Nitriding can also have a stress reliev-
However, for high demands on dimen- ing effect. Heavily machined parts
UDDEHOLM ARNE 0,25 %
UDDEHOLM RIGOR 0,20 %
sional stability in service it is also rec- may, therefore, undergo some distor-
UDDEHOLM SVERKER 21 0,20 % ommended to use a sub-zero treatment tion during nitriding due to the re-
UDDEHOLM SVERKER 3 0,20 % in combination with high temperature lease of residual stresses from machi-
UDDEHOLM CARMO 0,20 % tempering.
UDDEHOLM SLEIPNER 0,25 % ning and in such a case, a stress re-
UDDEHOLM CALDIE 0,25 %
For the highest requirements on lieving between rough and finish
UDDEHOLM VANADIS 4 Extra 0,15 % dimensional stability, sub-zero treat- machining is recommended.
UDDEHOLM VANADIS 6 0,15 % ment in liquid nitrogen is recommended
UDDEHOLM VANADIS 10 0,15 % • The life of forging dies can be in-
after quenching and after each temper-
UDDEHOLM VANADIS 23 0,15 % creased by nitriding. It must be noted,
UDDEHOLM VANCRON 40 0,20 %
ing.
though, that the treatment can give
UDDEHOLM CALMAX 0,20 %
rise to higher susceptibility to crack-
UDDEHOLM GRANE 0,15 %
UDDEHOLM STAVAX ESR 0,15 % ing in sharp corners. Furthermore, the
UDDEHOLM MIRRAX ESR 0,20 % edge of the flash land must be given
UDDEHOLM ELMAX 0,15 % Surface treatment a rounded profile.
UDDEHOLM CORRAX 0,05–0,15 %
UDDEHOLM ORVAR 2 Microdized 0,20 % NITRIDING • Extrusion dies of Uddeholm Orvar 2
UDDEHOLM ORVAR SUPREME 0,20 %
The purpose of nitriding is to increase Microdized can be nitrided to advan-
UDDEHOLM VIDAR SUPERIOR 0,20 % tage—especially in the case of alumi-
UDDEHOLM QRO 90 SUPREME 0,30 % the surface hardness of the steel and
improve its wear properties. This treat- nium alloys. Exceptions can be pro-
UDDEHOLM HOTVAR 0,40 %
UDDEHOLM DIEVAR 0,30 % ment takes place in a medium (gas or files with sharp corners and thin sec-
UDDEHOLM ROLTEC SF 0,15 %
salt) which gives off nitrogen. During tions of the dies.
UDDEHOLM TOUGHTEC SF 0,15 %
UDDEHOLM WEARTEC SF 0,15 % nitriding, nitrogen diffuses into the steel NITROCARBURIZING
and forms hard, wear resistant nitrides.
A widely known method is nitriding in a
Note: Uddeholm Corrax is a precipita- This results in an intermetallic surface
salt bath.
tion hardening steel. Machining allow- layer with good wearing and frictional
The temperature is normally 570°C
ance is needed to compensate for properties.
(1060°F). Due to aeration the cyanate
shrinkage during ageing. The shrinkage
content of the bath can be better con-
depends on ageing temperature (see
trolled and the nitriding effect is very
product information brochure). No dis-
good.
tortion occurs.
A nitrocarburizing effect can also be
achieved in gas atmosphere at 570°C
SUB-ZERO TREATMENT
(1060°F). The results after these
Tools requiring maximum dimensional methods are comparable.
stability in service can be sub-zero The total nitriding time must be var-
treated as follows: Nitrided case shown at a magnification of ied for different tool types and sizes. In
Immediately after quenching, the 100X Uddeholm Orvar 2 Microdized the case of large sizes, the heating time
tool should be sub-zero treated to –70
8
 HEAT TREATMENT

to the specified nitriding temperature ceive a thicker deposit than large flat Certain demands are put on the tool
can be considerably longer than in the surfaces or the holes. If the chromium steel depending on: coating method, the
case of small tools. layer is damaged, the exposed steel may design of the tool and the tolerances
corrode rapidly. needed. PVD coating is used for the
ION NITRIDING Another advantage of the chromium highest demands on tolerances. When
This is a new nitriding technology. The layer is that it greatly reduces the coeffi- using this method a tool steel with high
method can be summarized as follows: cient of friction on the surface. tempering resistance must be used and
The part to be nitrided is placed in a During the chromium plating process, the surface coating has to be performed
process chamber filled with gas, mainly hydrogen absorption can cause a brittle as the last operation, after the heat
nitrogen. The part forms the cathode surface layer. This nuisance can be elimi- treatment. At CVD coating, hardening
and the shell of the chamber the anode nated by tempering immediately after and tempering are done after the coat-
in an electric circuit. When the circuit is plating at 180°C (360°F) for 4 hours. ing. When using the CVD method there
closed, the gas is ionized and the part is is a risk for dimensional changes. The
subjected to ion bombardment. The gas SURFACE COATING method is therefore not recommended
serves both as heating and nitriding for tools with requirements of very
Surface coating of tool steel is becom-
medium. narrow tolerances.
ing more common. Not only for cold
The advantages of ion nitriding in- The most suitable steels for the men-
work applications, but also for plastic
clude a low process temperature and a tioned methods are Uddeholm Vanadis
moulds and hot work dies.
hard, tough surface layer. The depth of 4 Extra, Uddeholm Vanadis 6, Uddeholm
The hard coating normally consists
diffusion is of the same order as with Vanadis 10, Uddeholm Vanadis 23 and
of titanium nitride and/or titanium
gas nitriding. Uddeholm Caldie.
carbide. The very high hardness and low
Surface coating of tools and moulds
friction gives a very wear resistant
should be discussed from case to case
surface, minimizing the risk for adhe-
considering the application, coating
sion and sticking.
method and tolerance requirements .
To be able to use these properties in
an optimal way one has to choose a
tool steel of high quality or a powder
metallurgy manufactured steel as sub-
strate. The two most common coating
methods are:
Ion nitriding plant • PVD coating: performed at 200–
500°C (390–930°F) (PVD = Physical
Vapour Deposition).
• CVD coating: performed at about
CASE HARDENING
1000°C (1830°F) (CVD = Chemical
In this method, the steel is heated in a Vapour Deposition).
medium that gives off carbon (gas, salt
or dry carburizing compound). The car-
bon diffuses into the surface of the
material and after hardening this gives
a surface layer with enhanced hardness
and wear resistance. This method is
used for structural steel, but is not gen-
erally recommended for alloy tool steels.

HARD CHROMIUM PLATING

Hard chromium plating can improve the
wear resistance and corrosion resistance
of a tool. Hard chromium plating is done
electrolytically. The thickness of the
plating is normally between 0,001 and
0,1 mm (0,00004–0,004 inch). It can be
difficult to obtain a uniform surface
layer, especially on complex tools, since
projecting corners and edges may re- Coated tools

9
HEAT TREATMENT

Testing Vickers (HV)

In Vickers hardness testing a pyramid-
of mechanical shaped diamond with a square base
properties and a peak angle of 136° is pressed
under a load F against the material
When the steel is hardened and tem- whose hardness is to be determined.
pered, its strength is affected, so let us After unloading, the diagonals d1 and d2
take a closer look at how these proper- of the impression are measured and the
ties are measured. hardness number (HV) is read off a
table.
HARDNESS TESTING
When the test re-
Hardness testing is the most popular F
sults are reported,
way to check the results of hardening.
Vickers hardness is
Hardness is usually the property that is
indicated with the
specified when a tool is hardened. 136°
letters HV and a
It is easy to test hardness. The mate- d1 d2
suffix indicating the
rial is not destroyed and the apparatus
mass that exerted the
is relatively inexpensive. The most com-
load and (when re-
mon methods are Rockwell C (HRC),
quired) the loading
Vickers (HV) and Brinell (HBW).
period, as illustrated by
We shouldn’t entirely forget the old Principle of Vickers hardness testing
the following example:
expression “file-hard”. In order to check
HV 30/20 = Vickers
whether hardness is satisfactory, for
hardness determined
example above 60 HRC, a file of good Brinell (HBW)
with a load of 30 kgf
quality can provide a good indication. In Brinell hardness testing, a Tungsten
exerted for 20 seconds.
(W) ball is pressed against the material
Rockwell (HRC) whose hardness is to be determined.
In Rockwell hardness testing, a conical After unloading, two measurements of
diamond is first pressed with a force F0, the diameter of the impression are
and then with a force F0+F1 against a taken at 90° to each other (d1 and d2)
specimen of the material whose hard- and the HBW value is read off a table,
ness is to be determined. After unload- from the average of d1 and d2.
ing to F0, the increase (e) of the depth When the test results are reported,
of the impression caused by F1 is deter- Brinell hardness is indicated with the
mined. The depth of penetration (e) is letters HBW and a suffix indicating ball
converted into a hardness number diameter, the mass with which the load

F0 F0+F1=F F0 D

h0 h e HRC
F

d
Surface of specimen
h
100 h0
Hardness scale

e
0,2 mm
h
HRC
0
Principle of Brinell hardness testing

Principle of Rockwell hardness testing was exerted and (when required) the
loading period, as illustrated by the
(HRC) which is read directly from a scale following example: HBW 5/750/15 =
on the tester dial or read-out. Brinell hardness determined with 5 mm
Tungsten (W) ball and under load of
750 kgf exerted for 15 seconds.

10
 HEAT TREATMENT

TENSILE STRENGTH For the most part, tool steel has a

rather low toughness by reason of its
Some words
Tensile strength is determined on a test
piece which is gripped in a tensile test- high strength. Materials of low tough- of advice to tool
ing machine and subjected to a succes- ness are notch sensitive, for which
reason smooth, un-notched specimens
designers
sively increasing tensile load until frac-
ture occurs. The properties that are are often used in the impact testing of CHOICE OF STEEL
normally recorded are yield strength tool steels. The results of the tests are Choose air-hardening steels for complex
Rp0,2 and ultimate tensile strength Rm, commonly stated in joules, or alterna- tools.
while elongation A5 and reduction of tively in kgm (strictly speaking kgfm),
area Z are measured on the test piece. although J/cm2 or kgm/cm2 is some- DESIGN
In general, it can be said that hardness times used instead, specially in Charpy Avoid:
is dependent upon yield strength and U testing.
• sharp corners
ultimate tensile strength, while elonga- There are several other variants of
• notch effects
tion and reduction of area are an indica- impact testing which are used outside
• large differences in section
tion of toughness. High values for yield Sweden, e.g. DVM, Mesanger and—
especially in English speaking coun- thicknesses.
and ultimate tensile strength generally
mean low values for elongation and tries—Izod. These are often causes of quench
reduction of area. cracks, especially if the material is
Tensile tests are used mostly on cooled down too far or allowed to stand
structural steels, seldom on tool steels. untempered.
It is difficult to perform tensile tests at
hardnesses above 55 HRC. Tensile tests
may be of interest for tougher types of
Unsuitable Preferred
tool steel, especially when they are used design alternative
as high strength structural materials.
These include e.g. Impax Supreme and Fillet
Orvar 2 Microdized.

IMPACT TESTING
A certain quantity of energy is required
to produce a fracture in a material. This
quantity of energy can be used as a
✗
✗
measure of the toughness of the mate-
rial, a higher absorption of energy indi-
cating better toughness. The most com-
mon and simplest method of determin-
ing toughness is impact testing. A rigid
pendulum is allowed to fall from a
known height and to strike a test speci-
men at the lowest point of its swing.
The angle through which the pendulum
travels after breaking the specimen is
measured, and the amount of energy HEAT TREATMENT
that was absorbed in breaking the Choose suitable hardnesses for the ap-
specimen can be calculated. plication concerned. Be particularly care-
Several variants of impact testing ful to avoid temperature ranges that can
are in use. The various methods differ in reduce toughness after tempering.
the shape of the specimens. These are Keep the risk of distortion in mind
usually provided with a V- or U-shaped and follow recommendations concerning
notch, the test methods being then machining allowances.
known as Charpy V and Charpy U re- It is a good idea to specify stress
spectively. relieving on the drawings.

11
HEAT TREATMENT

Germany Lithuania Branch office

Europe Head office UDDEHOLM TOOLING AB UDDEHOLM
BE PLIENAS IR METALAI Barrio San Martín de Arteaga,132
UDDEHOLM
Austria Hansaallee 321 T. Masiulio 18B Pol.Ind. Torrelarragoiti
Representative office LT-52459 Kaunas ES-48170 Zamudio (Bizkaia)
DE-40549 Düsseldorf
Telephone: +370 37 370613, -669 Telephone: +34 94 452 13 03
UDDEHOLM Telephone: +49 211 5351-0
Albstraße 10 www.uddeholm.de www.besteel.lt
DE-73765 Neuhausen Sweden
Telephone: +49 7158 9865-0 Branch offices
www.uddeholm.de UDDEHOLM The Netherlands Head office
Falkenstraße 21 UDDEHOLM UDDEHOLM TOOLING SVENSKA AB
DE-65812 Bad Soden/TS Isolatorweg 30 Aminogatan 25
Belgium Telephone: +49 6196 6596-0 NL-1014 AS Amsterdam SE-431 53 Mölndal
UDDEHOLM Telephone: +31 20 581 71 11 Telephone: +46 31 67 98 50
Europark Oost 7 UDDEHOLM www.uddeholm.nl www.uddeholm.se
B-9100 Sint-Niklaas Albstraße 10
DE-73765 Neuhausen Branch offices
Telephone: +32 3 780 56 20
www.uddeholm.be Telephone: +49 7158 9865-0 Norway UDDEHOLM TOOLING SVENSKA AB
UDDEHOLM A/S Box 45
UDDEHOLM Jernkroken 18 SE-334 21 Anderstorp
Croatia Friederikenstraße 14b Postboks 85, Kalbakken Telephone: +46 371 160 15
BÖHLER UDDEHOLM Zagreb DE-06493 Harzgerode NO-0902 Oslo
d.o.o za trgovinu Telephone: +49 39484 727 267 Telephone: +47 22 91 80 00 UDDEHOLM TOOLING SVENSKA AB
Zitnjak b.b www.uddeholm.no Box 148
10000 Zagreb SE-631 03 Eskilstuna
Telephone: +385 1 2459 301 Great Britain Telephone: +46 16 15 79 00
Telefax: +385 1 2406 790 UDDEHOLM DIVISION Poland
www.bohler-uddeholm.hr BOHLER-UDDEHOLM (UK) LIMITED BOHLER UDDEHOLM POLSKA UDDEHOLM TOOLING SVENSKA AB
European Business Park Sp. z.o.o./Co. Ltd. Aminogatan 25
Taylors Lane, Oldbury ul. Kolejowa 291, Dziekanów Polski, SE-431 53 Mölndal
Czech Republic GB-West Midlands B69 2BN PL-05-092 Lomianki Telephone: +46 31 67 98 70
BÖHLER UDDEHOLM CZ s.r.o. Telephone: +44 121 552 5511 Telephone: +48 22 429 2260, -203, -204
Division Uddeholm Telefax: +44 121 544 2911 www.uddeholm.pl UDDEHOLM TOOLING SVENSKA AB
U Silnice 949 www.uddeholm.co.uk Nya Tanneforsvägen 96
161 00 Praha 6, Ruzyne SE-582 42 Linköping
Telephone: +420 233 029 850,8
Portugal Telephone: +46 13 15 19 90
www.uddeholm.cz Greece F RAMADA Aços e Industrias S.A.
STASSINOPOULOS-UDDEHOLM P.O. Box 10 UDDEHOLM TOOLING SVENSKA AB
STEEL TRADING S.A. PT-3881 Ovar Codex Derbyvägen 22
Denmark 20, Athinon Street Telephone: +351 256 580580 SE-212 35 Malmö
UDDEHOLM A/S GR-Piraeus 18540 www.ramada.pt Telephone: +46 40 22 32 05
Kokmose 8, Bramdrupdam Telephone: +30 210 4172 109
DK-6000 Kolding www.uddeholm.gr UDDEHOLM TOOLING SVENSKA AB
Telephone: +45 75 51 70 66
Romania Honnörsgatan 24
www.uddeholm.dk SKLERO S.A. BÖHLER-UDDEHOLM Romania SRL SE-352 36 Växjö
Heat Treatment and Trading of Steel Atomistilor Str. No 96-102 Telephone: +46 470 457 90
Uddeholm Tool Steels 077125 - com. Magurele, Jud. Ilfov.
Estonia Industrial Area of Thessaloniki Telephone: +40 214 575007
UDDEHOLM TOOLING AB P.O. Box 1123 Telefax: +40 214 574212 Switzerland
Silikatsiidi 7 GR-57022 Sindos, Thessaloniki HERTSCH & CIE AG
EE-11216 Tallinn Telephone: +30 2310 79 76 46 General Wille Strasse 19
Telephone: +372 655 9180 www.sklero.gr Russia CH-8027 Zürich
www.uddeholm.ee UDDEHOLM TOOLING CIS Telephone: +41 44 208 16 66
9A, Lipovaya Alleya, Office 509 www.hertsch.ch
Hungary RU-197183 Saint Petersburg
Finland UDDEHOLM TOOLING/BOK Telephone: +7 812 6006194
OY UDDEHOLM AB Dunaharaszti, Jedlik Ányos út 25 www.uddeholm.ru Turkey
Ritakuja 1, PL 57 HU-2331 Dunaharaszti 1. Pf. 110 Head office
FI-01741 VANTAA Telephone/fax:+36 24 492 690 ASSAB Korkmaz Celik A.S.
Telephone: +358 9 290 490 www.uddeholm.hu Slovakia Organize Sanayi Bölgesi
www.uddeholm.fi Bohler-Uddeholm Slovakia s.r.o. 2. Cadde No: 26 Y. Dudullu
divizia UDDEHOLM 34776 Umraniye
Ireland ˇ
Csl.Armády 5622/5 TR-Istanbul
France Head office: SK-036 01 Martin Telephone: +90 216 420 1926
Head office UDDEHOLM DIVISION Telephone: +421 (0)434 212 030 www.assabkorkmaz.com
BOHLER-UDDEHOLM (UK) LIMITED www.uddeholm.sk
UDDEHOLM
Z.I. de Mitry-Compans, 12 rue Mercier, European Business Park
FR-77297 Mitry Mory Cedex Taylors Lane, Oldbury Slovenia
Telephone: +33 (0)1 60 93 80 10 UK-West Midlands B69 2BN
www.uddeholm.fr Telephone: +44 121 552 5511 Representative office
Telefax: +44 121 544 2911 UDDEHOLM
Branch offices www.uddeholm.co.uk Divisione della Bohler Uddeholm
UDDEHOLM S.A. Dublin: Italia S.p.A.
77bis, rue de Vesoul Telephone: +353 1845 1401 Via Palizzi, 90
La Nef aux Métiers IT-20157 Milano
FR-25000 Besançon Telephone: +39 02 39 49 211
Telephone: +33 (0)381 53 12 19 Italy www.uddeholm.it
UDDEHOLM
LE POINT ACIERS Divisione della Bohler Uddeholm
UDDEHOLM - Aciers à outils Spain
Italia S.p.A.
Z.I. du Recou, Avenue de Champlevert Via Palizzi, 90 Head office
FR-69520 GRIGNY IT-20157 Milano UDDEHOLM
Telephone: +33 (0)4 72 49 95 61 Telephone: +39 02 39 49 211 Guifré 690-692
www.uddeholm.it ES-08918 Badalona, Barcelona
LE POINT ACIERS Telephone: +34 93 460 1227
UDDEHOLM - Aciers à outils www.acerosuddeholm.com
Z.I. Nord 27, rue François Rochaix Latvia
FR-01100 OYONNAX UDDEHOLM TOOLING LATVIA SIA
Telephone: +33 (0)4 74 73 48 66 Piedrujas Street 7
LV-1035 Riga
Telephone: +371 7 702133
latvia@assab.com

12
 HEAT TREATMENT

El Salvador Venezuela
America ACAVISA DE C.V. PRODUCTOS HUMAR C.A.
ASSAB Tooling Technology
(Chongqing) Co Ltd
25 Ave. Sur, no 763 Av. Bolivar, Zona Industrial Plant C, Automotive Industrial lPark
Argentina Zona 1 La Trinidad Chongqing Economic & Technological
ACEROS BOEHLER UDDEHOLM S.A SV-San Salvador Edificio. Distribuidora Agrofor, C.A. Development Zone
Mozart 40 Telephone: +503 22 71 1700 Piso 3, VE-Caracas 1080 Chongqing 401120, China
1619-Centro Industrial Garin www.acavisa.com Telephone: +58 212 942 1994 or Telephone: +86 23 6745 5698
Garin-Prov. +58 212 915 7073
AR-Buenos Aires humar@assab.com
Telephone: +54 332 7444 440 Guatemala South China
www.uddeholm.com.ar IMPORTADORA ESCANDINAVA Head office
Apartado postal 11C Other Countries in America ASSAB Steels (HK) Ltd
GT-Guatemala City ASSAB INTERNATIONAL AB Room 1701–1706
Brazil Telephone: +502 23 659270 Box 42 Tower 2 Grand Central Plaza
AÇOS BOHLER-UDDEHOLM DO guatemala@assab.com SE-171 11 Solna, Sweden 138 Shatin Rural Committee Road
BRASIL LTDA– DIV. UDDEHOLM Telephone: +46 8 564 616 70 Shatin NT - Hong Kong
Estrada Yae Massumoto, 353 www.assab.se Telephone: +852 2487 1991
CEP 09842-160 Honduras www.assabsteels.com
BR-Sao Bernardo do Campo - SP Brazil ACAVISA DE C.V.
Telephone: +55 11 4393 4560, 4554 25 Ave. Sur, no 763 Branch offices
www.uddeholm.com.br Zona 1 ASSAB Tooling (Dongguan) Co Ltd
SV-San Salvador Asia & Pacific Northern District
Song Shan Lake Science & Technology
Telephone: +503 22 71 1700
Canada www.acavisa.com Australia Industrial Park
Head Office & Warehouse Dongguan 523808, China
BOHLER UDDEHOLM Australia Telephone: +86 769 2289 7888
BOHLER-UDDEHOLM LIMITED 129-135 McCredie Road
2595 Meadowvale Blvd.
Mexico www.assabsteels.com
Guildford NSW 2161
Mississauga, ON L5N 7Y3 Head office Private Bag 14
Telephone: +1 905 812 9440 ACEROS BOHLER UDDEHOLM S.A. ASSAB Tooling (Xiamen) Co Ltd
AU-Sydney First Floor Universal Workshop
www.bucanada.com de C.V. Telephone: +61 2 9681 3100
Calle Ocho No 2, Letra ”C” No. 30 Huli Zone
www.buau.com.au Xiamen 361006, China
Branch Warehouses Fraccionamiento Industrial Alce Blanco
BOHLER-UDDEHOLM LIMITED C.P. 52787 Naucalpan de Juarez Telephone: +86 592 562 4678
3521 Rue Ashby MX-Estado de Mexico Bangladesh
St. Laurent, QC H4R 2K3 Telephone: +52 55 9172 0242
Telephone: +1 514 333 8000
ASSAB INTERNATIONAL AB Hong Kong
www.bu-mexico.com P.O. Box 17595 ASSAB Steels (HK) Ltd
Jebel Ali Room 1701-1706
BOHLER-UDDEHOLM LIMITED Branch office
AE-Dubai Grand Central Plaza, Tower 2
730 Eaton Way - Unit #10 BOHLER-UDDEHOLM MONTERREY, Telephone: +971 488 12165
New Westminister, BC V3M 6J9 NUEVO LEON 138 Shatin Rural Committee Road
www.assab.se Shatin NT, Hong Kong
Telephone: +1 604 525 3354 Lerdo de Tejada No.542
Colonia Las Villas Telephone: +852 2487 1991
Heat Treating MX-66420 San Nicolas de Los Garza, North China www.assabsteels.com
BOHLER-UDDEHOLM N.L. Head office
THERMO-TECH Telephone: +52 81 83 525239
2645 Meadowvale Blvd. ASSAB Tooling (Beijing) Co Ltd India
Mississauga, ON L5N 7Y4 No.10A Rong Jing Dong Jie ASSAB Sripad Steels LTD
Telephone: +1 905 812 9440 Peru Beijing Economic Development Area T 303 D.A.V. Complex
Beijing 100176, China Mayur Vihar Ph I Extension
C.I.P.E.S.A
Telephone: +86 10 6786 5588 IN-Delhi-110 091
Av. Oscar R. Benavides
Colombia (ante Colonial) No. 2066
www.assabsteels.com Telephone: +91 11 2271 2736
AXXECOL S.A. PE-Lima 1 www.assabsripad.com
Branch offices
Carrera 35 No 13-20 Telephone: +51 1 336 8673
ASSAB Tooling (Beijing) Ltd ASSAB Sripad Steels LTD
Apartado Aereo 80718 peru@assab.com
Dalian Branch 709, Swastik Chambers
CO-Bogota 6
8 Huanghai Street, Haerbin Road Sion-Trombay Road
Telephone: +57 1 2010700
U.S.A. Economic & Technical Develop. District Chembur
www.axxecol.com
Dalian 116600, China IN-Mumbai-400 071
Head office and Warehouse Telephone: +86 411 8761 8080
ASTECO S.A. Telephone: +91 22 2522-7110, -8133
BOHLER-UDDEHOLM
Carrera 54 No 35-12 www.assabsripad.com
CORPORATION ASSAB Qingdao Office
Apartado Aereo 663 2505 Millennium Drive Room 2521, Kexin Mansion ASSAB Sripad Steels LTD
CO-Medellin Elgin IL 60124 No. 228 Liaoning Road, Shibei District Padmalaya Towers
Telephone: +57 4 2320122 Telephone: 1-630-883-3000 or Qingdao 266012, China Janaki Avenue
www.asteco.com 1-800-652-2520 Telephone: +86 532 8382 0930 M.R.C. Nagar
Sales phone: 1-800-638-2520
IN-Chennai-600 028
www.bucorp.com
Dominican Republic ASSAB Tianjin Office Telephone: +91 44 2495 2371
No.12 Puwangli Wanda Xincheng www.assabsripad.com
RAMCA, C. POR A. Region East Warehouse
Xinyibai Road, Beichen District
P-2289 BOHLER-UDDEHOLM Tianjin 300402, China ASSAB Sripad Steels LTD
P.O. Box 025650 CORPORATION Telephone: +86 22 2672 0006 19X, D. P. P. Road
Miami, Fl. 33102 220 Cherry Street
Telephone: +1 809 682 4011 Naktola Post Office
Shrewsbury MA 01545
domrep@assab.com IN-Kolkata-700 047
Region Central Warehouse
Central China Telephone: +91 (33) 400 1645
Head office www.assabsripad.com
BOHLER-UDDEHOLM
Ecuador CORPORATION ASSAB Tooling Technology
IVAN BOHMAN C.A. 548 Clayton Ct. (Shanghai) Co Ltd ASSAB Sripad Steels LTD
Apartado 1317 Wood Dale IL 60191 No. 4088 Humin Road Ground floor, Plot No 11-6-8
Km 6 1/2 Via a Daule Xinzhuang Industrial Zone Opp IDPL Factory Out Gate
Guayaquil Region West Warehouse Shanghai 201108, China Balanagar
Telephone: +593 42 254111 BOHLER-UDDEHOLM Telephone: +86 21 5442 2345 IN-Hyderabad-500 037
www.ivanbohman.com.ec CORPORATION www.assabsteels.com Telephone: +91 (40) 2377 8148
9331 Santa Fe Springs Road www.assabsripad.com
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 Branch offices
IVAN BOHMAN C.A.
Casilla Postal 17-01370 ASSAB Tooling Technology
Quito (Ningbo) Co Ltd Indonesia
Telephone: +593 2 2248001 No. 218 Longjiaoshan Road Head office
www.ivanbohman.com.ec Vehicle Part Industrial Park PT ASSAB Steels Indonesia
Ningbo Economic & Technical Dev. Jl. Rawagelam III No. 5
Zone Kawasan Industri Pulogadung
Ningbo 315806, China Jakarta 13930, Indonesia
Telephone: +86 574 8680 7188 Telephone: +62 21 461 1314
www.assabsteels.com

13
HEAT TREATMENT

Branch offices New Zealand Syria

SURABAYA BRANCH VIKING STEELS WARDE STEEL & METALS SARL MET
Africa
Jl. Berbek Industri 1/23 25 Beach Road, Otahuhu Charles Helou Av, Warde Bldg
Surabaya Industrial Estate, Rungkut P.O. Box 13-359, Onehunga P.O. Box 165886 Egypt
Surabaya 60293, East Java, Indonesia NZ-Auckland LB-Beirut MISR SWEDEN FOR
Telephone: +62 31 843 2277 Telephone: +64 9 270 1199 Telephone: +961 1 447228 ENGINEERING IND.
www.ssm.co.nz lebanon@assab.com Montaser Project No 20
MEDAN BRANCH Flat No 14
Komplek Griya Riatur Indah Taiwan Al Ahram Street-El Tabia
Blok A No.138 Pakistan Head office EG-Giza Cairo
Jl. T. Amir Hamzah ASSAB International AB Telephone: +20 2 7797751
ASSAB Steels (Taiwan) Co Ltd
Halvetia Timur, Medan 20124 P.O. Box 17595 www.assab.se
No. 112 Wu Kung 1st Rd.
Telephone: +62 61 847 7935/6 Jebel Ali Wu Ku Industry Zone
AE-Dubai TW-Taipei 248-87, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
BANDUNG BRANCH Telephone: +971 488 12165 Telephone: +886 2 2299 2849
Kenya
Komp. Ruko Bumi Kencana www.assab.se SANDVIK Kenya Ltd
www.assabsteels.com
Jl. Titian Kencana Blok E P.O. Box 18264
No.5 Bandung 40233 Branch offices Post code 00500
Telephone: +62 22 604 1364 Philippines NANTOU BRANCH KE-Nairobi
ASSOCIATED SWEDISH STEELS No. 10, Industry South 5th Road Telephone: +254 20 532 866
TANGERANG BRANCH PHILS Inc. Nan Kang Industry Zone info@sandvik.co.ke
Pusat Niaga Cibodas No. 3 E. Rodriguez Jr., Avenue Nantou 540-66, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Blok C No. 7 Tangerang Bagong Ilog, Pasig City Telephone: +886 49 225 1702
Telephone: +62 21 921 9596, 551 2732 Philippines TAINAN BRANCH
Morocco
Telephone: +632 671 1953/2048 No. 180, Yen He Street, MCM Distribution
SEMARANG BRANCH www.assabsteels.com Yong Kang City 4 Bis, Rue 8610 - Z.I.
Jl. Imam Bonjol No.155 Tainan 710-82, Taiwan (R.O.C.) 2035 Charguia 1
R.208 Semarang 50124 Telephone: +886 6 242 6838 TN-Tunis
Telephone: +62 358 8167 Republic of Korea Telephone: + 216 71 802 479
Head office
Iran ASSAB Steels (Korea) Co Ltd Thailand
116B-8L, 687-8, Kojan-dong ASSAB Steels (Thailand) Ltd
South Africa
ASSAB INTERNATIONAL AB 9/8 Soi Theedinthai, UDDEHOLM Africa (Pty.) Ltd.
Namdong-ku
P.O. Box 19395 Taeparak Road, Bangplee, P.O. Box 539
Incheon 405-310, Korea
IR-1517 TEHRAN Samutprakarn 10540, Thailand ZA-1600 Isando/Johannesburg
Telephone: +82 32 821 4300
Telephone: +98 21 888 35392 Telephone: +66 2 385 5937, Telephone: +27 11 974 2791
www.assabsteels.com
www.assabiran.com +66 2 757 5017 www.bohler-uddeholm.co.za
Branch offices www.assabsteels.com
Israel BUSAN BRANCH
14B-5L, 1483-9, Songjeong-dong
Tunisia
PACKER YADPAZ QUALITY Kangseo-ku, Busan 618-270, Korea United Arab Emirates MCM Distribution
STEELS Ltd Telephone: +82 51 831 3315 ASSAB INTERNATIONAL AB 4 Bis, Rue 8610 - Z.I.
P.O. Box 686 P.O. Box 17595 2035 Charguia 1
Ha-Yarkon St. 7, Industrial Zone DAEGU BRANCH Jebel Ali TN-Tunis
IL-81106 YAVNE Room 27, 7-Dong2 F AE-Dubai Telephone: + 216 71 802 479
Telephone: +972 8 932 8182 Industry Materials Bldg.1629 Telephone: +971 488 12165 www.mcm.com.tn
www.packer.co.il Sangyeog-Dong, Buk-Ku www.assab.se
Korea-Daegu 702-710
Telephone: +82 53 604 5133
Zimbabwe
Japan Vietnam Representative office:
UDDEHOLM KK CAM Trading Steel Co Ltd UDDEHOLM Africa (Pty.) Ltd.
Atago East Building Lebanon 90/8 Block 5, Tan Thoi Nhat Ward P.O. Box 539
3-16-11 Nishi Shinbashi WARDE STEEL & METALS SARL MET District 12, Ho Chi Minh City ZA-1600 Isando/Johannesburg
Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003, Japan Charles Helou Av, Warde Bldg Vietnam Telephone: +27 11 974 2781
Telephone: + 81 3 5473 4641 P.O. Box 165886 Telephone: +84 8 5920 920 www.bohler-uddeholm.co.za
www.assabsteels.com LB-Beirut www.assabsteels.com
Telephone: +961 1 447228
lebanon@assab.com Other African Countries
Jordan Other Asia ASSAB INTERNATIONAL AB
ENGINEERING WAY Est. ASSAB INTERNATIONAL AB Box 42
P.O. Box 874 Saudi Arabia Box 42 SE-171 11 Solna, Sweden
Abu Alanda ASSAB INTERNATIONAL AB E-171 11 Solna, Sweden Telephone: +46 8 564 616 70
JO-AMMAN 11592 P.O. Box 255092 Telephone: +46 8 564 616 70 www.assab.se
Telephone: +962 6 4161962 SA-Riyadh 11353 www.assab.se
engineeringway@assab.com Telephone: +966 1 4466542
assab@emirates.net.ae
Malaysia
Head office Singapore
ASSAB Steels (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd Head office Pacific
Lot 19, Jalan Perusahaan 2 ASSAB Pacific Pte Ltd
Batu Caves Industrial Estate 171, Chin Swee Road
68100 Batu Caves No. 07-02, SAN Centre
Selangor Malaysia SG-Singapore 169877
Telephone: +60 3 6189 0022 Telephone: +65 6534 5600
www.assabsteels.com www.assabsteels.com
Branch offices Jurong
BUTTERWORTH BRANCH ASSAB Steels Singapore (Pte) Ltd
Plot 146a 18, Penjuru Close
Jalan Perindustrial Bukit Minyak 7 SG-608616 Singapore
Kawasan Perindustrial Bukit Minyak Telephone: +65 6862 2200
14000 Bukit Mertajam, SPT Penang
Telephone: +60 4 507 2020
Sri Lanka
JOHOR BRANCH GERMANIA COLOMBO PRIVATE Ltd.
No. 8, Jalan Persiaran Teknologi 451/A Kandy Road
Taman Teknologi LK-Kelaniya
81400 Senai Telephone: +94 11 2913556
Johor DT, Malaysia www.iwsholdings.com
Telephone: +60 7 598 0011

14
 Network of excellence
Uddeholm is present on every continent. This ensures you
high-quality Swedish tool steel and local support wherever you
are. Assab is our wholly-owned subsidiary and exclusive sales
channel, representing Uddeholm in various parts of the world.
Together we secure our position as the world’s leading supplier
of tooling materials.

www.assab.com www.uddeholm.com
 HAGFORS KLARTEXT U0712XX
Uddeholm is the world’s leading supplier of tooling materials. This
is a position we have reached by improving our customers’ everyday
business. Long tradition combined with research and product develop-
ment equips Uddeholm to solve any tooling problem that may arise.
It is a challenging process, but the goal is clear – to be your number one
partner and tool steel provider.

Our presence on every continent guarantees you the same high quality
wherever you are. Assab is our wholly-owned subsidiary and exclusive
sales channel, representing Uddeholm in various parts of the world.
Together we secure our position as the world’s leading supplier of
tooling materials. We act worldwide, so there is always an Uddeholm
or Assab representative close at hand to give local advice and support.
For us it is all a matter of trust – in long-term partnerships as well as in
developing new products. Trust is something you earn, every day.

For more information, please visit www.uddeholm.com or www.assab.com