COLD WORK steels fall into five groups: water hardening, oil hardening, medium alloy air hardening, high carbon-high chromium and shock resisting. As their name implies, these steels are used in low to medium temperature applications. Highly wear resistant due to the high volume of carbides in the microstructure.

The high carbon and chromium content promotes deep hardening. Hardenability is accentuated by small amounts of tungsten and molybdenum. Dimensional change in hardening is extremely low.

Typical uses are long run blanking, stamping, and cold forming dies; lamination dies; thread rolling dies; trimmer dies; slitters; brick mold liners; Work Rolls.

Characterised by the following properties, among other things:

• Very good wear resistance
• High pressure resistance
• Great toughness