Exploring the Thermal Processing of Cold Work Steel Tool

Cold work tool steel constitutes a crucial category of steel employed in the production of tools and dies for cold forming operations on sheet metals. Punches and die blocks within all stamping dies, cold heading dies for various types of bearings, as well as drawing and shearing dies, are crafted from cold work tool steels due to their exceptional form-retaining capabilities, the ability to maintain sharp edges for shearing operations, and possessing good hardenability. In this study, air-hardening grade (D2), oil-hardening grade (EN31), and water-hardening grade (EN42) steels are utilized for investigating the heat treatment of cold work tool steels. The experimental investigations focus on enhancing the mechanical properties of cold work tool steels through diverse heat treatment processes.