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Features and Uses of A2 Cold Work Tool Steel
A2 is a medium alloy, air hardening tool steel
which means it possesses excellent non-deforming characteristics and is capable
of being vacuum hardened.
Because of this, where tools of large mass are being produced, A2 is more
suitable than oil or water hardening tool steels.
After heat treatment, it offers good abrasion resistance coupled with medium
toughness positioning it in terms of application suitability between the
tougher, but less abrasion resistant oil hardening grades and the more hard
wearing, but less tough, higher chromium grades of tool steels.
In this regard, due to its lower chromium content, the wear resistant properties
of A2 are not as great as those found in high carbon, high chromium steels such
as D2 and D3 but it is much easier to machine than these qualities, having
machinability factors comparable with most oil hardening tool steels and can be
ground to a cutting edge which is less likely to crumble in service.
Typical Applications
A2 gives good results when used for cold forging dies, coining
dies, cold heading dies, shear blades, knurling tools and blanking and punching
tools.
It is also used widely to produce cutting knives for paper, wood, fibre and
resin bonded material. It also finds wide use as material for machine slides.
This steel is suitable for electro-discharge machining (E.D.M.), either annealed
or heat treated (subject to a maximum heat treated hardness of 60 HRc).
Available Forms
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