Tool Steel

Tool Steel is a special class of carbon and alloy steels designed to produce tools, dies, and machine parts that require high hardness, wear resistance, and the ability to retain a sharp cutting edge even at elevated temperatures. These steels are known for their exceptional toughness, strength, and dimensional stability after heat treatment. Tool steels are categorized based on their working temperature and composition — including cold work steels, hot work steels, high-speed steels, and plastic mould steels. Each type is engineered to perform under specific conditions such as high pressure, abrasion, or thermal stress. Key alloying elements like tungsten, molybdenum, chromium, vanadium, and cobalt are added to enhance hardness, wear resistance, and red hardness (hot hardness). In simple terms, tool steels are the backbone of the manufacturing industry — they’re used to make the tools that make everything else, from cutting and shaping metals to forming plastic parts and stamping automotive components.