tool-steel

Powder Metallurgy High-Speed Steel: HAP40, ASP2052, and When to Upgrade from Conventional HSS

PM-HSS grades like HAP40 and ASP2052 break the toughness-wear trade-off of conventional HSS through fine uniform carbide distribution. Full guide: PM vs conventional microstructure, heat treatment, applications, and cost-justification threshold.

2026.06.20

steel

JIS SUS420J2 Steel: AISI 420 Equivalent — High-Carbon Martensitic for Blades & Molds

SUS420J2 (JIS G4303) is Japan's high-carbon martensitic stainless — hardenable to 50–56HRC. AISI 420 / 1.4028 equivalent. Properties, heat treatment, and blade/mold applications guide.

2026.06.18

stainless steel

JIS SKS3 Steel: O1 Equivalent — Oil-Hardening Cold-Work Tool Steel for Short-Run Dies

SKS3 (JIS G4404) is Japan's O1-equivalent oil-hardening tool steel — simpler heat treatment than SKD11 with better toughness. Full guide: 1.2510 equivalent, heat treatment, and when SKS3 outperforms SKD11 for cold-work tooling.

2026.06.15

steel

JIS SKH55 Steel: M35 Cobalt HSS — Red Hardness for Difficult-to-Cut Materials

SKH55 (JIS G4403) is Japan's M35-equivalent cobalt HSS — 5% Co raises red hardness beyond standard M2. Full guide: 1.3243 equivalent, heat treatment, cutting tool applications for stainless, titanium, and Ni alloys.

2026.06.15

steel

DC53 Tool Steel: Modified D2 with Secondary Hardening — High Toughness Cold-Work Die Steel

DC53 is a modified D2-type cold-work die steel with 8% Cr and secondary hardening at 520°C — delivers SKD11-level wear resistance at ~2× toughness. Full guide: composition, heat treatment, EDM performance, and when DC53 outperforms SKD11.

2026.06.04

steel

Annealing Types Explained: Full, Process, Spheroidize, Stress-Relief, and Normalizing

Five annealing treatments — full, process, spheroidize, stress-relief, and normalizing — serve different goals at different temperatures. Complete selection guide with temperature ranges, microstructure effects, and application decision tree.

2026.06.03

Heat Treatment