UDDEHOLM TOOL STEEL

FOR FORGING APPLICATIONS

TOOLING APPLICATION HOT WORK

UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING 1

© UDDEHOLMS AB
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes
without permission of the copyright holder.

This information is based on our present state of knowledge and is intended to provide general
notes on our products and their uses. It should not therefore be construed as a warranty of
specific properties of the products described or a warranty for fitness for a particular purpose.
Classified according to EU Directive 1999/45/EC
For further information see our “Material Safety Data Sheets”.

Edition 1, revised 09.2014, not printed

The latest revised edition of this brochure is the English version,
which is always published on our web site www.uddeholm.com

2 UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING

Selecting a tool steel supplier is a key decision for all parties, including the tool maker, the tool
user and the end user. Thanks to superior material properties, Uddeholm’s customers get
reliable tools and components. Our products are always state-of-the-art. Consequently, we have
built a reputation as the most innovative tool steel producer in the world.
Uddeholm produce and deliver high quality Swedish tool steel to more than 100,000 customers
in over 100 countries. Some markets are served by ASSAB, our exclusive sales channel in the
Asia Pacific area. Together we secure our position as a world-leading supplier of tool steel.
Wherever you are in the manufacturing chain, trust Uddeholm to be your number one partner
and tool steel provider for optimal tooling and production economy.
Quite simply, it pays to go for a better steel.

CONTENTS

Hot forging of metals 4

Warm forging 7
Progressive forging 8
Effect of forging parameters on die life 10
Die design and die life 11
Requirements for die material 14
Manufacture and maintenance of forging die 16
Surface treatment 17
Tool steel product programme
– general description 19
– chemical composition 20
– quality comparison 20
Tool steel selection chart 21

Cover photo: Connecting rod forging tool.

Most of the photos coming from Arvika Smide AB, Sweden and
Fiskars Brands Finland Oy Ab

UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING 3

 larly in smaller dies, which in fact normally fail as
Hot forging of metals a result of wear. In hammer forging, there is a lot
In hot forging a heated up billet is pressed to be said for using inserts of a more wear-
between a die set to a nearly finished product. resistant die steel which are shrink fitted into a
Large numbers of solid metal parts are produced tough holder material.
in aluminium alloys, copper alloys, steel or super- For larger, high-production hammer dies, which
alloys where irregular shapes need to be com- may be resunk a number of times, it is important
bined with good mechanical properties. The main that the die steel used has sufficient hardenability
methods of drop forging are hammer forging and that the later cavities are not sunk in softer
press forging. material with inferior wear resistance.

Hammer forging Press forging

Hammer forging is characterized by a very short In press forging, the contact time under pressure
contact time and very rapid rate of increase of is much longer, and the impact load is much
force with time (impact loading). The cumulative lower than in hammer forging. In general terms,
contact time for the bottom die can be fairly long this means that the heat resistance and elevated
if one includes the time between blows. However, temperature wear resistance of the die steel are
since a lubricant with “blow-out” effect is nor- relatively more important than the ability to
mally used with hammers, effective contact be- withstand impact loading. However, one must
tween the part and the die only occurs during the optimize impact toughness and ductility in rela-
actual forging blow. tion to wear resistance; this applies particularly
These features imply that impact toughness and for large press dies which are not supported
ductility are important properties for die steel to from the sides. Since the surface temperature of
be used in hammer dies. This does not mean to press dies will during service generally be higher
say that wear resistance is not important, particu- than for hammer dies, it is important that the die

4 UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING

surface is not excessively chilled by lubrication. which occurs via combustion of oil-based
Otherwise, premature heat checking or even lubricant in the confined space between forging
thermal shock cracking may result. and die can also give rise to a type of erosive
wear.

Typical die failures

The deterioration of forging dies is usually
associated with several processes which may
operate simultaneously. However, one of these
normally dominates and is the ultimate cause of
failure. In general, four distinct damage mecha-
nisms can be distinguished:
• wear
• mechanical fatigue and gross cracking
• plastic deformation
Wear.
• thermal fatigue cracking (heat checking)
Different damage mechanisms can dominate in
GROSS CRACKING
different parts of the cavity.
Forging dies might fail as a result of some form
of gross cracking. This may occur during a single
Thermal fatigue Wear Wear cycle or, as is most common, over a number of
cycles; in the latter instance, the crack growth
proceeds via a high-stress fatigue mechanism.
Gross cracking is more frequent in hammer
blocks than in press tooling, because of the
greater degree of impact.

Thermal Cracking Wear Plastic

fatigue deformation

WEAR
If all other damage mechanisms are suppressed, a
forging die will ultimately wear out (parts out of
tolerance). Wear occurs when the work material
plus oxide scale glide at high velocity relative to
the cavity surface under the action of high
pressure. It is most pronounced at convex radii
and in the flash land. Wear is increased drastically
if the forging temperature is reduced (higher flow
stress for the work material). The explosion

UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING 5

 Gross cracking is a failure condition which can THERMAL FATIGUE CRACKING
almost always be rectified. Normally, cracking lies This results if the surface of the cavities is
in one or more of the following: subjected to excessive temperature changes
• overloading, e.g. work material temperature during the forging cycle. Such temperature
too low changes create thermal stresses and strains at
• die design, e.g. too sharp radii or too thin wall the die surface which eventually lead to cracking
thickness via a low-cycle fatigue mechanism (heat checking).
• inadequate preheating of the die Thermal fatigue cracking is increased by the
• inadequate toughness of die steel (wrong following factors:
selection) • cavity surface at too high temperature
• too high hardness of die material (excessive billet temperature and/or long
• poor quality heat treatment/surface treatment contact time)
• excessive cooling of die surface between
• inadequate die support/alignment
forgings
• inadequate preheating of die
• wrong selection of die steel and/or poor heat
treatment
All these factors will increase the difference
between maximum and minimum temperature in
the die surface.

Totally cracked die.

PLASTIC DEFORMATION
This occurs when the die is locally subjected to
stresses in excess of the yield strength of the die
steel. Plastic deformation is quite common at
small convex radii, or when long thin tooling
components e.g. punches, are subjected to high
bending stresses.
The following can be the cause of plastic
deformation in forging dies:
• too low billet temperature (high flow stress of
work material)
• inadequate hot strength of die steel
• die temperature too high
• die material too soft

6 UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING

Die material properties FORWARD EXTRUSION
The properties profile required for tool steel in Rod Tube
forging dies depends to some extent on the type Punch
of forging operation, on the work material and Work
on the size of the part, depth of cavity etc. material Die
However, a number of general characteristics will
always be required in all forging operations. The
particular die damage mechanism are given in
parentheses.
• Sufficient hardness and ability to retain this at BACKWARD EXTRUSION
elevated temperatures—temper resistance
Can
(wear, plastic deformation, thermal fatigue
cracking).
• Enhanced level of hot tensile strength and hot
hardness (wear, plastic deformation, thermal
fatigue cracking).
• Good toughness and ductility at low and
OPEN DIE EXTRUSION
elevated temperatures (gross cracking, thermal
shock cracking, thermal fatigue cracking). It is Reducing
important that the die steel exhibits adequate
toughness/ductility in all directions.
• Adequate level of fatigue resistance (gross
cracking).
• Sufficient hardenability (retention of wear
resistance etc. if the die is resunk).
LATERAL EXTRUSION
• Amenability to weld repair.
• Good machinability, especially prehardened
die blocks.

IRONING
Warm forging
Warm forging is a precision forging operation
carried out at a temperature range between
550–950°C (1020–1740°F). It is useful for forging
of details with intricate shapes, with desirable
grain flow, good surface finish and tighter dimen-
sional tolerances than if hot forged. HEADING
The weight of the forged piece is between
0.1–50 kg (0.22–110 lbs) and the production rate
about 10–40 pieces per minute. The contact time
is about 200 ms and the mechanical loads at
600°C (1110°F) are 3 to 5 times higher than in
hot forging. Automatic multi-station presses with UPSETTING
integrated cooling/lubricating systems are often
used.

Typical processes in warm forging.

UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING 7

 Typical failures required size, shaping them in 3–4 stages and
discharging finished forgings at the other end of
During the warm forging operation the tool parts
the line.
are exposed to rather high temperature, high
Depending on the weight of the forgings,
mechanical loads and intensive cooling.
production capacity is between 50 and 180 per
As a result of this alternate heating and cooling
minute.
the tool parts are subjected to high thermal
fatigue.
An additional factor is the degree of hot wear Typical failures
of the material, which depends on the surface Tool parts used in the progressive forging, such as
temperatures and the mechanical stresses on the die, stem, stem holder, punch and counter punch-
tool. ejector are subjected to very high stresses.
As the production speed is very high, the die
Tool material properties parts need to be water-cooled to protect them
against overheating. Nevertheless, despite inten-
The tool parts are subjected to both high
sive cooling, the tool surfaces can be strongly
mechanical stresses and high thermal stresses.
heated, even by the brief contact, with the hot
For these reasons a tool steel has to be chosen
metal being forged.
which has a good temper resistance, good wear
As a result of this alternate heating and cooling
resistance, high hot yield strength, good thermal
the die parts are subjected to extremely high
conductivity and good thermal fatigue resistance.
thermal fatigue. The degree of the thermal fatigue
A warm forging steel must exhibit a properties
cracking constitutes a measure of the material
profile which is in between the typical properties
life.
profiles for hot work and cold work steel.
An additional factor is the degree of hot wear
of the material, which depends on the surface
temperatures and the mechanical stresses on the
die.
Progressive forging
In progressive forging a large number of sym- Tool material properties
metrical, precision-forged parts with forged
The required properties profile of the hot
weights of up to about 5 kg (11 lbs) are pro-
forming die and die parts are:
duced. The fully automatic process involves
supplying hot rolled bars at one end of the line, • high temperature strength and good temper
heating them inductively, cutting them to the resistance to withstand hot wear and thermal
fatigue cracking
• good thermal conductivity to withstand thermal
fatigue cracking
• good hot ductility and toughness to resist
initiation and rapid spread of thermal fatigue
cracking

8 UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING

 FORGING IN A FULLY AUTOMATIC PROCESSS

1
2 3

1 4

5 8
6 5
9 6
7 6a

8
7a 6
5 6a

8
9 10
11

1 Two-part cutting bush

2 Work metal
3 Stopper
4 Cutter
5 Blank
6 Stem/Punch
6a Hollow punch
7 Bolster
7a Counter punch-ejector
8 Die
9 Waste metal
10 Piercer
11 Product

UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING 9

 Effect of forging TYPICAL HOT FORGING TEMPERATURES

parameters on die life STEEL

CU-ALLOYS
1050–1250°C (1920–2100°F)
650–800°C (1200–1470°F)
Apart from the influence of the actual die mate-
AL-ALLOYS 350–500°C (660–930°F)
rial and its heat treatment/surface treatment, a
TI-ALLOYS 800–1000°C (1470–2010°F)
number of parameters related to the forging
operation affect die life:
• billet temperature
• billet shape and surface condition
Billet shape and surface condition
• work material
The greater the difference between the shape of
• cavity stress level and contact time
the billet and that of the final forging, the greater
• type of forging operation is the degree of wear because the relative
• type of lubricant movement between work material and die must
increase. Likewise, hard, adherent scale on the
Billet temperature billet surface will increase wear, especially if the
Reduced billet temperature in forging is favour- gliding distance is large.
able from the viewpoint of mechanical properties
in the forged part itself. This is particularly impor- Work material
tant if the components are not heat treated after The higher the flow stress of the work material,
forging. However, the higher flow stress of the the faster is die deterioration due to wear and/or
work material, which is associated with a re- plastic deformation, at the same time as the risk
duced forging temperature, results in both in- for gross cracking is increased. Hence, stainless
creased wear and a higher risk for plastic defor- steel is more difficult to forge than carbon steel
mation. Further, since the forging loads increase, at the same temperature.
the probability for gross cracking is enhanced.

FORGEABLILITY

High Constructural

Stainless
Moderate Ni- and
Al–Mg-alloys Co- alloys

Ti-alloys
Low

Low Moderate High

IMPACT ENERGY OR PRESS POWER

Forgeability of different types of material.

10 UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING

Cavity stress level Die design and die life
and contact time Assuming that the forging equipment is in good
An increased stress level in the cavity, can be condition (properly adjusted and without exces-
found, for example, in high precision forging, and sive play in the ram guide system), then adher-
has the following consequences: ence to the following “die design” principles will
• increased stress in the tool with higher risk for reduce the risk for catastrophic die failure:
deformation or gross cracking • proper die support
• increased heat transfer from billet to die • dovetails, if used, should be properly dimen-
(heat checking) sioned, have sufficiently large radii and be
• more pronounced wear properly finished (grinding marks should be
tangential and not axial), see figure below.
Prolonged contact between billet and die during
forging results in accelerated wear and a greater • sufficient wall thickness, and sufficient material
risk for heat checking. For very long contact below the cavity and between individual
times, the surface layer of the tool may become cavities
so hot that it transforms to austenite. Cracking • adequate radii and fillets in the cavity
problems can then be experienced if this layer • proper dimensioning of flash land and gutter
rehardens during the cooling part of the cycle. • proper design of parting plane and, if used, die
locks
• correct use and design of setting plugs,
Type of forging operation
punches and knockout pins
Because of the much higher impact load, hammer • sufficiently large cushion-face area in hammer
dies tend to fail by cracking to an extent which is forging in relation both to die block thickness
greater than in press forging where the loading and to the capacity of the hammer used
rate is lower. Thermal fatigue (heat checking) is
more common in powder forging and other Improper die support, insufficient material thick-
near-net-shape forging processes involving long ness in the die and too small radii are all very
contact times. common reasons for a die failing catastrophically
by cracking, and will be further enlarged upon.
Type of lubricant
Oil-based lubricants can give rise to excessive
wear/erosion due to the explosion-like combus-
tion of the oil between billet and cavity. On the
other hand, water base lubricants cool the die
surface to a greater extent which increases the
risk of thermal fatigue cracking.

Grinding of dove-tail radii.

UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING 11

 Die support Hmin,
inch mm
It is very important that the die is properly 16 400
supported underneath by a perfectly flat backing
surface with sufficient hardness. Concave depres- 14 350
sions in the support surface immediately under
12 300
the die cavity are particularly deleterious because
they exaggerate the tensile stresses at radii.
10 250
Proper backing is especially important in
hammer forging because there is usually no side
8 200
support in this case. When dies of greatly
different dimensions are used on the same press 6 150
or hammer, it is essential to remove any cavities
in the backing block or plate when switching 4 100
from a small to a large die. 10 25 50 75 100 125 150 mm
0.4 1 2 3 4 5 6 inch
For press forging, side support of the die is hmax
desirable but this is not always possible. Shrink Minimum height (Hmin) of hammer dies with a
fitting of inserts into a massive holder provides maximum depth of cavity (hmax).
the best security against cracking in press dies.
hmax
Fillet radii
The greatest tensile stresses in a forging die
occur at the radii between the sides and bottom Hmin

of the cavity. The smaller the radius, the higher

the stresses. In general, the forging should be
designed so that die fillet radii less than 2 mm
(0.08 inch) can be avoided. For deeper cavities,
>50 mm (>2 inch), this radius limit needs to be
increased to 5 mm (0.2 inch).
It is especially important during die making that As a rule of thumb for solid die blocks in press
radii are ground and polished with grinding forging the thickness below the cavity should be
marks, if any, in the tangential direction. In par- at least 1.5 x cavity depth.
ticular, EDM residues, which may contain cracks, As a minimum wall thickness in hammer
must be removed completely at radii (and prefer- forging the recommendations are according to
ably from the rest of the die as well). If this is not the table below.
possible, then the die should at least be retem-
t
pered at 25°C (50°F) below the previous tem-
Distance h
pering temperature. cavity to outer
Depth of cavity (h) edge of a die (t)
mm inch mm inch
Die material and wall thickness
A number of more or less empirical methods or 6 0.2 12 0.5
10 0.4 20 0.8
dimensioning of forging dies are available, which 16 0.6 32 1.3
range in complexity from simple “rule of thumb” 25 1.0 40 1.6
to fairly advanced nomograms with a theoretical 40 1.6 56 2.2
63 2.5 80 3.2
base. However, there is no doubt that the
100 3.9 110 4.3
stresses imparted to the die by a given forging 125 4.9 130 5.1
machine increase profoundly as the die dimen- 160 6.3 160 6.3
sions are decreased.
Mnimum wall thickness (t) recommended in hammer dies
between cavity and outer edge.

12 UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING

UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING 13
 the hardness at room temperature is plotted
Requirements against tempering temperature for given temper-
for die material ing time. Another method of presenting temper
resistance data is to plot room temperature
Hardenability
hardness against time at a given tempering tem-
In large press or hammer dies made from pre- perature.
hardened die steel, it is important that the hard-
ness is uniform throughout the block. If the die
Hot strength and hot hardness
steel has too low hardenability, the block will
become softer away from its outer surface and In contrast to temper resistance, which is defined
die life for deep cavities or after progressive in terms of hardness at room temperature, hot
resinking will be impaired. strength and hot hardness refer to properties at
high temperature. In general, improved temper
resistance is associated with increased hot
Toughness and ductility
strength and hot hardness. It can be pointed
The surface of the cavity can during use easily out that good hot hardness and hot strength are
develop small cracks or other blemishes which important prerequisites for enhanced wear
may propagate in an unstable manner under the resistance at elevated temperatures.
action of the high forging stresses, especially at A high level of hot hardness and hot strength is
radii etc. Notch toughness indicates the ability of also important in order to achieve adequate re-
the die material to resist crack development sistance to thermal fatigue cracking.
from such defects.
All products, in the Uddeholm tool steel pro-
gramme for the forging industry, are character-
ized by the highest levels of toughness and duc-
tility in all directions in the bar or block. Hence,
the forger can rest assured that the resistance to
gross cracking is the highest possible in dies
made from Uddeholm die steel.
Proper die preheating will considerably reduce
the risk for catastrophic failure via cracking.

Temper resistance
The better the steel retains its hardness as the
temperature or the time increases, the better its
temper resistance.
Temper resistance can be assessed from the
tempering curve for a hardened tool steel. In this,

Fatigue resistance
Uddeholm tool steel for forging dies are pro-
duced to the highest possible quality standards,
especially with regard to freedom from non-
metallic inclusions. This imparts a degree of
fatigue resistance which is adequate for even the
most demanding applications where forging dies
are subjected to cyclic loading with high maxi-
mum loads.

14 UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING

NOTCH TOUGHNESS
DIEVAR

VIDAR SUPERIOR
ORVAR SUPERIOR

ORVAR SUPREME

QRO 90 SUPREME

100 200 300 400 500°C

200 400 600 800 1000°F
TESTING TEMPERATURE

HOT STRENGTH

QRO 90 SUPREME

DIEVAR

ORVAR SUPREME
VIDAR SUPERIOR and ORVAR SUPERIOR

100 200 300 400 500 600°C

200 400 600 800 1000 1200°F
TESTING TEMPERATURE

UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING 15

 “Grinding of tool steel” and “Electrical Discharge
Manufacture and Machining (EDM) of tool steel”.
maintenance of forging die
Machinability, weldability and, when applicable, Heat treatment
response to heat treatment and surface treat- If forging dies are manufactured from die steel in
ment are important parameters influencing the the annealed condition, then the tool must subse-
relative ease of manufacture and maintenance of quently be heat treated in order that the steel
forging dies. develops its optimum combination of hardness,
toughness, heat resistance and wear resistance.
Machinability These properties are controlled through
proper choice of austenitizing temperature, cool-
Machinability is a vital consideration when forging
ing conditions during hardening and tempering
dies are machined from prehardened die blocks.
temperature and time. The Uddeholm brochure
The tool steel for forging applications from
“Heat treatment of tool steel” will be worth
Uddeholm are characterized by freedom from
consulting.
oxidic inclusions and a uniform microstructure.
For forging dies, where toughness is of the
These features, in combination with the low
utmost importance, it is essential that the cooling
hardness in the annealed condition usually 170–
rate during hardening is sufficiently rapid that
200 HB, are to ensure excellent machinability.
undesirable microconstituents such as

NOTCH TOUGHNESS

10 15 25 35 65 600°C/min.
50 60 75 95 150 1110°F/min.

Notch toughness of Uddeholm Orvar Supreme, 44–46 HRC, as a function of quench rate.

Even if these grades are supplied prehardened, pronounced grain-boundary carbide precipitation,
the extreme cleanliness and microstructural pearlite and coarse upper bainite can be avoided.
homogeneity ensure that machining can normally Furthermore, the austenitizing conditions should
be carried out without difficulty. be such that excessive grain growth can not
For all products, advanced process control occur, since this is detrimental as regards to
guarantees that the variations in machining toughness. Because forging dies are sometimes
characteristics are minimal from batch to batch. EDM’d extensively after heat treatment, there is
Uddeholm’s product brochures give detailed generally no problem to cope with the greater
information regarding machining of the products. dimensional change and distortion which results
Other Uddeholm publications worth consulting when the rate of cooling during hardening is
in the context of forging die manufacture are rapid. Remember, however, that EDM’d dies

16 UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING

should always be given an additional temper at However, the nitrided layer is very brittle and
about 25°C (50°F) below the previous tempering may crack or spall when subjected to mechanical
temperature. Detailed heat treatment recom- loading, especially impact loading. Nitriding is
mendations for the various grades, in Uddeholm’s usually carried out by one of four methods, nitro-
tool steel programme for forging dies, are given carburizing in salt-bath or gas, gas nitriding or
in the product brochure for each individual plasma (ion) nitriding.
product. Before nitriding, the tool should be hardened
and double tempered, the latter at a temperature
Weld repair of forging dies at least 25–50°C (50–90°F) above the nitriding
temperature.
Cracked or worn forging dies are often refur- The surface hardness attained and the thick-
bished via welding. This is especially true in the ness of the nitrided layer depend on the nitriding
case of large dies where the tool steel itself rep- method, nitriding time and the character of the
resents a considerable portion of the total die steel being treated. Typical data can be found in
cost. the Uddeholm product brochures for the differ-
Further information can be obtained from the ent tool steel.
Uddeholm publication “Welding of tool steel”. Nitriding to layer thicknesses >0.3 mm
(>0.012 inch) is not to be recommended for
forging dies. The reason is that the nitrided layer
Surface treatment is brittle and easily cracks during service. The
The cavity in forging dies is quite often surface underlying steel can not resist the propagation of
treated in order to enhance wear resistance. such surface cracks if the layer thickness is too
great and the entire die may fail catastrophically.
0.3 mm (0.012 inch) maximum nitride layer thick-
Nitriding
ness is a general recommendation; this maximum
Nitriding is a thermochemical treatment giving a value should be decreased if the impression has
hard surface layer which is very resistant to wear. very sharp radii or if the die steel is used at high
In favourable cases, the process also renders a hardness.
compressive residual stress in the surface of the The formation of the so-called “white layer”
die which helps counteract heat checking. should also be avoided because of brittlenesss.

BENDING STRENGTH

200°C (390°F)

20°C (70°F)

0.05 0.15 0.30 0.45 mm

0.0016 0.006 0.012 0.018 inch
NITRIDING DEPTH

Bending strength of Uddeholm Orvar Supreme as a function of nitriding depth.

UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING 17

18 UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING
Tool steel product programme for forging applications
GENERAL DESCRIPTION

UDDEHOLM
TOOL STEEL

DIEVAR Uddeholm Dievar excels in almost all areas as a hot work tool steel. The
unparalleled toughness and ductility decrease the risk of cracks in the die.
Together with the high thermal conductivity and good hot strength, this
makes Dievar the ideal choice for your workhorse dies. It meets the require-
ments of NADCA #207-2008.

UNIMAX When excessive wear is experienced in the die, Uddeholm Unimax shows its
true qualities. At a recommended hardness of 56–58 HRC Unimax resists
abrasive wear, both hot and cold, and significantly increases the life of the
forging die.

ORVAR 2 MICRODIZED Uddeholm Orvar 2 Microdized is part of the Uddeholm basic range for
forging applications. It is well-rounded steel with proven qualities and
balanced properties. Orvar 2 M has stood the test of time as a reliable
forging tool steel.

ORVAR SUPREME/ Uddeholm Orvar Supreme is well-rounded steel that has proven itself as a
ORVAR SUPERIOR great hot work tool steel for years. The combination of properties makes
this a solid choice for your tooling needs. It meets the requirements of
NADCA #207–2008.

VIDAR SUPERIOR When cracking resistance is critical, Uddeholm Vidar Superior is a great
choice for forging dies. It meets the requirements of NADCA #207–2008.

QRO 90 SUPREME Uddeholm QRO 90 Supreme is perfect when the surface of the tool is
subjected to excessive heat. The highest thermal conductivity in the Udde-
holm hot forging steel range combined with the highest resistance to wear at
elevated temperature make this advanced high strength steel a great choice
for long-lasting dies.

FORMVAR Uddeholm Formvar is a solid upgrade choice from H11/H13 forging dies.
With good tempering back resistance and hot yield strength.

ALVAR 14 Uddeholm Alvar 14 is a pre-hardened grade suitable for hammer forging. The
good toughness and ease of machining make this a good choice for basic
hammer forging needs.

VANADIS 23 SUPERCLEAN PM-produced high speed steel. Recommended for forging applications where
VANADIS 30 SUPERCLEAN very good wear resistance is needed.

UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING 19

 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

SUPPLIED
UDDEHOLM AISI ANALYSIS % HARDNESS
TOOL STEEL (W.-Nr.) C Si Mn Cr Mo V Others Brinell

DIEVAR – 0.35 0.2 0.5 5.0 2.3 0.6 – ~160

UNIMAX – 0.50 0.2 0.5 5.0 2.3 0.5 – ~185
ORVAR 2
MICRODIZED H13 0.39 1.0 0.4 5.3 1.3 0.9 – ~180
(1.2344)
ORVAR SUPREME H13 0.39 1.0 0.4 5.2 1.4 0.9 – ~180
(1.2344)
ORVAR SUPERIOR H13 0.39 1.0 0.4 5.2 1.4 0.9 – ~180
(1.2344)
VIDAR SUPERIOR H11 modified 0.36 0.3 0.3 5.0 1.3 0.5 – ~180
(1.2340)
QRO 90 SUPREME – 0.38 0.3 0.8 2.6 2.3 0.9 Micro-
alloyed ~180
FORMVAR – 0.35 0.2 0.5 5.0 2.3 0.6 – ~160
ALVAR 14 (1.2714) 0.55 0.3 0.7 1.1 0.5 0.1 Ni 1.7 ≤ 250 or
prehardened

QUALITATIVE COMPARISON OF RESISTANCE OF BASIC PROPERTIES

UDDEHOLM
UDDEHOLM PLASTIC PREMATURE HEAT
TOOL
TOOL STEEL
STEEL HOT WEAR DEFORMATION CRACKING CHECKING

DIEVAR
DIEVAR
UNIMAX
UNIMAX
ORVAR
ORVAR 2 M
ORVAR
ORVAR SUPREME
SUPREME
ORVAR
ORVAR SUPERIOR
SUPERIOR
VIDAR
VIDAR SUPERIOR
SUPERIOR
QRO
QRO 90 SUPREME
SUPREME
HOTVAR
FORMVAR
ALVAR
ALVAR 14

The longer the bar, the better.

20 UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING

Tool steel selection chart
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

FORGING UDDEHOLM HARDNESS CAVITY

APPLICATION STEEL GRADE RANGE DEPTH

HAMMER
FORGING Solid die blocks ALVAR 14 – Prehardened 400–440 HB max 20 mm
(0.8 inch)
360–400 HB max 50 mm
(2 inch)
320–360 HB max 150 mm
(6 inch)
≤320 very deep
Inserts VIDAR SUPERIOR
DIEVAR
ORVAR SUPREME
ORVAR SUPERIOR 38–50 HRC

PRESS FORGING Dies DIEVAR

VIDAR SUPERIOR
ORVAR SUPREME
ORVAR SUPERIOR
QRO 90 SUPREME
UNIMAX
FORMVAR 38–57 HRC

WARM FORGING Tools UNIMAX

DIEVAR
FORMVAR 50–58 HRC
*

PROGRESSIVE
FORGING Tools QRO 90 SUPREME
UNIMAX
DIEVAR
FORMVAR 48–54 HRC
*

UPSET FORGING Tools UNIMAX

DIEVAR
FORMVAR 46–56 HRC

* Uddeholm PM grades can be used in some tool parts. Higher hardnesses can be used.

UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING 21

22 UDDEHOLM STEEL FOR FORGING
 Network of excellence
UDDEHOLM is present on every continent. This ensures you
high-quality Swedish tool steel and local support wherever you
are. ASSAB is our exclusive sales channel, representing Udde-
holm in the Asia Pacific area. Together we secure our position
as the world’s leading supplier of tooling materials.

www.assab.com www.uddeholm.com
 UDDEHOLM 1
UDDEHOLM is the world’s leading supplier of tooling materials. This
is a position we have reached by improving our customers’ everyday
business. Long tradition combined with research and product develop-
ment equips Uddeholm to solve any tooling problem that may arise.
It is a challenging process, but the goal is clear – to be your number one
partner and tool steel provider.

Our presence on every continent guarantees you the same high quality
wherever you are. ASSAB is our exclusive sales channel, representing
Uddeholm in the Asia Pacific area. Together we secure our position as
the world’s leading supplier of tooling materials. We act worldwide, so
there is always an Uddeholm or ASSAB representative close at hand to
give local advice and support. For us it is all a matter of trust – in long-
term partnerships as well as in developing new products. Trust is
something you earn, every day.

For more information, please visit www.uddeholm.com, www.assab.com

or your local website.