High Duty Tool and Die Steels

High duty punching tools or dies are made out of many different steels of fairly high alloying contents. High-carbon high-chromium die steel contains 2% C, 0.3% Mn and 12% Cr. Though extremely hard and unmachinable in its hardened form, small and large carbide particles get dispersed in ferritic matrix on annealing from 800oC. In annealed state this steel can be machined with difficulty. This is an important requirement because tools and dies have to be machined before they are hardened for final use.