Tool Steels

Tool Steels for Australian Toolmaking, Die Manufacture & Industrial Applications

Tool steels are the high-performance alloy steels used to manufacture cutting tools, dies, moulds and high-wear industrial components — the steels that produce the rest of manufactured products. Each tool steel grade balances specific properties: hardness, toughness, wear resistance and dimensional stability under heat treatment. For Australian toolmakers, die makers and industrial manufacturers producing or replacing tooling and high-wear components, matching the right tool steel to the application is essential. AIMS Industrial supplies tool steels in standard grades and formats for trade and industrial customers across Australia.

Browse related engineering materials at AIMS:

• Tool steels — this page — A2, D2, O1, P20, S7, H13, M2, 4140
• Key steel — precision-ground keyway stock, metric & imperial
• Bronze bars — phosphor bronze for bearing applications
• Raw materials — full engineering material range

The tool steel grades we stock

• A2 (air hardening) — general-purpose cold-work tool steel; good wear resistance with reasonable toughness; the everyday die steel
• D2 (high-chromium) — high wear resistance for blanking dies, forming dies and abrasive applications
• O1 (oil hardening) — economical general tool steel; suits hand-finishing tools, jigs and fixtures
• P20 (pre-hardened) — supplied pre-hardened to 28-32 HRC for plastic injection moulds
• S7 (shock-resistant) — high impact toughness for chisels, punches and impact tooling
• H13 (hot-work) — for tooling exposed to elevated temperature: extrusion dies, die-casting tooling, hot-forging dies
• M2 (high-speed) — for cutting tools requiring red-hardness; alternative to HSS in custom toolmaking
• 4140 / 4340 (alloy steels) — pre-hardened alloy steels for shafts, gears and general machine components

Choosing the right tool steel

• Cold-work cutting and forming dies — A2 (general), D2 (high wear), O1 (economical)
• Plastic injection moulds — P20 (pre-hardened, machinable)
• Impact tooling and shock applications — S7 (high toughness)
• Hot-work tooling — H13 (hot-work specific)
• Cutting tools (custom toolmaking) — M2 (high-speed steel)
• Machine components and shafts — 4140, 4340 (pre-hardened alloy)

Heat treatment considerations

Most tool steels require heat treatment after machining to develop their final hardness and properties. Different grades use different hardening processes:

• Air hardening (A2, D2, S7, H13) — heat to austenitising temperature, cool in still air; minimal distortion
• Oil hardening (O1) — quench in oil after austenitising; some distortion typical
• Pre-hardened (P20, 4140 PHT) — supplied at working hardness; no further heat treatment required

For production work, use a competent commercial heat treater — the equipment, expertise and process control required for consistent results is significant. For quick prototype work, in-house oven heat treatment is possible for some grades.

Where tool steels earn their place

• Punch and die manufacture — blanking, piercing, forming, drawing dies
• Plastic and rubber moulds — injection moulds, compression moulds, cavity tooling
• Cutting tools — custom blades, knives, shear blades and specialised cutters
• Wear components — abrasion-resistant industrial parts
• Fixtures and jigs — toolroom fixtures requiring dimensional stability
• Impact tools — chisels, punches and percussion tools

Available formats

Tool steels are stocked in standard formats: round bar (turned and ground or as-rolled), flat bar (precision-ground or as-rolled), square bar and plate. Pre-hardened grades are typically supplied at working hardness; air-hardening and oil-hardening grades are typically supplied annealed (soft) for machining, then heat-treated after roughing. Match the format to the application requirement.

Companion ranges at AIMS

Tool steels sit alongside our broader engineering material and toolmaking range. For complementary materials, see key steel and bronze bars. For machining and tooling, see measuring tools, carbide drill bits, cobalt drill bits, milling inserts and the threading range. The full engineering material range is catalogued under raw materials.

For tool steel grade selection, format and heat treatment guidance for specific tooling, mould or wear applications, call (02) 9773 0122 or contact our team.