Powdered Metal

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*Information Provided is General*

CPM-3V material is designed to provide maximum resistance to breakage and chipping in a highly wear-resistance material. CPM-3V material offers impact toughness greater than A-2, D-2, Cru-Wear, or CPM-M4 material, approaching the levels of S-7 and other shock resistance material, while providing excellent wear resistance, high hardness, and thermal stability for coatings. CPM-3V is intended to be used at HRC 58/60; CPM-3V can replace high alloy tool steels in wear applications where chronic tool breakage and chipping problems are encountered.

The CPM process produces very homogeneous, high quality steel characterized by superior dimensional stability, grindability, and toughness compared to steels produced by conventional processes.

The combination of properties makes CPM-3V material an ideal choice for a variety of applications such as stamping or forming tools, powder compaction tooling, industrial knives and slitters, fine-blanking tools, cold heading tooling, plastic injection feeder screws, and tips, punches and dies, blanking dies, shear blades, scrap choppers, and rolls.

Mechanical Properties

1. Impact Toughness: The CPM microstructure gives CPM-3V material its high impact toughness which approaches that of the shock-resistance tool steels.
2. Wear Resistance: The vanadium content imparts CPM-3V material with excellent wear resistance; similar to that of M2 high speed steel.

Relative Mechanical Properties

The combination of wear resistance and toughness offered by CPM-3V makes it an excellent alternative to shock-resistance grades such as S-7, A-9 in applications where they wear out too quickly. Or, it can replace wear-resistance grades such as A-2, D-2, Cru-Wear, or CPM-M4 in applications where they tend to fail by impact (chipping or breaking). CPM-3V offers the highest impact toughness of any tool steel with this range of wear resistance.

Machinability in the annealed condition is similar to D-2 and Cru-Wear material, but Grindability will be slightly better. Similar grinding equipment and practices are acceptable. “SG” type of alumina wheels or CBN wheels have generally given the best performance with CPM grades.

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*Information Provided is General*

CPM-9V material is a modification of CPM-10V with lower carbon and vanadium to improve toughness and heat check resistance. These enhancement properties permit CPM-9V to perform well in problem applications where high carbon, high chromium tool steels, such as CPM-10V or the high speed steels, lack sufficient toughness or heat check resistance, or where lower alloy tool steels and hot work tool steels lacks sufficient wear resistance.

The CPM process produces very homogeneous, high quality steel characterized by superior dimensional stability, grindability, and toughness compared to steels produced by conventional processes.

The combination of properties makes CPM-9V material an ideal choice for a variety of applications such as forming rolls, rolling mill rolls, header tooling, extrusion tooling, pelletizer blades, punches, dies, slitter knives, shear blades, granulator blades, and plasticizing components: non-return values and screws.

In the annealed condition, the machinability of CPM-9V is comparable to that of M-2. Similar grinding equipment and practices used for high-speed steels are recommended. “SG” type of alumina wheels or CBN wheels have generally given the best performance with CPM grades.

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*Information Provided is General*

CPM-10V material was the first in the family of high vanadium tool steels. Cpm-10V optimized the vanadium content to provide superior wear resistance while maintaining toughness and fabrication characteristics comparable to D-2 and M-2 material. CPM-10V is exceptional for wear resistance and good toughness, makes it an excellent candidate to replace carbide and other highly wear resistant materials in colds work tooling applications, particular where tool toughness is a problem or where cost effectiveness can be demonstrated.

The CPM process produces very homogeneous, high quality steel characterized by superior dimensional stability, grindability, and toughness compared to steels produced by conventional processes.

The combination of properties makes CPM-10V material an ideal choice for a variety of applications such as stamping and forming tools, powder compaction tooling, industrial knives and slitters, plastic mold inserts, wear parts, punches and dies, blanking and piercing dies, woodworking tools and plastic injection barrels.

Mechanical Properties
Impact Toughness
Depending upon the application requirements for hardness, lowering the hardening temperature (under-hardening) increases toughness.

Machinability and Grindability
Machinability in the annealed condition is similar to CPM-T15 high-speed steel. Similar grinding equipment and practices used for high-speed steels are recommended. “SG” type of alumina wheels or CBN wheels have generally given the best performance with CPM grades.

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*Information Provided is General*

M-4 is a super high-speed steel having a very high carbon and vanadium content for exceptional abrasion resistance. It is well suited for premium-cutting tools of all types, and particularly those used for machining abrasive alloys, castings, and heat-treated materials. The higher carbon content enables M-4 to be consistently heat treated in excess of Rockwell C 65. However, this feature and the excess of vanadium carbides means that M-4 is more difficult to grind after heat treatment than M-2 or other super high-speed steels as M-42.

Hardening in properly rectified salt baths or controlled atmosphere or vacuum furnaces is recommended. Preheat thoroughly at 1450 – 1550°F, then transfer to the high heat of 2175 – 2225°F in a salt bath or 2200 – 2250°F in an atmosphere or vacuum furnace. A slight soak at the high heat will assist in developing maximum hardness, but avoid over-soaking. Quench into salt maintained at 1000 – 1100°F, or warm oil. After equalizing at the quench bath temperature, complete the quench in still air down to at least 150°F prior to beginning the tempering operation. If oil quenched, remove from the oil at about 900°F and air cool.

Large tools made of high vanadium high speed steel such as M-4 may not attain full hardness with a standard interrupted salt quench and it may be necessary to remove from salt bath quench at about 1500° F, then oil quench down to a temperature of about 900°F, or until the tool loses all color. Then complete quench in air. This technique will assist in promoting maximum hardness.

M-4 should be tempered in the range of 1000 – 1100°F for most applications. Hold at temperature for 2-4 hours. Cooling should be carried out in still air and always allow the tools to reach room temperature before re-tempering. Double tempering is recommended and a third temper at 800 – 1000°F after finish grinding is often beneficial.

Hardening happens between 2175 – 2250°F.

M-4 is an oversized material.

*Always consult your Heat Treater*
*Information Provided is General*

M-4 is a super high-speed steel having a very high carbon and vanadium content for exceptional abrasion resistance. It is well suited for premium-cutting tools of all types, and particularly those used for machining abrasive alloys, castings, and heat-treated materials. The higher carbon content enables M-4 to be consistently heat treated in excess of Rockwell C 65. However, this feature and the excess of vanadium carbides means that M-4 is more difficult to grind after heat treatment than M-2 or other super high-speed steels as M-42.

Hardening in properly rectified salt baths or controlled atmosphere or vacuum furnaces is recommended. Preheat thoroughly at 1450 – 1550°F, then transfer to the high heat of 2175 – 2225°F in a salt bath or 2200 – 2250°F in an atmosphere or vacuum furnace. A slight soak at the high heat will assist in developing maximum hardness, but avoid over-soaking. Quench into salt maintained at 1000 – 1100°F, or warm oil.

After equalizing at the quench bath temperature, complete the quench in still air down to at least 150°F prior to beginning the tempering operation. If oil quenched, remove from the oil at about 900°F and air cool.

Large tools made of high vanadium high speed steel such as M-4 may not attain full hardness with a standard interrupted salt quench and it may be necessary to remove from salt bath quench at about 1500° F, then oil quench down to a temperature of about 900°F, or until the tool loses all color. Then complete quench in air. This technique will assist in promoting maximum hardness.

M-4 should be tempered in the range of 1000 – 1100°F for most applications. Hold at temperature for 2-4 hours. Cooling should be carried out in still air and always allow the tools to reach room temperature before retempering. Double tempering is recommended and a third temper at 800 – 1000°F after finish grinding is often beneficial.

Hardening happens between 2175 – 2250°F.

M-4 is an oversized material.

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*Information Provided is General*

T-15, available upon request, is a tungsten high-speed steel designed for use in machining operations requiring heavy cuts, high speeds and feeds. Its primary use is in applications requiring the machining of high hardness heat-treated materials such as high temperature alloys. The high carbon, vanadium and cobalt contents contribute to good wear resistance, hot hardness and good hardness capabilities.

T-15 is produced by the powder metallurgy process, which resulted in improved quality from the standpoint of structural uniformity, response to heat treatment, and grindability. These factors, along with increased toughness, are increasing usage in the industry because of its recognized superior cutting ability.

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*Information Provided is General*

A-11, is a high vanadium tool steel. A-11 possesses wear resistance superior to most other tool steels, including the high-speed steels, along with good strength and toughness characteristics.

Many of the benefits in the use of A-11 are a direct result if the refined microstructure (smaller more uniformly distributed carbide particles and a finer grain size) and the lack of segregation in the powder metallurgy product.

These advantages include ease of grinding, improved response to heat treatment, greater wear resistance, and increased toughness of the finished tool. The applications that A-11 are used in are punches, dies for blanks, piercing dies, forming rolls and dies, cold heading, steel mill rolls, cold extrusion, slitter knives, shears pelletizer, nozzles, woodworking tools, cold extrusion barrels, cold extrusion liners, plastic injection molds and compacting tools.

Hardening happens between 1950 – 2150°F.

A-11 is an oversized material.