Author: wudejian
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What type of die steel is best for punching 3mm aluminum sheet?blog 265
Question from a viewer during the 300th live stream: What type of die steel is best for punching 3mm-thick aluminum? When punching aluminum, many die failures are caused by aluminum shavings sticking to the die, resulting in burrs on the product. However, many people mistakenly believe this is due to insufficient hardness or poor wear resistance of…
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When stamping 0.03 stainless steel with a progressive die, what other die steels are good alternatives to tungsten steel?blog 264
A viewer in the live stream asked: When stamping 0.03-thick stainless steel with a progressive die, what materials can be used as alternatives to tungsten carbide? Stamping 0.03-thick stainless steel is considered thin-gauge stamping. Dies for this application generally do not chip, so the primary consideration is wear resistance. Since the stamping speed is set…
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Even though everyone in the industry is copying my 8566 die steel, I’m not upset.Post No. 562
Yesterday, I was chatting with a classmate, and he asked me, “With your 8566 mold steel, all your competitors are copying you—they’re all imitating you. Doesn’t that make you angry?” I thought about it for a moment and realized that if you’re angry, you’ve only got yourself to blame. When people imitate your product, you…
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When punching 3.0-mesh holes in 3mm stainless steel, SKH51 punches break after just 10,000 to 20,000 punches. This is due to the use of the wrong material; 8566 die steel should be used instead.Post No. 563
Mr. Zhou asked: We’re punching 3-millimeter holes in 3-millimeter stainless steel mesh. We can currently use SKH51, but it’s not very durable—it only lasts for about 10,000 to 20,000 punches. Since we specialize in making sieve mesh, replacing broken punches is quite a hassle. That’s right. When punching mesh with densely packed holes, the punches…
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What type of die steel is best for hot-working 316 stainless steel? Budget is around 50 yuan per kilogram.blog 263
Question from a live stream viewer: What die steel is best for hot forging 316 stainless steel? My budget is around 50 yuan per kilogram—any recommendations? I’m currently using 2367 mold steel, but I can’t produce large quantities. If we consider this question as a whole, there aren’t really any good recommendations. For mold steel priced…
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8566 die steel can withstand 150,000 drawing cycles without requiring die repair, drawing 0.3-thick iron sheet to a height of 32 mm.blog 262
During our 300th live stream, we received some fantastic news. A viewer from Cangzhou, Hebei, reported that with 0.3-thick steel material and a 32mm draw height, using 8566 steel, they achieved 150,000 draws without any maintenance. The biggest concern with drawing dies is wire drawing, but 8566 anti-chipping steel, with a hardness of HRC 58–60,…
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In Vietnam’s die steel market, 70% of the die steel is produced in China.blog 261
I just received a call from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, inquiring about SKD11, SKD61, and 2083 die steel. He is a Vietnamese-Chinese expatriate from Guangdong who asked me to speak Cantonese with him. He runs a heat treatment plant in Ho Chi Minh City. Currently, his clients outsource their molds to him for heat…
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Wu Dejian’s Mold Steel Live Stream #300 received three positive reviews—a bit of a pleasant surprise.blog 260
Last night, July 26, 2026, I hosted a one-hour livestream—my 300th livestream. The livestream reached 10,000 impressions, with 518 viewers. The average watch time was 1.29 minutes, the average concurrent viewership was 11, the peak concurrent viewership was 22, and I gained 7 new followers. The metrics for this livestream weren’t particularly impressive, but receiving…
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For plastic molds, is 2344 or S136 better?blog 259
A viewer in the live stream asked, “Is 2344 or S136 better for plastic molds?” Both 2344 and S136 can be used to make hard plastic molds with a heat-treated hardness of 50 HRC. Since their properties differ somewhat, the specific choice of mold steel depends on the trade-offs for your particular mold. 2344 is…
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Impurities in bearing steel fall into two categories: extrinsic impurities and intrinsic impurities.blog 258
Bearing steel must be highly pure in terms of non-metallic inclusions. Non-metallic inclusions have a significant impact on the mechanical properties of bearing steel, particularly its contact fatigue performance, and thus affect the service life of bearing components. From a metallurgical perspective, producing bearing steel with low levels of non-metallic inclusions and high purity has…
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What is the best material for stamping 3mm stainless steel? We’re currently using Cr12MoV. A viewer in the 300th livestream asked.blog 257
What’s the best material for stamping 3mm stainless steel? We’re currently using Cr12MoV, as asked by a viewer during the 300th live stream. Stamping 3mm stainless steel involves stamping thick, hard material. The stamping process generates significant vibration, which can easily cause the punch to fracture or the retainer to snap. Cr12MoV is too brittle—it is…
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Injection-molded PPS+40GF: After producing over 100,000 parts using S136 mold steel, flash began to appear—the wrong material was used.blog 256
Molds with high glass fiber content made from quenched and tempered S136 steel will develop flash after producing just over 100,000 parts. This is a situation many netizens have reported to me. Today, another netizen reached out—he’s injection molding PPS compound reinforced with 40% glass fiber. He’s currently using S136 mold steel, quenched and tempered…