Category: blog

I saw two re-forged ejector pins in the workshop and wanted to share this with everyone. This is the first time we’ve used high-toughness LG die steel for ejector pins in aluminum extrusion dies, so I thought I’d document this new case.  These two ejector pins were forged from high-toughness LG tool steel. This customer manufactures aluminum extrusion…

This week has been pretty busy—between going out to teach classes and accompanying clients to test molds, I’ve lost a lot of time. Once I’m out and about, I don’t have time to write or take photos. I feel like I’ve fallen behind on my work this week—I haven’t filmed many videos or written much—and…

Mr. Yan asked, “What type of die steel should be used for punches in aluminum stamping to prevent aluminum chips from sticking?”  He is stamping aluminum sheets that are 0.8 to 1.2 thick. Currently, the punches tend to accumulate aluminum chips. He is currently using Cr12MoV and DC53 punches, and even at relatively slow speeds, a…

Mr. Fu asked: “President Wu, could you please advise on the best mold steel material for a bent part that is experiencing surface roughness? (Part material: QSTE550, thickness: 3.0). Surface roughness begins to appear after producing just a few hundred pieces. Currently, the cutting inserts are made of Cr12MOV.”  This is a bent part. During the…

On Monday afternoon, seeing that there were still so many heat-treated hard parts in the workshop ready for shipment put me in a good mood.  We’d already shipped a batch that morning, and with so many left in the afternoon, it meant we had a lot of shipments planned for today. I was especially pleased…

Tungsten steel hot-forging dies are too expensive—what die steel should be used as a substitute? I can tell you now that 8566 die steel, with its high heat resistance, high hardness, and high toughness, is the most suitable replacement.  I saw 17 pieces of 8566 round bar ordered by a nut hot-forging die manufacturer in the…

Yesterday, Mr. Shi came to Yuhui again to purchase 8566 crack-resistant steel, and he told me: “For cold heading dies, 6.0 40Cr forming dies are prone to cracking. I’ve tried Cr12MoV, DC53, 8566 from a fourth-hand supplier in Ningbo, and Yuhui’s 8566. After comparing them, your Yuhui 8566 die steel still has the longest service life.”…

Mr. Fang asked: “Mr. Wu, this is an A3 smooth-surface panel, 0.8 mm thick, produced using a progressive die made of M2 high-speed steel. After polishing the die, we produced 1,000 units, and now there are scratches again. Would applying a PVD titanium coating solve the problem, or should we switch to a different type…

Mr. Chen asked for recommendations on mold steel materials for thinning and drawing dies used on 3–5 mm thick material.  Upon further inquiry, it was learned that he is performing thinning and drawing operations on 3–5 mm thick Q235 pickled material, with a drawing height of 100 mm and no blankholding. He is currently using…

Sitting here today on this pallet of mold steel ordered by my client, I’d like to share a few thoughts.  This client from Weihai, Shandong, has been buying my mold steel for 10 years now, and we’ve still never met in person. Whenever he places an order, he’s very brief—just two sentences: “Please process the order,” and…

When stamping Q195 steel (3.0) and testing wear-resistant steel 6077, we switched to a medium-speed wire-cut EDM punch. The stamping press output was: 77,000 strokes for flat steel and 82,000 strokes for oval tubing. Since switching to the medium-speed wire-cut EDM punch, die life has jumped from 2,000 strokes to 80,000 strokes—a significant increase by…

Recently, several netizens have asked me about the differences in performance between high-toughness LG steel and 8566 chipping-resistant steel. To make it easier for everyone to understand and remember, I’ve summarized the key differences—there are roughly nine points.  1) The operating hardness differs: LG die steel has a hardness of 54–58 HRC, while 8566 chipping-resistant steel has a hardness…