More and more customers are buying 8503 die steel that resists material sticking.
For wok drawing dies, DC53 and Cr12MoV were previously used, but both were prone to stringing. A friend recommended that 8503 mold steel, which resists material sticking, is less likely to cause stringing in drawing dies, so this time he purchased three 8503 round rings.
The other 12 pieces were purchased by a customer who had previously bought 8503 for automotive wheel hub drawing dies and is now trying it in a new application. He needs to extrude right angles on steel plates into rounded corners. He used to use low-alloy steel, which wore down easily. Later, he had the manufacturer switch to Cr12MoV, which seemed to improve wear resistance, but it still suffered from material sticking and scratches, resulting in unattractive extruded products.
He had previously purchased the non-stick 8503 several times for his automotive wheel rim drawing dies and found that its non-stick performance was better than that of Cr12MoV with a coating. Therefore, he was determined to use the non-stick 8503.
Since 8503 round bar isn’t currently available, he’d have to use sheet metal and re-forge it—a process that’s not only time-consuming but also very costly. I had originally intended to suggest he switch materials and abandon the non-stick 8503.
But he said, “I’ve used non-stick 8503 before and was satisfied with the results. This time I’m trying it in a new application, and I can’t let certain circumstances delay my verification of its effectiveness. So what if it’s a little more expensive? If it’s a little more expensive, I’ll have fewer mold repairs, my efficiency will go up, and I’ll have less work to do—it all evens out for me.”
Since the customer is so insistent on using non-stick 8503, we have no choice but to spend a little time and effort helping him modify the forging. These 12 pieces of 8503 have already been modified, as have these 3 8503 rings for drawing dies—all are ready for shipment.
Nowadays, customers making drawing dies are increasingly preferring non-stick 8503, because when they previously used DC53, Cr12MoV, or even applied coatings, they encountered unsolvable wire-drawing issues. Many who’ve tried it once place a second or third order. The strong sales of any product are earned bit by bit through its performance and practical results.
I believe that in the near future, non-sticking 8503 steel may become everyone’s first choice for drawing dies—unlike the current trend of opting for the cheaper Cr12MoV, which inevitably develops wire marks during production, requires frequent die polishing, and yields poor results even when coated at additional cost. We hope that 8503 will help users resolve the issues of material sticking and wire marks in drawing dies.
8503 is a non-stick mold steel exclusive to Yuhui. It has a hardness of 59–61 HRC and twice the toughness of DC53. Compared to DC53, its performance is doubled without a corresponding increase in price, and it offers the added benefit of non-stick properties—a feature that many customers who manufacture drawing dies particularly appreciate.
If your current drawing dies use Cr12MoV, DC53, or even coated materials, and you’re still experiencing stringing issues that you can’t resolve, we invite you to try the non-stick 8503. You might find that after just one try, you won’t be able to do without it.
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Wu Dejian’s tool steel, the chief of staff of the user, bought everything he had used.