I really didn’t expect that LG die steel could replace low-alloy steel for high-strength shafts—and with such good results.
This is a part subject to impact, requiring high toughness as well as wear resistance. Previously, low-alloy structural steels such as 42CrMo, 38CrMoAl, and even 20CrMnTi were ineffective—even with surface coatings—as the shafts would bulge and deform upon impact. Switching to DC53 or LD, however, resulted in fractures. After more than two years of experimentation, LG die steel has proven to be the most effective. Now in the third year, the customer has started placing bulk orders; this time, they ordered 11 pieces of high-toughness LG die steel.
Alloy structural steels are low-carbon, low-alloy materials that lack sufficient strength; when subjected to external impact, the shaft swells and deforms. High-carbon cold-work die steels like LD and DC53 are too brittle and prone to breaking. Over the past two years—and now into the third year—he has been testing various types of steel, but in the end, the high-toughness LG die steel has proven to be the most reliable. This time, he purchased 11 pieces to manufacture his high-strength impact shafts.
LG die steel has 8–9 times the toughness of DC53, with a hardness of 54–58 HRC. It’s so tough that you can bend it by hammering it without it breaking. LG offers a high hardness of 54–58 HRC—a level of strength that low-alloy structural steels with good toughness cannot achieve, and a level of toughness that cold-work die steels lack.
If you also manufacture high-strength shafts that require exceptionally high torque, or very long gear shafts subjected to significant transmission forces—and you’ve previously used alloy structural steels like 42CrMo or 40Cr, which are prone to twisting and deformation, or high-hardness DC53, which is prone to fracture—and you haven’t been able to find a solution, then you should try the highly tough LG die steel.
I’m Wu Dejian, the “Mold Steel King,” from Dongguan Yuhui Mold Steel. Yuhui Mold Steel is used by three Fortune 500 companies, and Kyocera has been sourcing from us for seven consecutive years. If you’re unsure about which mold steel to choose, or if the mold steel you’re currently using results in short mold lifespans and you don’t know which grade to switch to, please reach out to me. I’ve helped over 4,000 companies solve complex problems related to mold material selection, manufacturing, and usage. I’m confident that when it comes to selecting and applying mold steel, I can serve as your chief advisor and help you avoid costly trial-and-error.
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Wu Dejian’s tool steel, the chief of staff of the user, bought everything he had used.