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 very high, red hardness must also be taken into account. Tungsten carbide is, of course, the best choice—it is a tungsten-cobalt alloy that offers high hardness, excellent wear resistance, and superior red hardness. When used for stamping 0.03-thick stainless steel, it is undoubtedly highly wear-resistant. However, following this year’s threefold increase in the price of tungsten carbide, if you prefer not to use it and instead wish to substitute it with a mold steel that offers comparable wear resistance, powder-metallurgically produced high-speed steel with high cobalt, tungsten, and vanadium content is the ideal alternative. Currently, there are three options available.
The first is PM60 powder-metallurgic high-speed steel, with a carbon content of 2.3%, cobalt content of 10.8%, and vanadium content of 6%. It has a hardness of 67–69 HRC. Thanks to the advanced powder metallurgy process, its carbides are finely and uniformly dispersed. With a high density of carbides and excellent distribution, it offers outstanding wear resistance and red hardness. When used for high-speed punching of 0.03-thick stainless steel, its wear resistance is undoubtedly excellent.
The second grade is T15, a tungsten-based high-carbon, high-vanadium, cobalt-containing high-speed steel with 12% tungsten, 5.0% cobalt (Co), and 5.0% vanadium (V). With its high alloy content, it offers excellent wear resistance. It is reportedly designed specifically for punching stainless steel; due to its high tungsten content, it also exhibits good red hardness and very good wear resistance.
The third option is undoubtedly S390, with a tungsten content of 10.5%, cobalt (Co) content of 8.0%, and vanadium (V) content of 5.0%. It has a hardness of HRC 65–69. With its very high alloy content and high hardness, it offers excellent wear resistance.
The user asked about high-speed stamping of 0.03 stainless steel using continuous dies and does not want to use cemented carbide (tungsten steel). In that case, the only options are PM60, T15, S390, These three materials can serve as alternatives to tungsten carbide. Other mold steels lack sufficient wear resistance—at the very least, they have insufficient total alloy content and an inadequate variety of carbides. As for the morphology, particle size, and distribution of the carbides, there’s no need to even consider them—none of them compare to these three mold steels.
When deciding which die steel to choose, you’ll need to comprehensively consider a range of factors, including your mold’s operating conditions, any requirements for toughness, and the ease of procurement.
I’m Wu Dejian, the “King of Mold Steel,” 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 service life and you don’t know which one to switch to, come talk to me. I’ve helped over 4,000 companies solve complex challenges 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. Wu Dejian Mold Steel—the users’ chief advisor—and those who’ve used our products have all been satisfied.
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Wu Dejian’s tool steel, the chief of staff of the user, bought everything he had used.