Steel Tempering
Steel Tempering
Steel Tempering
Tool and die steels are covered in BS 4659:1989, Most tools and dies must be protected from oxidation and
although both American nomenclature and a variety of decarburisation during treatment. The heat treater uses
trade names are also in use. Available in high-quality four basic types of furnace with various processing media
grades, these specifically-designed steels can be grouped to meet this requirement:
broadly according to their intended application: • Salt baths - the traditional route capable of treating the
• High-speed steels (BM and BT series in BS 4659) for complete range of tool steels with tight control.
drilling/cutting, with an ability to retain hot hardness. • Fluidised beds - a more recent development capable of
treating a wide range of tool steels other than those
• Cold-work steels (BA, BD and BO series) for stamping,
requiring high hardening temperatures.
blanking, pressing and forming.
• Sealed-quench furnaces - applications restricted by
• Hot-work steels (BH series) for hot forming and preci- lower hardening temperatures and the choice of oil
sion die casting. quenching or “still” gas cooling.
• Plastic-moulding steels (BP series) for plastic-moulding • Vacuum furnaces - the cleanest route, mainly employ-
and highly-polished dies, where toughness is required. ing gas quenching; the recent introduction of high-pres-
• Shock-resistant steels (BS series) for chisels, punches sure gas quenching has widened the range of steels
and tools subject to impact loading. which can be successfully treated.
The table lists the capabilities of these furnaces in relation
• Hammer die steels for cold forging, hammering and
to some commonly-used BS 4659 steels.
stamping.
Furnace capabilities for tools and dies.
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENTS?
Steel Salt Vacuum Fluidised Sealed-quench
All tool and die steels must be heat treated to develop type baths furnaces beds furnaces
optimum properties in terms of hardness, strength, tough- BA2 ✔ ✔ ✔ -
ness and wear resistance. Almost all are hardened and BD2 ✔ ✔ ✔ L
tempered. BD3 ✔ L ✔ L
BO1 ✔ L ✔ ✔
Hardening involves controlled heating to a critical tem- BO2 ✔ L ✔ ✔
perature dictated by the type of steel (in the range 760- BS1 ✔ L ✔ ✔
1300°C) followed by controlled cooling. Dependent on the BW2 ✔ - ✔* -
type of material, appropriate cooling rates vary from very
BP20 ✔ L ✔ ✔
fast (water quench) to very slow (air cool).
BH11 ✔ ✔ ✔ -
Tempering involves reheating the hardened tool/die to a BH12 ✔ ✔ ✔ -
temperature between 150-675°C, depending on the steel BH13 ✔ ✔ ✔ -
type. A process which controls final properties whilst BM1 ✔ ✔* - -
relieving stresses after hardening, tempering can be com- BM2 ✔ ✔* - -
plex; some steels must be subjected to multiple tempering BM15 ✔ ✔* - -
operations. BT1 ✔ L* - -
In some cases, a sub-zero treatment can be incorporated BT15 ✔ L* - -
into the hardening and tempering cycle in order to devel-
Key:
op maximum hardness and optimise dimensional and ✔= capable; - = not capable;
metallurgical stability. L= limited capability; * = speak to heat treater
This datasheet is compiled in good faith solely to assist others to evaluate the heat treatment techniques described.
Users do so entirely at their own risk. Neither CHTA nor the presenter is responsible for any consequences from any such
use. Datasheets shall not be used for contractual purposes neither directly nor by implication.