1.2344 Tool Steel | SKD 61 | X40CrMoV5-1

1.2344 Tool Steel | SKD61 | X40CrMoV5-1 product introduction

1.2344 tool steel is a commonly used hot work mould steel, belonging to the German DIN standard (W-Nr. numbering system) in the grade, corresponding to the international widely used H13 type of mould steel (H13 in the U.S. ASTM standard, SKD 61 in the Japanese JIS standard, and 4Cr5MoSiV1 in the Chinese GB standard.) It has excellent thermal strength, thermal fatigue resistance, wear resistance and hardenability. It has excellent hot strength, hot fatigue resistance, wear resistance and hardenability, and is mainly used in moulds and parts subjected to shock and cyclic loads at high temperatures.
High-temperature mould applications pose a major challenge to tool engineers. Premature failure due to thermal fatigue, cracking and wear can result in costly downtime and inconsistent part quality. FCS Tool Steel's premium SKD61 tool steel addresses these challenges with an optimised chromium-molybdenum-vanadium alloy composition. With full certification and in-stock inventory, FCS Factory can help you reduce lead times and increase productivity.

1.2344 Tool Steel | SKD61 | X40CrMoV5-1 Product Types and Options

FCS Factory's 1.2344 tool steel contains alloying elements of chromium, molybdenum and vanadium for excellent toughness and hot fatigue properties. Its sound chemical composition design ensures good resistance to temper softening for hot work tooling applications.
Whether you manufacture die casting, hot forging or extrusion dies, FCS Factory's 1.2344 tool steel offers reliable performance and long die life, with international shipping guaranteed by a strong global logistics network.
Below is a table showing details of 1.2344,SKD61,X40CrMoV5-1 tool steel size range, surface condition and tolerances:

Shape	Pocess	Size range	Surface	Tolerance
Flat Bar	Hot Rolled	Thickness: 10-400mm Width: 200-800mm Length: 3000-5800mm	Black; Sandblasted	Thickness :0-+2MM Width:0-+5MM/0-+10MM
	Hot Forged	Thickness: 50-500mm Width: 50-1500mm Length: 3000-5800mm	Black	Thickness:+2-+5MM Width:0-+5MM/0-+10MM
			Turned/Machined/Milled/Bright	Thickness :0-+2MM Width:0-+5MM/0-+10MM
Round Bar	Hot Rolled	Diameter:10-65mm Length:3000-5800mm	Black	0-+2MM
			Turned/Machined	0-+2MM
	Hot Forged	Diameter:70-700mm Length:3000-5800mm	Grinded	0-+5MM/+2-+5MM
			Turned/Machined/Milled/Bright	0-+2MM

1.2344 Tool Steel | SKD61 | X40CrMoV5-1 Customized Options

1.  Customized chemical composition: GB, DIN, ASTM, JIS and other standard grades can be produced. Chemical composition can be customized individually.
2. Customized specifications: round steel (diameter), plate (thickness, width) can be customized production.
3. Specialized packaging for long term storage or extreme transportation conditions: includes spraying black paint all around, wrapping plastic film, spraying anti-rust oil, and shipping in wooden crates.
4. Customized production based on samples or technical agreements.
5. 1.2344,X40CrMoV5-1,SKD61 Cold work Steel Electroslag Remelting (ESR): premium option with higher purity and isotropic properties for critical applications.

1.2344 Tool Steel | SKD61 | X40CrMoV5-1 Chemical composition

1.2344 Tool Steel | SKD61 | X40CrMoV5-1
Tool Steel Grade		Chemical Composition(%)
		C	Si	Mn	Cr	Mo	V
JIS	SKD61	0.35~0.42	0.80~1.20	0.25~0.50	4.80~5.50	1.00~1.50	0.80~1.15
ASTM	H13	0.32~0.45	0.80~1.20	0.20~0.50	4.75~5.50	1.10~1.75	0.80~1.20
DIN/W-Nr.	X40CrMoV5-1/1.2344	0.37~0.42	0.90~1.20	0.30~0.50	4.80~5.50	1.20~1.50	0.90~1.10

1.2344 Tool Steel | SKD61 | X40CrMoV5-1 Heat Treatment Process

1.Annealing

Purpose: to eliminate internal stresses generated during forging or rolling, reduce hardness, improve cutting performance, and prepare for subsequent processing and heat treatment.
Process parameters:
Heating temperature: 800-850 ℃, holding time 2-4 hours, with the furnace cooling to below 500 ℃, and then air-cooled.
Hardness after annealing: ≤ 235HBS.

2.Quenching

Purpose: to make the steel to obtain martensitic organization, improve hardness and wear resistance.
Process parameters:
Heating temperature: 1000-1050 ℃ (commonly used 1020-1040 ℃), holding time according to the size of the workpiece to determine, generally 30-60 minutes.
Cooling: oil cooling or air cooling (for small size or simple shape of the workpiece), large workpieces can be graded quenching (in the 260-300 ℃ salt bath cooling for a period of time and then air-cooled), in order to reduce the quenching stress, to prevent deformation and cracking.

3.Tempering

Purpose: to eliminate quenching stress, adjust the hardness and toughness, stable organization and size.
Process parameters:
low-temperature tempering: 150-250 ℃, insulation 2-3 hours, air-cooled, tempered hardness of 58-62HRC, for molds requiring high hardness and wear resistance.
Medium temperature tempering: 300-500 ℃, insulation 2-3 hours, air-cooled, tempered hardness of 50-58HRC, can improve the toughness, suitable for molds subject to impact load.
High-temperature tempering: 500 ℃ or more, insulation 2-3 hours, air-cooled, tempered hardness 45-50HRC, mainly for the need for higher toughness of the occasion.

4.Precautions

Heating process should control the rate of heating to avoid too rapid a rise in temperature leading to workpiece surface oxidation and decarburization. Protective atmosphere heating can be used or placed in the furnace charcoal and other anti-decarburization agent.
When quenching and cooling, choose the appropriate cooling medium and cooling method according to the shape and size of the workpiece to ensure the quenching effect while reducing the risk of deformation and cracking.
Tempering must be sufficient to ensure the elimination of internal stresses to avoid mold failure due to stress release during use. For large molds or workpieces with complex shapes, multiple tempering can be used.

1.2344 Tool Steel | SKD61 | X40CrMoV5-1 Quality Inspection

1.Surface Condition Inspection

FCS factory has a very strict quality inspection team, we will carefully check the surface condition of each piece of tool steel to ensure that the steel surface is free from cracks, folds, knots, oxidized skin, pitting, scratches and other defects.

2.Chemical Composition Testing

To verify whether the content of alloying elements meets the standard requirements and to safeguard the basis of the mechanical properties of the material. We will let the staff use full-spectrum direct reading spectrometer to analyze multiple elements at the same time. Sampling needs to remove the surface oxidation layer, using a block specimen to stimulate the test.

3.Dimension and Tolerance Inspection

FCS factory will use professional measuring tools to inspect the dimensions and tolerances of the steel to ensure compliance with the customer's contract requirements. Corresponding gauges will be selected according to the dimensional accuracy requirements, including tape measure, high-precision vernier calipers (0.02mm), micrometers (0.001mm), and special inspection gauges. Inspection items cover: diameter, thickness, width, length, hole diameter, chamfering dimensions, etc., to ensure that the tolerances and dimensions meet the contract requirements.

4.Hardness test

Our FCS factory will use professional hardness tester to test the hardness of steel to ensure that it meets the customer's contract requirements.

5.Ultrasonic Testing

Ultrasonic Testing Standard (UT Test Standard) is: Sep 1921-84 Class3 D/d,E/e.
FCS factory uses ultrasonic testing equipment to detect macro defects inside the material (such as cracks, shrinkage holes, inclusions, white spots, etc.), and every piece of round steel and plate will be examined by a second flaw detection test before shipment to ensure that the quality is qualified before shipment.

6.Microstructure Inspection

(1) Metallographic Analysis

FCS factory will use metallographic analysis instrument to detect the microstructure state after heat treatment, including carbide distribution, martensite morphology, residual austenite content, etc.

 (2) Grain size rating

FCS factory will use the comparative method to determine the austenite grain size by comparing the microstructure of the specimen with the standard rating chart, to ensure that it meets the customer's requirements.

1.2344 Tool Steel | SKD61 | X40CrMoV5-1 Technical Specifications

Performance	Values	Test Methods
Equivalent standards	ASTM/AISI H13，DIN/W-Nr X40CrMoV5-1/1.2344，	-
Density	7.80 g/cm³	ASTM E252
Hardness (annealed state)	≤ 235 HB	ASTM E10
Tensile strength	42 HRC时1420 MPa	ASTM E8
Modulus of elasticity	210 GPa	ASTM E111
Thermal conductivity	24.3 W/m·K	ASTM E1461
Specific heat capacity	460 J/kg·K	ASTM E1269
Coefficient of thermal expansion	11.5 × 10⁻⁶/K	ASTM E228
UT Test Standard:	Sep 1921-84 Class3 D/d,E/e

1.2344 Tool Steel | SKD61 | X40CrMoV5-1 Product Applications

1.2379 Steel Typical applications

1. Die casting tools: aluminium/magnesium/copper alloy die casting kernels, nozzles, ejector pins (heat fatigue resistance critical).
2. Extrusion tools: aluminium/brass extrusion dies, bushings, mandrels (high temperature wear resistance required).
3. Hot work tooling: hot stamping dies, forging dies, hot shear blades (high toughness to support impact loads).
4. Plastic moulds: high finish cavities (excellent polishing properties).
5. Wear-resistant components: cold/hot shear blades, preload rings, punching tools.

SKD61 Steel Typical applications

Aluminium die casting moulds

SKD61 tool steel excels in aluminium die casting applications where moulds are exposed to extreme thermal cycling and corrosive aluminium melts. Our steel's optimised composition provides excellent resistance to thermal cracking, thermal fatigue and die sticking. Customers report 30-40% longer mould life compared to standard hot work steels, especially in complex thin-walled automotive parts where thermal stresses are most severe. The steel's superior polishability also ensures a superior surface finish on cast parts.

Injection Moulding

For high temperature engineering plastics such as PEEK, PPS and glass-filled nylon, SKD61 provides the ideal balance of hardness, toughness and thermal conductivity. Moulds made from our precision ground SKD61 maintain dimensional accuracy even after thousands of high temperature injection cycles. The steel's excellent response to nitriding and PVD coatings further extends mould life when processing abrasive or corrosive plastic compounds.

Hot forging dies

Our SKD61 exhibits excellent resistance to plastic deformation in hot forging operations where dies are subjected to extreme pressures and temperatures. High high temperature hardness retention minimises die wear and extends the life of moulding applications with complex geometries. For precision forging operations where dimensional control is critical, the consistent heat treatment response of our steels ensures predictable performance even in the most demanding applications.

Extrusion tools

Extrusion screws, barrels and dies made from SKD61 benefit from an excellent combination of wear resistance and toughness. The steel's ability to withstand extreme torque while maintaining edge retention makes it ideal for processing abrasive compounds. Our customers in the plastics extrusion industry report significant reductions in maintenance intervals and more consistent product dimensions after upgrading to our premium SKD61 components.

1.2344 Tool Steel | SKD61 | X40CrMoV5-1 Competitive Advantage Table

1.2344 Tool Steel/X40CrMoV5-1 Steel Competitive Advantage Table

Characteristics	1.2344/X40CrMoV5-1 Tool Steel of FCS Factory	Standard Tool Steel	High - end Competitor Products
Wear Resistance Rating	9/10	6/10	8/10
Inventory Availability	Large stock	Limited stock	Varies by supplier
Heat Treatment Guidance	Comprehensive guidance & support	Basic guidance	Limited support
Technical Consultation	Free expert consultation	Limited	Charged
Material Certification	Standard full certification	Provided as needed	Provided as needed
International Shipping	Global logistics network	Limited destinations	Regional focus

SKD61 Steel Competitive Advantage Table

Characteristics	FCS Factory's Premium SKD61	Market Standard Products
Chemical Homogeneity	Vacuum remelted with minimal element deviation	Conventional melt with large element deviation
Heat Treatment	Triple tempering with controlled cooling	Standard double tempering process
Ultrasonic Testing	100% tested to ASTM standards	Sampling inspection or lower - standard testing
Microstructure	Fine and uniform carbide distribution	Uneven carbide size and distribution
Documentation	Complete batch - specific test certification	Generic material certification
Technical Support	Access to metallurgical consultation	Only basic material data provided

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between 1.2344 tool steel and 1.2379 tool steel?

A: 1.2344 has good thermal strength and toughness, and can maintain good strength and hardness at high temperatures, which is suitable for working in hot work environments with repeated heating and cooling. 1.2379 has excellent wear resistance and dimensional stability, and is able to withstand high-stress and high-wear working conditions at ambient temperatures, but has a lower toughness compared to 1.2344. 1.2379 has excellent wear resistance and dimensional stability, and is able to withstand high stress and high wear at ambient temperature, but has a lower toughness than 1.2344. 1.2344 is mainly used in the field of hot work molds, such as aluminum alloy die casting molds, hot forging molds, hot extrusion molds, etc. 1.2379 is mainly used in the field of cold work molds, such as blanking molds, cold heading molds, cold extrusion molds, deep drawing molds, etc. 1.2379 is mainly used in the field of cold work molds, such as blanking molds, cold heading molds, cold extrusion molds, deep drawing molds, etc.

Q: How does SKD61 compare to H13 tool steel?
A: SKD61 and H13 are equivalent grades under different standards (JIS vs. AISI). However, our premium SKD61 is cleaner, more stable and has better heat treatment response than standard commercial H13. The chemical composition ranges are similar, but our tighter control of trace elements and advanced machining processes result in superior performance.

Q: What is the difference between your standard SKD61 and ESR variants?
A: Our SKD61-ESR undergoes additional electroslag remelting to significantly improve cleanliness and reduce non-metallic inclusions. This provides superior polishability, enhanced fatigue resistance and a more consistent heat treat response - which is especially valuable for complex, highly polished moulds or safety critical components.