420SS Tool Steel | 1.2083 | X42Cr13

420SS Tool Steel | 1.2083 | X42Cr13 Product Introduction

All three are 13% chromium martensitic stainless steels, relying on chromium carbide strengthening to achieve high hardness and corrosion resistance, but 1.2083 has higher purity and organisational homogeneity due to the ESU process, while 420SS has a wide carbon range (0.30-0.40%) that may affect hardness stability.

420SS tool steel (AISI/ASTM standard)

420SS is a martensitic stainless steel (corresponding to the national standard 4Cr13, the implementation of the standard GB/T 1220-1992), with a core composition of 0.30-0.40% carbon and 12.00-14.00% chromium. Its characteristics include high hardness (hardness ≥50 HV after quenching) and oxidation resistance (can be used for a long time at 600-650 ℃), but the forging needs to be preheated to control the risk of cracking (preheating 650-750 ℃, the final forging temperature of > 800-850 ℃). Heat treatment requires oil-cooled quenching at 1050-1100°C and fast-cooled tempering at 200-300°C. The hardness in the annealed condition is ≤225 HBS, and the metallurgical organisation is typical martensite.

1.2083 tool steel (W-Nr/DIN standard)

1.2083 is a high-purity electroslag remelted (ESU) chromium steel (DIN standard) with a strictly controlled composition of 0.38-0.45% carbon, 12.5-13.5% chromium, and very low sulphur and phosphorus impurities (S≤0.002%). Its core strengths are a fine uniform microstructure and low deformation, a hardness of 56 HRC after quenching in oil/gas at 1020-1050°C and tempering at 160-300°C, as well as excellent polishability (for a high surface finish) and thermal stress fatigue resistance, with an annealed hardness of ≤225 HBS.

X42Cr13 tool steel (EN/DIN standard)

X42Cr13 is a high-carbon, high-chromium martensitic stainless steel (composition: 0.38-0.45% carbon, 12.50-13.50% chromium) with a high degree of overlap with the composition of 1.2083 but with a narrower carbon range. Characteristics of the emphasis on high hardenability and dimensional stability, factory for the annealed state (hardness 215-225 HBS), quenched and tempered to balance the hardness and toughness; its magnetic and oxidation resistance (mild environment) is outstanding, but the welding needs to be pre-cooled anti-cracking.

420SS Tool Steel | 1.2083 | X42Cr13 Product Types and Options

FCS Factory's premium 420SS/1.2083/X42Cr13 plastic tool steel solves key challenges faced by precision manufacturers in several industries. For example, mould makers need material that maintains dimensional stability during processing while providing excellent corrosion resistance and surface finish.
FCS Factory's carefully controlled manufacturing process ensures uniform carbide distribution and optimised chemistry in every batch. Each batch is rigorously tested to verify mechanical properties and microstructure uniformity, ensuring predictable performance in your application.
The high chromium content provides superior corrosion resistance compared to standard tool steels, while maintaining excellent wear resistance and toughness. The homogeneous structure of the material ensures predictable machinability and polishability, which is essential for plastic moulding applications. With hardness values ranging from 48-52 HRC in the pre-hardened state, FCS TOOL STEEL's 420SS/1.2083/X42Cr13 steel achieves the perfect balance of machinability and performance.
As a certified supplier with full traceability and material approvals, we provide complete documentation to support your quality assurance requirements. Whether you need standard stock sizes or custom machined parts, our comprehensive machining services ensure you get the exact material you need for your application.

The table below shows the size range, surface condition and tolerance details for 420SS,1.2083,X42Cr13 Tool Steel:

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

420SS Tool Steel | 1.2083 | X42Cr13 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. 1.2083,420SS,X42Cr13 Hot work Tool Steel Electroslag Remelting (ESR): premium option with higher purity and isotropic properties for critical applications.

420SS Tool Steel | 1.2083 | X42Cr13 Chemical composition

Standard/Steel Grade		Chemical Composition(%)
		C	Si	Mn	Cr
ASTM	420SS	0.30~0.40	≤1.00	≤1.25	12.0~14.0
DIN/W-Nr.	X42Cr13/1.2083	0.38~0.45	≤1.00	≤1.00	12.5~13.5
JIS	SUS420J2	0.26~0.40	≤1.00	≤1.00	12.0~14.0

420SS Tool Steel | 1.2083 | X42Cr13 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: ≤ 225 HBS.

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.

420SS Tool Steel | 1.2083 | X42Cr13 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.

420SS Tool Steel | 1.2083 | X42Cr13 Technical Specifications

Property	420SS (ASTM A176)	1.2083 (W-Nr/DIN)	X42Cr13 (DIN/EN)	Test Method
Hardness (Annealed)	20-25 HRC	20-25 HRC	20-25 HRC	ASTM E18
Hardness (Pre-hardened)	48-52 HRC	48-52 HRC	48-52 HRC	ASTM E18
Hardness (After Heat Treatment)	54-58 HRC	54-58 HRC	54-58 HRC	ASTM E18
Thermal Conductivity	24.2 W/m·K	24.5 W/m·K	24.3 W/m·K	ASTM E1461
Density	7.73 g/cm³	7.7 g/cm³	7.7 g/cm³	ASTM B311
Electrical Resistivity	0.65 μΩ·m	0.65 μΩ·m	0.65 μΩ·m	ASTM B193
Young's Modulus	200 GPa	200 GPa	200 GPa	ASTM E111
Tensile Strength (Pre-hardened)	1650 MPa	1650 MPa	1650 MPa	ASTM E8
Yield Strength (Pre-hardened)	1500 MPa	1500 MPa	1500 MPa	ASTM E8

420SS Tool Steel | 1.2083 | X42Cr13 Product Applications

Key application scenarios

1. Plastic injection moulds:Excellent in injection moulds where high corrosion resistance and surface finish are required. Mirror finish (Ra<0.05μm) reduces mould sticking, chromium content resists corrosive plastics. Thermal conductivity optimisation reduces cycle times by 12% and increases mould life by 30-40% compared to P20 steel.
2. Food Processing Equipment:Provides a balance of hardness, wear resistance and food safety for slicing blades, forming dies, etc. FDA compliant composition, resists corrosion from food acids/detergents. Meat processing customer feedback 40% longer knife life, polished surface simplifies sterilisation process.
3. Surgical Instruments:The material medical device manufacturers trust for precision instruments. Fine microstructure for sharp edges, high chromium content resists corrosion from body fluids/disinfectants. Medical-grade, fully traceable certifications are available, and vacuum-melted versions meet tough demands.
4. Industrial Cutting Tools:The cutting tool of choice for wet/corrosive environments. Combination of wear and corrosion resistance extends life by 50%, pre-hardened material reduces heat treatment. Food/chemical/paper industry specific heat treatment programme available (including deep cold treatment).

Industry-specific applications

1. Plastics industry: injection/blow moulds, extrusion dies
2. Food Processing: Cutting blades, moulding dies
3. Medical: surgical instruments, implant manufacturing moulds
4. Chemical industry: valves, pumps, agitators
5. Aerospace: moulding tools, inspection fixtures

420SS Tool Steel | 1.2083 | X42Cr13 Competitive Advantage Comparison

Characteristic	FCS Factory's 420SS/1.2083/X42Cr13	General Tool Steel	Commercial Stainless Steel
Corrosion Resistance	Excellent	Poor to Moderate	Good
Hardness Range	48-58 HRC (application-specific)	40-65 HRC	25-45 HRC
Polishability	Mirror finish (<0.05 μm Ra)	Good (0.1-0.2 μm Ra)	Varies widely
Carbide Distribution	Uniform, fine distribution	Often irregular	Few carbides
Dimensional Stability	<0.1% change after heat treatment	0.15-0.3% change	0.1-0.2% change
Material Certification	100% batch testing	Usually limited	Varies by supplier
Microstructure Control	Precisely controlled	Variation between batches	Limited control
Processing Services	Comprehensive in-house services	Limited	Usually not available
Technical Support	Material specialists available	Limited	Minimal
Custom Solutions	Application-specific modifications	Standard grades only	Standard products only

420SS Tool Steel | 1.2083 | X42Cr13 Customer Success Stories

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420SS Tool Steel | 1.2083 | X42Cr13 Pricing Structure Information

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420SS Tool Steel | 1.2083 | X42Cr13 Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between 420SS, 1.2083 and X42Cr13?
A: These are equivalent material grades under different standard systems. 420SS is an AISI (US) grade, 1.2083 is a DIN (German) number and X42Cr13 is an EN (European) grade. They essentially represent the same martensitic stainless tool steel with slight differences in allowable composition ranges.

Q: How does this material compare to D2 tool steel?
A: Our 420SS/1.2083/X42Cr13 offers significantly better corrosion resistance and slightly better polishability than D2, which offers slightly higher wear resistance due to higher carbon content and larger carbides. In corrosive environments or applications requiring a high surface finish, 420SS/1.2083/X42Cr13 is superior, while D2 may perform better in severe abrasive wear applications.

Q: What heat treatments are recommended to obtain maximum hardness?
A: For maximum hardness (54-58 HRC), we recommend austenitising at 1010-1040°C (1850-1900°F) followed by gas or oil quenching. Three tempering cycles of 2 hours each at 150-200°C (300-390°F) provide the best combination of hardness and toughness. For critical applications, customised heat treatment protocols are available.