Х12МФ Tool Steel

Х12МФ Tool Steel Product Introduction

Х12МФ (GOST/ГОСТ 5950-2000) is a high-carbon, high-chromium, leucocratic cold work mould steel with carbon and chromium as its core components, and molybdenum and vanadium added to refine the carbide distribution and improve wear resistance
and thermal stability. Its production usually adopts electric furnace melting and vacuum degassing process, significantly reduce the impurity content, improve the hot working properties and impact toughness, to overcome the brittleness tendency of the traditional high carbon high chromium steel. The corresponding German standard is X165CrMoV12/1.2601, and the corresponding Chinese standard GB is Cr12MoV.

Delivered in spheroidal annealed condition. Both high hardenability, compressive strength and micro-deformation characteristics, wear resistance for ordinary low alloy tool steel 3-4 times. Metallographic organisation is dominated by fine-grained pearlite and uniformly distributed M₇C₃-type carbides, but the high carbide volume fraction (about 16%) results in limited toughness, and high impact load environments need to be avoided.

Х12МФ Tool Steel Types and Options

The table below shows the size range, surface condition and tolerance details for Х12МФ Mould Steel:

Х12МФ Tool Steel 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. Х12МФ Tool Steel Electroslag Remelting (ESR): premium option with higher purity and isotropic properties for critical applications.

Х12МФ Tool Steel Chemical Composition

This composition combination gives Х12МФ tool steel excellent wear resistance and moderate toughness, which makes it suitable for the manufacture of complex workpieces.

Х12МФ Tool Steel Heat Treatment Process

This heat treatment process enables Х12МФ tool steel to achieve high hardness, high wear resistance and good dimensional stability, which makes it suitable for the manufacture of cold work moulds and wear-resistant parts.

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:
The steel is heated to about 845 ~ 900 ℃, keep enough time to make the organisation uniform, and then slowly furnace cooling to about 540 ℃, in order to reduce the hardness and improve the cutting performance, the hardness is generally controlled in the HB 229 below.

2.Quenching

Purpose: to make the tool steel to obtain martensitic organization, improve hardness and wear resistance.
Process parameters:
Preheating stage in two steps, first heated to 540 ~ 650 ℃, then heated to 845 ~ 870 ℃ to reduce thermal stress.
Austenitising is heated to 1010~1050°C and held for sufficient time to allow the organisation to fully transform into austenite.
Subsequently quenched by oil or air cooling to obtain high hardness and wear resistance.

3.Tempering

Purpose: to eliminate quenching stress, adjust the hardness and toughness, stable organization and size.
Process parameters:
Tempering is carried out after quenching and the temperature is usually controlled at about 650°C and held for 1 to 2 hours in order to reduce the internal stresses of quenching, improve toughness and reduce distortion.

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.

Х12МФ Tool Steel 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.

Х12МФ Tool Steel Main performance characteristics

1. High wear resistance: suitable for making wear-resistant blanking dies and forming tools.
2. Good toughness: suitable for applications where impacts are not severe during work.
3. Good dimensional stability: small deformation after hardening, suitable for the manufacture of complex moulds.
4. Suitable for cold work processing: suitable for cold stamping, bending, forming and other processes.
5. Limited welding properties：generally not recommended for welding.

Х12МФ Tool Steel Product Applications

1. Cold stamping dies (blanking, bending and forming dies).
2. Complex shape rollers and rollers.
3. Active parts for motors and electromagnetic equipment.
4. Precision gauges and calibration tools.
5. Manufacture of highly wear-resistant parts.

Х12МФ Tool Steel Customer Success Stories

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Х12МФ Tool Steel Pricing Structure Information

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