6F3 Tool Steel | 1.2714 | 56NiCrMoV7

6F3 Tool Steel | 1.2714 | 56NiCrMoV7 Product Introduction

6F3 tool steel (American Standard ASTM)

6F3 is a hot work mould steel, the implementation of the standard GB/T 1299-2014. Its chemical composition mainly includes 0.55% carbon, 0.85% silicon, 0.60% manganese, 1.00% chromium, 0.75% molybdenum, 0.10% vanadium. The steel has been refined by electroslag remelting (ESR) to provide high purity, homogeneous organisation and excellent toughness and thermal fatigue resistance. It has a hardness of 58-60 HRC in the quenched and tempered condition and a low coefficient of thermal expansion (approx. 11.2 x 10-⁶/°C, 20-600°C), which reduces distortion caused by thermal stresses.

1.2714 Tool Steel (German Standard W-Nr/DIN)

Composition and Physical Properties: 1.2714 (German Standard, equivalent to 56NiCrMoV7) is a nickel-chromium-molybdenum-vanadium alloyed hot-work tool steel, with a composition of carbon (0.50%-0.60%), nickel (1.50%-1.80%), chromium (1.00%-1.30%), nickel (1.50%-1.80%) and chromium (1.00%-1.30%). 1.00%-1.20%), molybdenum (0.45%-0.55%) and vanadium (0.07%-0.12%).
Heat treatment and properties: hardness 48-52 HRC after oil or gas quenching (830-900°C) and tempering (200-650°C), with high toughness (impact value ≥ 25 J) and thermal fatigue resistance. Requires controlled tempering temperature gradients to balance hardness and residual stresses, and is sensitive to metallurgical purity (white point defects need to be limited).

56NiCrMoV7 tool steel (DIN, equivalent to 1.2714)

Consistency of composition and properties: 56NiCrMoV7 and 1.2714 are different designations for the same material, with identical compositions (Carbon 0.50%-0.60%, Nickel 1.50%-1.80%, Chromium 1.00%-1.30%, Molybdenum 1.00%-1.30%, and Carbon 1.00%-1.30%). -1.20%, molybdenum 0.45%-0.55%, vanadium 0.07%-0.12%). High-temperature strength is outstanding (500°C hardness maintains HB 300), but toughness is significantly affected by microstructure uniformity.
Process characteristics: wide quenching temperature window (oil/air quenching at 880-900°C), hardness gradient decreases with increasing temperature after tempering (approx. 54 HRC at 200°C, approx. 40 HRC at 600°C). They require electroslag remelting (ESR) to improve purity and have a low heat treatment distortion rate, making them suitable for precision machining.

6F3 Tool Steel | 1.2714 | 56NiCrMoV7 Product Types and Options

The table below shows the size range, surface condition and tolerance details for 6F3,1.2714,56NiCrMoV7 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

6F3 Tool Steel | 1.2714 | 56NiCrMoV7 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. 6F3,1.2714,56NiCrMoV7 Hot Work Tool Steel Electroslag Remelting (ESR): premium option with higher purity and isotropic properties for critical applications.

6F3 Tool Steel | 1.2714 | 56NiCrMoV7 Chemical Composition

Standard/Steel Grade		Chemical Composition(%)
		C	Si	Mn	Cr	Mo	V	Ni
DIN/W-Nr.	56NiCrMoV7/1.2714	0.50~0.60	0.10~0.40	0.65~0.95	1.00~1.20	0.45~0.55	0.07~0.12	1.50~1.80
ASTM	6F3	0.55	0.85	0.60	1.00	0.75	0.10	1.00
GB	5CrNiMoV	0.50~0.60	≤0.35	0.50~0.80	0.80~1.10	0.35~0.50	0.10~0.30	1.40~1.80

6F3 Tool Steel | 1.2714 | 56NiCrMoV7 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: ≤ 212 HBS.

2.Quenching

Purpose: to make the tool 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.

6F3 Tool Steel | 1.2714 | 56NiCrMoV7 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.

6F3 Tool Steel | 1.2714 | 56NiCrMoV7 Technical Specifications

Properties	6F3	1.2714 (55NiCrMoV7)	56NiMoCrV7
Physical Properties
Density	7.85 g/cm³	7.85 g/cm³	7.85 g/cm³
Thermal Conductivity	28.5 W/m·K	28 W/m·K	27 W/m·K
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion	12.5 × 10⁻⁶/K	12.7 × 10⁻⁶/K	12.6 × 10⁻⁶/K
Mechanical Properties
Hardness in Supply Condition	≤ 241 HBS	≤ 241 HBS	≤ 241 HBS
Hardness after Heat Treatment	40-54 HRC	42-56 HRC	44-58 HRC
Compressive Strength	1680 MPa	1750 MPa	1820 MPa
Tensile Strength	1380 MPa	1450 MPa	1500 MPa
Impact Toughness	18-25 J	15-22 J	14-20 J
Heat Treatment Parameters
Annealing Temperature	680-720°C	680-720°C	680-720°C
Hardening Temperature	840-880°C	850-890°C	860-900°C
Quenching Medium	Oil/Air	Oil/Air	Oil/Air
Tempering Temperature	550-650°C	550-650°C	550-650°C
Maximum Service Temperature	550°C	580°C	600°C

6F3 Tool Steel | 1.2714 | 56NiCrMoV7 Product Applications

FORGING DIE APPLICATIONS

Our range of hot work die steels excels in heavy duty forging die applications subject to extreme thermal and mechanical stresses. In particular, the optimised composition of grade 1.2714 tool steel provides excellent resistance to hot cracking and thermal fatigue. A German automotive component manufacturer has improved crankshaft forging die life by 42% after using our tool steel. Its superior toughness prevents premature cracking while maintaining excellent wear resistance (even when machining difficult-to-forge superalloys). The tool maintains dimensional accuracy over thousands of heating/cooling cycles, ensuring consistent part quality and reducing costly tool replacement and maintenance.
Hot Stamping and Press Hardening Tools
The growing demand for high strength steel components in the automotive sector requires work materials with excellent high temperature hardness, wear resistance and thermal conductivity. Our 56NiMoCrV7 grade offers the ideal combination of properties for hot stamping operations due to its increased vanadium content. Uniform heat distribution reduces cycle times, while high-temperature strength prevents premature deformation of the work surface. When a high-end automotive manufacturer used our tool steel in a hot stamping line for B-pillar components, production speeds increased by 38 per cent and tool maintenance was reduced by 45 per cent. Excellent surface quality retention ensures consistent part appearance while reducing friction and material adhesion problems.

Extrusion Dies and Tooling

Aluminium and copper extrusion operations expose tooling to high temperatures and abrasive wear. Our 6F3 tool steel grade excels in these demanding applications with an optimal balance of thermal hardness and toughness. Excellent thermal conductivity ensures uniform temperature distribution and dimensional stability over long operating times. An Italian aluminium profile manufacturer has increased repair intervals by 35% after applying our tool steel to complex profile dies. The excellent polishability of our material ensures an outstanding surface finish of the extruded product, while reducing friction and die sticking, increasing extrusion speed and energy efficiency.

Hot shear applications

Hot cutting operations of billets, bars and forgings create extremely demanding conditions for tooling materials. Our premium hot work die steel grades, particularly vanadium-enhanced 56NiMoCrV7 tool steel, provide excellent edge retention and wear resistance in these applications. Excellent high temperature mechanical properties prevent premature edge deformation, while optimised toughness prevents chipping and catastrophic failure. A Central European steel mill used our tool steel for hot shear blades and increased edge life by 50 per cent when cutting 1100°C billets, dramatically reducing downtime for blade changes and improving productivity.

Plastic forming applications

In addition to traditional hot metal forming, our tool steel range excels in high-performance plastic forming applications. 1.2714 grade's excellent thermal conductivity ensures fast and even heat distribution, consistent cycle times and part quality. Excellent wear resistance copes with abrasive fillers in engineering plastics while maintaining dimensional accuracy and surface finish. When a medical device manufacturer used our tool steel in injection moulds for glass fibre-reinforced polyamide parts, it saw a 40% increase in production cycles between maintenance intervals, as well as improved part consistency and reduced scrap.

Die casting moulds

Aluminium, zinc and magnesium die casting operations subject tooling to thermal fatigue, erosion and fusion problems. Our hot work mould steel grades offer excellent resistance to thermal cracking and their thermal properties optimise cooling rates and cycle times. Excellent surface quality retention prevents premature erosion and washout in high-speed areas of the mould. After an automotive parts die casting plant applied our tool steel to a complex gearbox housing mould, mould maintenance costs were reduced by 33% and productivity increased by 25% due to longer service intervals and less downtime.

6F3 Tool Steel | 1.2714 | 56NiCrMoV7 Competitive Advantage Comparison

Performance Aspects	Premium Hot Work Tool Steel from FCS Factory	Industry Standard Tool Steel
Heat Crack Resistance	Optimized alloying and carbide distribution	Standard heat crack resistance, with significant surface degradation after 6,000-7,000 cycles
Toughness at Equivalent Hardness	Enhanced microstructure control, with 15-20% higher impact values (while maintaining optimal hardness)	Conventional toughness-hardness trade-off limits performance range
Hardenability	Optimized alloy elements ensure uniform hardness to the core in large sections	Hardness decreases in sections over 300mm for conventional grades
Machinability	Improved sulfide morphology, with 15-25% better machinability in annealed condition	Standard machinability, often requiring additional processing time
Thermal Conductivity	Enhanced thermal conductivity improves heat distribution and reduces thermal gradients	Low thermal conductivity causes local hotspots and accelerated wear
Technical Support	Comprehensive application-specific technical support	Basic technical data with limited application support

6F3 Tool Steel | 1.2714 | 56NiCrMoV7 Customer Success Stories

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6F3 Tool Steel | 1.2714 | 56NiCrMoV7 Pricing Structure Information

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6F3 Tool Steel | 1.2714 | 56NiCrMoV7 Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I determine which grade is best for my particular application?
A: The optimum grade depends on a number of factors, including operating temperature, cycle time, applied stress and desired tool life. In general, 6F3 excels in applications where maximum toughness is required, 1.2714 provides an excellent balance of properties in most forging applications, and 56NiMoCrV7 provides enhanced wear resistance in applications where surface degradation is a major concern. Our technical team can provide detailed advice based on the specific requirements you provide.

Q: What are the key considerations when processing these premium tool steels?
A: Whilst our grades offer better machinability than many tool steels, we recommend the use of carbide tools with appropriate geometry for optimum efficiency. Annealed hardnesses are typically ≤241 HBS, allowing for conventional machining methods (subject to adjustment of cutting parameters). Our detailed machining guides provide specific advice on a variety of operations, including milling, turning, grinding and EDM.