SKD6 tool steel
SKD6 tool steel
SKD6 tool steel
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SKD6 Tool Steel

SKD6 tool steel is a hot-work die steel specified in Japan’s JIS G4404 standard, corresponding to the American AISI H11. It is a Cr-Mo tool steel with medium vanadium content. Its main advantages lie in good toughness and resistance to heat cracking, making it suitable for die applications under medium heat load, such as hot shearing knives, hot punches, and die casting cores.

Compared with high-vanadium hot-work steels, SKD6 is slightly inferior in high-temperature strength and red hardness, but it offers better machinability and dimensional stability during heat treatment. It is especially suitable for die components requiring multiple machining operations or high dimensional accuracy.

International equivalent grades of SKD6 include: China’s GB 4Cr5MoSiV, the United States’ AISI H11, Germany’s DIN X38CrMoV5-1 (1.2343), Russia’s GOST 4Х5МФС. With its balanced performance and good cost-effectiveness, SKD6 is widely used in aerospace part forming, aluminum alloy extrusion dies, and hot shearing equipment.

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SKD6 Tool Steel Types and Options

SKD6 Tool Steel Types and Options

The table below shows the size range, surface condition and tolerance details for SKD6 Mould Steel:SKD6 Tool Steel Types and Options

SKD6 Tool Steel Customized Options

SKD6 Tool Steel Types and 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. SKD6 Tool Steel Electroslag Remelting (ESR): premium option with higher purity and isotropic properties for critical applications.

SKD6 Tool Steel Chemical Composition

SKD6 Tool Steel Chemical Composition

SKD6 Tool Steel 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.

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.

SKD6 Tool Steel Quality Inspection

SKD5 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.

SKD6 Tool Steel Technical Specifications

SKD6 Tool Steel Technical Specifications

SKD6 Tool Steel Product Applications

Main application scenarios

Forging dies and tools

Hot forging operations benefit from SKD6's excellent resistance to mechanical and thermal fatigue. The steel's toughness prevents premature cracking while maintaining wear resistance at forging temperatures. When an aerospace component supplier used our SKD6 forging dies, tool life was increased by 35% and the dimensional consistency of the forged parts improved, leading directly to improved manufacturing efficiencies and lower cost per part.

HOT SHEAR BLADES

SKD6 combines high hardness, wear resistance and toughness, making it ideal for hot shear blades used in steel mills and metal fabricators. These blades maintain cutting edge integrity at high temperatures for clean cuts and extended maintenance intervals. One steel fabricator reduced blade replacement frequency by 45% with our SKD6 hot shear blades.

Plastic moulds for high temperature resins

For injection moulding of high temperature engineering plastics (PPS, PEI, PEEK), SKD6 offers excellent wear resistance and polishability. Its thermal properties ensure efficient heat transfer and stable cooling, producing high-quality moulded parts with reduced cycle times. One manufacturer of electronic components reported improved surface finish quality and 25% faster cycle times after upgrading to our SKD6 moulds.

Industry-specific applications

  1. Automotive industry: transmission component dies, engine block dies, suspension component forging dies.
  2. Aerospace: turbine blade forging tools, structural component extrusion dies, high-strength fastener tools.
  3. Electronics industry: heat sink extrusion dies, connector dies, semiconductor packaging tools.
  4. Construction industry: aluminium window frame extrusion dies, structural steel forging tools.
  5. Consumer Goods: durable component dies, appliance component tooling.
  6. Military / Defence: precision component tooling for critical applications requiring Military / Defence: precision component tooling for critical applications requiring reliability.
  7. Medical Equipment: surgical instrument tooling, implant component tooling requiring high accuracy.

SKD6 Tool Steel Competitive Advantage Comparison

SKD6 Tool Steel Competitive Advantage Comparison

SKD6 Tool Steel Customer Success Stories

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SKD6 Tool Steel Pricing Structure Information

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SKD6 Tool Steel Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does SKD6 compare to standard H13 tool steel?
A: SKD6 is a Japanese grade (JIS) that is roughly equivalent to AISI H13, but our SKD6 has tighter chemical composition control, optimised machining and tighter quality control within the H13 specification, resulting in superior performance characteristics, particularly in terms of thermal fatigue resistance and toughness.

Q: Can SKD6 be welded and repaired?
A: Yes, SKD6 can be successfully welded using the proper procedures; we recommend preheating to 315-370°C, using compatible filler materials, maintaining interlayer temperatures, and post-weld heat treatment. Our technical support team can provide detailed welding procedures for your specific application.

Q: How does section size affect the performance of SKD6?
A: SKD6 maintains good hardenability up to a cross-section size of approximately 150mm. Larger cross sections may result in progressively lower core hardness. For critical applications in tools and moulds with large cross sections, we recommend SKD6-SD (Special Deep Hardening variant) or consider a high end electroslag remelting / vacuum arc remelting grade to enhance full cross section hardness.

Q: How should SKD6 be stored prior to use?
A: It should be stored in a dry, temperature-controlled environment to prevent corrosion. Light oil should be applied for long term storage. Large sections should be properly supported to prevent warping. If corrosion occurs, it should be thoroughly removed prior to heat treatment.

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