Since 2002, Swedish steel producer SSAB has been marketing pre-hardened engineering and tool steel – Toolox grades – in heavy plate dimensions. These are delivered in pre-hardened condition having nominal hardness of 300 HBW, 40 HRC and 45 HRC respectively. Toolox is now also available in round bars.
According to Joaquín Azcona, Head of Product Group, Protection and Tooling at SSAB, use of such grades, in combination with hard machining, can reduce mould/die manufacturing lead-time substantially as the need for heat treatment has been eliminated. Toolox plates and bars combine ultra-high cleanliness because of their iron ore-based metallurgy with very high dimensional stability of the products in the machine-shop due to the careful controlled heat treatments of the grades. Toolox directly substitutes grades that require heat treatment during component manufacturing in engineering components.
“We have proven engineering applications for Toolox in round bars in tool holders, and also in different types of shafts and rolls. Naturally, Toolox in round bars give better solution for round parts in tooling applications like moulding and in dies for aluminium die casting”, says Azcona.
