High-Speed Steel (HSS) is widely used in the manufacturing of cutting tools, drills, milling cutters, etc. due to its excellent hardness, wear resistance and high-temperature red hardness. However, there are many types of high-speed steel on the market. How to choose the right material according to your needs? This article will provide you with systematic suggestions from the perspectives of performance, application scenarios and cost-effectiveness.
1. Clarify The Usage Scenarios & Requirements
The first step in choosing high-speed steel is to clarify the specific purpose and working environment of the tool:
1. Cutting material type
- Processing ordinary steel (such as 1045 steel): you can choose general-purpose high-speed steel (such as M2/1.3343).
- Processing stainless steel or high-temperature alloys: high wear-resistant and high red hardness materials (such as M42 or cobalt-containing high-speed steel) are required.
- Processing aluminum alloys or plastics: high toughness requirements, M35 steel with better toughness can be selected.
2. Processing conditions
- High-speed cutting or dry processing: a grade with stronger red hardness is required (such as high-performance HSS containing cobalt or vanadium).
- Intermittent cutting or heavy-load conditions: materials with strong impact resistance (such as ASP30 powder metallurgy high-speed steel) are preferred.
2. Focus On Core Performance Indicators
1. Hardness & wear resistance
- General high-speed steel (such as M2) has a hardness of up to 63-65 HRC, which is suitable for medium-load processing.
- Cobalt-containing high-speed steel (such as M35/M42) has a hardness of 67-69 HRC, and its wear resistance is significantly enhanced.
2. Red hardness (high temperature hardness)
- For every 5% increase in cobalt content, the red hardness increases by about 10%. M42 (8% cobalt) can maintain high hardness at 600°C.
3. Toughness
- High-vanadium steel (such as M4) has excellent wear resistance, but low toughness, which is suitable for finishing;
- Low-vanadium steel (such as M2) has better toughness and is suitable for roughing or intermittent cutting.
3. International General HSS Grades & Characteristics
| Materials | Composition characteristics | Applicable scenarios |
| M2 | 6% W, 5% Mo | General cutting tools (drills, taps) |
| M35 | M2 + 5% Co | High-speed processing of stainless steel, titanium alloy |
| M42 | High cobalt (8%) | Heavy-duty cutting under extreme high temperatures |
| ASP30 | Powder metallurgy process | High-precision complex tools, long life requirements |
4. Cost-effectiveness & Supply Chain Considerations
1. Cost control
– Cobalt-containing or powder metallurgy high-speed steel is relatively expensive, and it is necessary to evaluate whether the improvement in tool life and processing efficiency is worth the investment.
– Domestic high-quality M2 steel (such as W6Mo5Cr4V2) can be used for ordinary processing tasks, which can reduce costs by 30%-50%.
2. Supplier selection
– ISO-certified manufacturers are preferred to ensure that the material composition stability and heat treatment process meet the standards.
– Material report (such as chemical composition, metallographic test data) is required.
5. Heat Treatment & Subsequent Processing
1. Heat treatment process
– High-speed steel needs to be precisely quenched (about 1200℃) and tempered three times to achieve the best balance between hardness and toughness.
2. Surface coating
– TiN or TiAlN coating can further improve wear resistance and extend tool life by 2-3 times.
6. Common Misunderstandings & Suggestions
- Misunderstanding 1: Blindly Pursuing High Hardness
-Hardness and toughness need to be balanced. Ultra-high hardness may lead to the risk of chipping. - Misunderstanding 2: Ignoring tool geometry design
-Even if the material performance is excellent, improper tool angles will affect the final effect. - Suggestion: Test cutting of materials before small batch processing to verify the performance under actual working conditions.
Conclusion
The selection of high-speed steel requires comprehensive consideration of processing requirements, material properties and cost budget. For key tools, it is recommended to work closely with material suppliers and heat treatment manufacturers to achieve the best cost-effectiveness through customized solutions. Regular attention to new industry technologies (such as nano-coatings and ultra-fine grain steel) can further improve processing efficiency and competitiveness.
