AISI /SAE O1 steel, in accordance with ASTM A681-08: O1, DIN 1.2510 (100 MnCrW4), and JIS SKS 3, is used, due to its combination of hardness, for cold work applications, with mechanical properties that it offers wear resistance, its careful heat treatment allows achieving the desired characteristics for various industrial applications.
O1 steel, in accordance with ASTM A681-08: O1, DIN 1.2510 (100 MnCrW4) and JIS SKS 3, is used as a tool grade steel for cold work, its chemical composition, carbon, chromium and tungsten (tungsten) contribute to the AISI O1 a remarkable resistance to wear, while vanadium adds an additional dose of hardness, this combination gives the steel an excellent response to heat treatment.
In terms of applications, AISI O1 excels in environments that demand hardness, after quenching and tempering makes it ideal for low strength tools and dies that experience loads at room temperature, the good machinability of the steel facilitates its processing and forming, which making it a choice for cold industrial applications, from cutting tools to die-cutting components.
The recommended heat treatment for AISI O1 further reinforces its properties, full annealing ensures a homogeneous microstructure that facilitates machining, while stress release annealing relieves possible internal stresses generated during manufacturing, the transformation hardening process martensite, followed by tempering, allows the hardness to be adjusted to specific levels according to the needs of the cold application.
