Tool steel is hard, abrasion resistant steel that has the ability to hold a cutting edge and has resistance to deformation at high temperatures. It is usually used within manufacturing contexts to produce hand tools, power tools, stamping dies, axes, pickaxes, injection molding machinery and other kinds of heavy equipment.
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Block Steel Corp.Skokie, IL 847-966-3000 Block Steel is a family-owned distributor of precision machined products, including tool steel that cuts no corners on superior quality. Additionally, Block Steel employs only the best, most technologically advanced equipment available to ensure its customer's satisfaction, including their multi-roll shape correction levelers which improves flatness & minimizes burr.
Metal AssociatesPompton Plains, NJ 800-838-1978 When you need specific metals, stock products or few and far between alloys for electronic and industrial applications, call Metal Associates, a company that stresses high quality standards and maximum customer satisfaction. MA can provide small, R&D, prototype and production quantities with a minimum amount of lead time. Choose Metal Associates for quality tool steel.
Leeco Steel, LLCLisle, IL 800-621-4366 Leeco Steel was founded on Chicago`s West Side in 1882 as Leopold Cohen Iron & Metal. After more than a century of growth, expansion, evolution and three generations of ownership, Leeco is now headquartered in Lisle, Illinois and is one of the largest family-owned metal suppliers in the US. As an ISO 9001: certified company, Leeco has a commitment to providing only the best tool steel.
Yarde Metals, Inc.Southington, CT 800-444-9494 Yarde offers a variety of modern processing services to ensure quick turnarounds and fast deliveries. Yarde adheres to universal quality standards in their production of tool steel by maintaining ISO 9001:2008 and aerospace AS9100:2004 certifications. Their greatest asset is their team of 600 highly motivated associates working to support their loyal customers and their business philosophy.
Eaton Steel Bar CompanyOak Park, MI 248-398-3434 Since 1953, The Eaton Steel Bar Company has been at the forefront of cold-drawn and hot-rolled steel products. Drawing on our family-owned tradition, Eaton Steel is built on a solid foundation of trust, loyalty and stability. We have the capacity to warehouse 100,000 tons of inventory and ship up to 400,000 tons annually. Eaton Steel is positioned for long-term growth and profitability.
Skorr Steel Company, Inc.Brooklyn, NY 718-386-9577 The unusual is Skorr's specialty. Skorr's people are the experts in tool steel & are here to help you with whatever you need in both unique & common grades of stainless forms, whenever you need it. Ask about Skorr's wide range of services, including plasma cutting, shearing, abrasive saw cutting & rough machining. Count on Skorr to pre-process to your specifications.
Penn Stainless ProductsQuakertown, PA 800-222-6144 With 30+ grades of stainless & nickel, including an inventory of 300 & 400 series, Duplex 2205, High Temp & an array of services such as sawing, shearing, plasma, machine cutting, water jet cutting, polishing & grinding, Penn is more than qualified to satisfy your stainless requirements. With depot locations spread across the US, quality tool steel can be at your door within a day.
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Tool steel is often used to build equipment that machines and cuts other types of metal. It is used in metal drawing, blanking, stamping, slitting, forming and embossing operations because of its hardness relative to the metal that it processes. The American Iron and Steel Institute assigns tool steel grades that are used to determine tool steel's use. A tool steel's grade also identifies special characteristics of a given tool steel variety; such characteristics include chemical composition and reactivity. There are 11 tool steel grades, each of which is represented by a letter. Grade A tool steel, for example, is used for cold working processes, while grade P tool steel is used for plastic molding. Every tool steel grade is characterized by high strength and moderate to high carbon content. In order to gain the desired hardness for metal processing, tool steel is carefully created during a precise alloying process.
Tool steel is produced in annealed condition, which means it is heated and formed into a desired shape and post-processed, which hardens the steel. There are many methods of producing tool steel. One common method is air hardening, in which case the steel, after annealing, is cooled and hardened by air. Another very common hardening method is oil hardening, in which the steel is dipped in oil for hardening purposes. Water hardening is also common and involves dipping the hot steel into hot water, which causes the steel to become cool. There are three general classes of steel, each of which indicates appropriate applications and temperature resistance. The first is called cold work steel, which is used in environments with lower operating temperatures. Hot work steel is exactly the same as cold work, but is used in operations when the metal becomes red-hot and pliable. Finally, high speed steel is able to maintain its properties in operating areas of more than 1,000°F. High speed steel is so named because it is used in drill bits and saw blades that are used to cut at very fast speeds; it can operate under these conditions because of its temperature resistance.
