Find Your Steel

Search our vast selection of steels from us and our sister companies

ExEll™ TUF-DIE

Click to Download the Die Steel Selection Chart

ExELL™ TUF-DIE is a premium quality hot work die steel manufactured for high demanding tooling requirements. ExELL™ TUF-DIE is a modified version of AISI H-11 to promote both added heat resistance and toughness when compared with H-13. This chromium-molybdenum-vanadium alloyed tool steel is characterized by these general properties:

High temperature strength
Very good toughness and ductility
Resistance to thermal shock and fatigue
Easy heat treatment
Good machinability

Hot Work Die Steel Selection Chart

ESS Grade	NADCA 207 Grade	Typical Analysis
ESS Grade	NADCA 207 Grade	C	Mn	P	S	Si	Cr	Mo	V
ExELL™ H-13 Superior	B	0.41	0.34	<0.015	<0.003	0.90	5.07	1.22	0.81
ExELL™ Tuf-Die	E	0.39	0.34	<0.015	<0.003	0.25	5.07	1.80	0.65
ExELL™ Hot-Die	C	0.36	0.34	<0.015	<0.003	0.25	5.07	2.80	0.65

TYPICAL ANALYSIS

c	0.39
Mn	0.34
Si	0.25
Cr	5.07
v	0.65
Mo	1.80

IMPROVED MANUFACTURING

ExELL™ TUF-DIE is manufactured to standards of very high tooling quality for optimum service performance. Material is produced with excellent cleanliness, structure uniformity and mechanical properties. Steel manufacture includes:

Special steel melting and refining
Very precise chemistry control
Heavy forging reductions
Special mill thermal treatment
Complete manufacture, testing and quality assurance within facilities certified to ISO 9002

APPLICATIONS

ExELL™ TUF-DIE is used in die casting die applications where a higher level of heat resistance along with good toughness and ductility are required .

ExELL™ TUF-DIE is manufactured to meet the demanding criteria of NADCA #207, Chrysler NP2080, GM HPDC G2 and other specifications for premium material quality.

ExELL™ TUF-DIE is also used in most other hot work applications such as hammer die inserts, press dies and inserts, HERF dies and punches, extrusion tooling components as well as plastic molds and in critical cold or hot knife, punch or holder applications where an optimum combination of strength and toughness are required.

Part	Typical Hardness, HRC
Sprue Parts	46 – 48
Cores	46-50
Fixed Inserts	46-50
Dies	42 – 48

Work Material	Typical Hardness, HRC
Aluminum	44 – 52
Copper Alloys	44 – 52
Steel	40-50

Component	Aluminum HRC	Copper HRC	Steel HRC
Dies	46 – 50	44 -48	44-48
Liners, stems	42-50	42-48	42-48

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Density, lbs/cu.in.
70 F………………..0.281
750 F……………….0.277
1450 F………………0.272

Thermal Conductivity, BTU in/ft² hr f
70 F………………..180
750 F……………….185
1450 F………………195

Modulus of Elasticity, psi
70 F………….29,400,000
750 F…………29,500,000

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion, in/in/F
70-450 F……….0.0000070
70-1450 F………0.0000077

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

Tensile Properties, Room Temperature

	52 HRC	46 HRC
Tensile Strength, psi	260,000	205,000
0.2% Yield Strength, psi	220,000	185,000
% RA	46	56
% Elongation	10	12

Test Temp F	Yield Strength psi	Tensile Strength psi	RA %
1000	110,000	140,000	60
1100	85,000	115,000	70
1200	45,000	70,000	80
1300	20,000	30,000	90

HEAT TREATMENT (General Recommendations)

Critical Temperatures
Ac₁ -1560F
Ac₃ -1740F
Ms- 570F

ANNEALING

With a protective atmosphere or vacuum furnace. heat slowly to 1560F. Equalize and hold one hour per inch of thickness. Furnace cool 20F/hr to 1100F and equalize. Cool freely in air to room temperature. Hardness will be 229 HB maximum.

STRESS RELIEVING

After rough machining an annealed component, heat the part to 1200F, equalize and hold 1-2 hours. Furnace cool to 900F and then air cool to
room temperature.

HARDENING AND QUENCHING

(Protect against decarburization and oxidation during austenitizing)

Preheating: Heat to 1200F and equalize. Continue heating to 1550F and equalize. Complete heating to hardening temperature.

Hardening Temperature	HoldTime*	As-Quenched Hardness, HRC
1870F	30min	53± 2
1900F	15min	54±2

*Hold time = time at temperature after tool is fully heated through.

Hardening: Typical austenitizing range is 1850 – 1900F. Hardening temperature can be adjusted to develop added heat resistance . A hardening temperature of 1870F is normally used for most applications.

Quenching: Quenching should be performed as rapidly as possible without promoting excessive movement or cracking. Typical quenching media include:

High speed gas with sufficient positive pressure and circulation in a vacuum furnace
Circulating air/atmosphere
Martempering bath or fluidized bed at 575-1020F, then cool in air
Warm oil

Temper as soon as quenching temperature reaches120 -150F

TEMPERING

Temper immediately after quenching to about 150F. Temper a minimum of two times with intermediate cooling to room temperature.

Choose the tempering temperature to develop required hardness. ExELL™ TUF-DIE should be heated to the desired tempering temperature and held a minimum of two hours . Air cool to room temperature. Check hardness and adjust temperature for additional tempering operation(s). Repeat for added tempers.

Typical tempering temperature responses follow. Do not temper in the range of 800 – 975F to avoid temper embrittleness.

Tempering Temperature	Harden 1870F HRC	Harden 1900F HRC
480F	52	53
1000F	53	54
1050F	51	53
1100F	46	49
1150F	42	46
1200F	45	37

SURFACE TREATMENTS

Surfaces of ExELL™ TUF-DIE can readily be chrome plated, nitrocarburized or nitrided by all commercial processes. Care must be taken to avoid hydrogen embrittlement in chrome plating. Temper at 400F for 4 hours after plating.

Avoid excessive concentrations of nitrogen during various nitriding processes to avoid white layer and excessive network. Generally, case depths greater than 0.010″ are not recommended for hot work applications.

TOOLMAKING

For any additional information including machining, welding, grinding or EDM, please contact Ellwood Specialty Steel direct at 800-932-2188.

CAPABILITIES

Ellwood Specialty Steel is a fully integrated producer of a wide range of specialty tool steels.

Our ExELL™ grades are made with the most advanced steel making facilities. Our steel making expertise and capability is further enhanced from a long forging history with optimum forging and heat treating practices to develop very special material characteristics of product uniformity, cleanliness, machinability, polishability, strength, toughness, hardenability and other steel properties. All this from production facilities certified to ISO 9002.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Ellwood Specialty Steel is committed to providing products and services which will consistently meet or exceed all quality and performance expectations.We will provide customer and technical service that will ensure complete satisfaction.

Being a very flexible provider, Ellwood Specialty Steel will establish product programs to fully support industry or customer requirements. Our extensive stock programs are supported by very short mill lead times of custom forged products. Customized stock programs are and can be available for specific customer needs.

Navigation