What materials are used for CNC bending dies? What materials are good for CNC bending machine dies? What materials are CNC bending machine dies made of? In the industrial production activities of some enterprises, bending machines are essential production equipment. Many people want to know what materials are used for CNC bending machine dies and why they achieve such amazing processing effects. Let's take a look at CNC bending machine dies.
There are various materials used for producing CNC bending machine dies, including steel, hard alloy, steel-bonded hard alloy, zinc-based alloy, low-melting alloy, aluminum bronze, and polymer materials. Currently, steel is the main material for most CNC bending machine dies. The commonly used materials for the working parts of CNC bending machine dies include carbon tool steel, low-alloy tool steel, high-carbon high-chromium or medium-chromium tool steel, medium-carbon alloy steel, high-speed steel, matrix steel, hard alloy, and steel-bonded hard alloy.
Here are some materials knowledge:
1. Carbon tool steel
The carbon tool steels used in CNC bending machine dies include T8A, T10A, etc., which have the advantages of good machinability and low price. However, they have poor hardenability and hardness, large heat treatment deformation, and low load-bearing capacity.
2. Low-alloy tool steel
Low-alloy tool steel is based on carbon tool steel and adds an appropriate amount of alloying elements. Compared with carbon tool steel, it has reduced tendency for quenching deformation and cracking, improved hardenability and wear resistance. The low-alloy steels used to manufacture CNC bending machine dies include CrWMn, 9Mn2V, 7CrSiMnMoV (code CH-1), 6CrNiSiMnMoV (code GD), etc.
3. High-carbon high-chromium tool steel
Commonly used high-carbon high-chromium tool steels include Cr12, Cr12MoV, and Cr12Mo1V1 (code D2), which have good hardenability, hardening ability, and wear resistance. They have small deformation after heat treatment and are highly wear-resistant micro-deformation CNC bending die steels, but their load-bearing capacity is not as good as high-speed steel. However, they have severe carbide segregation and require repeated forging and drawing (axial forging and radial drawing) to reduce carbide inhomogeneity and improve performance.
4. High-carbon medium-chromium tool steel
High-carbon medium-chromium tool steels used for CNC bending machine dies include Cr4W2MoV, Cr6WV, Cr5MoV, etc. They have low chromium content, fewer eutectic carbides, uniform carbide distribution, small heat treatment deformation, and good hardenability and dimensional stability. Compared with high-carbon high-chromium steels, which have relatively severe carbide segregation, they exhibit improved performance.
Fifth, high-speed steel
High-speed steel has higher hardness, wear resistance, and compressive strength compared to CNC bending die steels, and it has a higher load-bearing capacity. The commonly used high-speed steels in CNC bending machine dies are W18Cr4V (code 8-4-1) and W6Mo5Cr4V2 (code 6-5-4-2, known as M2 in the United States), which have a lower tungsten content, and 66mo5cr4v (code 6W6 or low-carbon M2), which is a high-speed steel reduced by carbon and vanadium to improve toughness. High-speed steel also requires forging to improve its carbide distribution.
Sixth, matrix steel
To improve the performance of high-speed steel, a small amount of other elements is added to the basic composition of high-speed steel, and the carbon content is appropriately increased or decreased. This type of steel is collectively referred to as matrix steel. They not only have the characteristics of high-speed steel but also have certain wear resistance and hardness. Their fatigue strength and toughness are better than high-speed steel. They are cold-worked and are high-strength and toughness CNC bending die steels, but their material cost is lower than that of high-speed steel. Commonly used matrix steels in CNC bending machine dies include 6Cr4W3Mo2VNb (code 65Nb), 7Cr7Mo2V2Si (code LD), 5Cr4Mo3SiMnVAL (code 012AL), etc.
Seventh, hard alloy and steel-bonded hard alloy
Hard alloys have higher hardness and wear resistance than other common types of CNC bending die steels but have poor bending strength and toughness. Tungsten and cobalt are used as hard alloys for CNC bending machine dies. For low-impact, high wear resistance CNC bending dies, hard alloys with low cobalt content can be selected. For CNC bending dies with high impact, hard alloys with high cobalt content can be chosen.
Steel-bonded hard alloy is made by sintering iron powder and a small amount of alloy element powder (such as chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, etc.) as the binder and titanium carbide or tungsten carbide as the hard phase. The matrix of steel-bonded hard alloy is steel, which overcomes the disadvantages of poor toughness and difficult processing of hard alloys. It can be machined, welded, forged, and heat-treated. Steel-bonded hard alloy contains a large amount of carbides. Although its hardness and wear resistance are lower than that of hard alloys, they are still higher than other common steel types. After quenching and tempering treatment, its hardness can reach 68-73HRC.
Eighth, new materials
The materials used for stamping CNC bending machine dies belong to cold-worked CNC bending die steels, which are widely used and have various types. The main performance requirements are strength, toughness, and wear resistance. Currently, the development trend of cold-worked CNC bending die steels is based on the performance of high-alloy steel D2 (equivalent to domestic Cr12MoV) and can be divided into two branches: one is to reduce the carbon content and alloy element content, improve the uniformity of carbide distribution in the steel, and enhance the toughness of CNC bending machine dies. For example, the 8CrMo2V2Si from the United States Vanadium Alloy Steel Company and DC53 (Cr8Mo2SiV) from Japan Daido Special Steel Company. The other is the development of powder high-speed steel designed for high-speed, automated, and large-scale production, mainly aiming to improve wear resistance. For example, Germany's 320CrVMo13, etc.
In fact, the dies of a bending machine are divided into upper dies and lower dies. Because they are used to process metal sheets into shapes, the dies of a bending machine need to be composed of various parts. Of course, different parts of CNC bending dies are also different. Since they bend sheet metal through physical deformation to shape it, the materials used for CNC bending dies can vary depending on the type of sheet metal being processed. Common materials include T8, T8A, T10, T10A, Cr12MoV, 42CrMo, and Cr12MoV. They are mainly used for CNC bending machine dies, and the ones made of 42CrMo are better, but also relatively more expensive.
Generally speaking, CNC bending machine dies are made of 42CrMo material, which has the characteristics of high toughness, high strength, and strong wear resistance. 42CrMo is a high-alloy quenched and tempered steel with excellent strength and toughness, and it can work at high temperatures. It is important for companies to consider their actual needs when purchasing bending machines, rather than acquiring machines that are too large or too small for their requirements. So, what are the characteristics of good materials for CNC bending machine dies?
Here are some specific points:
1. Heat treatment process
Generally, if the CNC bending machine dies are to have a long service life and good bending performance, they need to undergo full-body heat treatment. Heat treatment increases the hardness of CNC bending dies, resulting in a longer lifespan.
2. Salt bath heat treatment process
The heat treatment process of CNC bending machine dies can be divided into high-temperature furnace heat treatment and salt bath heat treatment. However, the salt bath heat treatment process yields better results because it ensures that all parts of the die surface have minimal hardness deviation after salt bath heat treatment. It also allows for internal heat treatment of the CNC bending dies, resulting in minimal hardness deviation between the interior and exterior.
So, what materials are used for CNC bending machine dies? These are the answers to the question. We share this information for reference. Since CNC bending machine dies are important machine components that affect the lifespan of the bending machine, it is necessary to carefully understand the die materials when purchasing a bending machine. Under similar conditions, the better the material of the CNC bending dies, the longer the machine's lifespan. Of course, when companies purchase bending machines, they should not only consider the die material but also the overall craftsmanship and equipment performance. Making purchasing decisions based on the actual needs of the company is a wise choice.
There are various materials used for producing CNC bending machine dies, including steel, hard alloy, steel-bonded hard alloy, zinc-based alloy, low-melting alloy, aluminum bronze, and polymer materials. Currently, steel is the main material for most CNC bending machine dies. The commonly used materials for the working parts of CNC bending machine dies include carbon tool steel, low-alloy tool steel, high-carbon high-chromium or medium-chromium tool steel, medium-carbon alloy steel, high-speed steel, matrix steel, hard alloy, and steel-bonded hard alloy.
Here are some materials knowledge:
1. Carbon tool steel
The carbon tool steels used in CNC bending machine dies include T8A, T10A, etc., which have the advantages of good machinability and low price. However, they have poor hardenability and hardness, large heat treatment deformation, and low load-bearing capacity.
2. Low-alloy tool steel
Low-alloy tool steel is based on carbon tool steel and adds an appropriate amount of alloying elements. Compared with carbon tool steel, it has reduced tendency for quenching deformation and cracking, improved hardenability and wear resistance. The low-alloy steels used to manufacture CNC bending machine dies include CrWMn, 9Mn2V, 7CrSiMnMoV (code CH-1), 6CrNiSiMnMoV (code GD), etc.
3. High-carbon high-chromium tool steel
Commonly used high-carbon high-chromium tool steels include Cr12, Cr12MoV, and Cr12Mo1V1 (code D2), which have good hardenability, hardening ability, and wear resistance. They have small deformation after heat treatment and are highly wear-resistant micro-deformation CNC bending die steels, but their load-bearing capacity is not as good as high-speed steel. However, they have severe carbide segregation and require repeated forging and drawing (axial forging and radial drawing) to reduce carbide inhomogeneity and improve performance.
4. High-carbon medium-chromium tool steel
High-carbon medium-chromium tool steels used for CNC bending machine dies include Cr4W2MoV, Cr6WV, Cr5MoV, etc. They have low chromium content, fewer eutectic carbides, uniform carbide distribution, small heat treatment deformation, and good hardenability and dimensional stability. Compared with high-carbon high-chromium steels, which have relatively severe carbide segregation, they exhibit improved performance.
Fifth, high-speed steel
High-speed steel has higher hardness, wear resistance, and compressive strength compared to CNC bending die steels, and it has a higher load-bearing capacity. The commonly used high-speed steels in CNC bending machine dies are W18Cr4V (code 8-4-1) and W6Mo5Cr4V2 (code 6-5-4-2, known as M2 in the United States), which have a lower tungsten content, and 66mo5cr4v (code 6W6 or low-carbon M2), which is a high-speed steel reduced by carbon and vanadium to improve toughness. High-speed steel also requires forging to improve its carbide distribution.
Sixth, matrix steel
To improve the performance of high-speed steel, a small amount of other elements is added to the basic composition of high-speed steel, and the carbon content is appropriately increased or decreased. This type of steel is collectively referred to as matrix steel. They not only have the characteristics of high-speed steel but also have certain wear resistance and hardness. Their fatigue strength and toughness are better than high-speed steel. They are cold-worked and are high-strength and toughness CNC bending die steels, but their material cost is lower than that of high-speed steel. Commonly used matrix steels in CNC bending machine dies include 6Cr4W3Mo2VNb (code 65Nb), 7Cr7Mo2V2Si (code LD), 5Cr4Mo3SiMnVAL (code 012AL), etc.
Seventh, hard alloy and steel-bonded hard alloy
Hard alloys have higher hardness and wear resistance than other common types of CNC bending die steels but have poor bending strength and toughness. Tungsten and cobalt are used as hard alloys for CNC bending machine dies. For low-impact, high wear resistance CNC bending dies, hard alloys with low cobalt content can be selected. For CNC bending dies with high impact, hard alloys with high cobalt content can be chosen.
Steel-bonded hard alloy is made by sintering iron powder and a small amount of alloy element powder (such as chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, etc.) as the binder and titanium carbide or tungsten carbide as the hard phase. The matrix of steel-bonded hard alloy is steel, which overcomes the disadvantages of poor toughness and difficult processing of hard alloys. It can be machined, welded, forged, and heat-treated. Steel-bonded hard alloy contains a large amount of carbides. Although its hardness and wear resistance are lower than that of hard alloys, they are still higher than other common steel types. After quenching and tempering treatment, its hardness can reach 68-73HRC.
Eighth, new materials
The materials used for stamping CNC bending machine dies belong to cold-worked CNC bending die steels, which are widely used and have various types. The main performance requirements are strength, toughness, and wear resistance. Currently, the development trend of cold-worked CNC bending die steels is based on the performance of high-alloy steel D2 (equivalent to domestic Cr12MoV) and can be divided into two branches: one is to reduce the carbon content and alloy element content, improve the uniformity of carbide distribution in the steel, and enhance the toughness of CNC bending machine dies. For example, the 8CrMo2V2Si from the United States Vanadium Alloy Steel Company and DC53 (Cr8Mo2SiV) from Japan Daido Special Steel Company. The other is the development of powder high-speed steel designed for high-speed, automated, and large-scale production, mainly aiming to improve wear resistance. For example, Germany's 320CrVMo13, etc.
In fact, the dies of a bending machine are divided into upper dies and lower dies. Because they are used to process metal sheets into shapes, the dies of a bending machine need to be composed of various parts. Of course, different parts of CNC bending dies are also different. Since they bend sheet metal through physical deformation to shape it, the materials used for CNC bending dies can vary depending on the type of sheet metal being processed. Common materials include T8, T8A, T10, T10A, Cr12MoV, 42CrMo, and Cr12MoV. They are mainly used for CNC bending machine dies, and the ones made of 42CrMo are better, but also relatively more expensive.
Generally speaking, CNC bending machine dies are made of 42CrMo material, which has the characteristics of high toughness, high strength, and strong wear resistance. 42CrMo is a high-alloy quenched and tempered steel with excellent strength and toughness, and it can work at high temperatures. It is important for companies to consider their actual needs when purchasing bending machines, rather than acquiring machines that are too large or too small for their requirements. So, what are the characteristics of good materials for CNC bending machine dies?
Here are some specific points:
1. Heat treatment process
Generally, if the CNC bending machine dies are to have a long service life and good bending performance, they need to undergo full-body heat treatment. Heat treatment increases the hardness of CNC bending dies, resulting in a longer lifespan.
2. Salt bath heat treatment process
The heat treatment process of CNC bending machine dies can be divided into high-temperature furnace heat treatment and salt bath heat treatment. However, the salt bath heat treatment process yields better results because it ensures that all parts of the die surface have minimal hardness deviation after salt bath heat treatment. It also allows for internal heat treatment of the CNC bending dies, resulting in minimal hardness deviation between the interior and exterior.
So, what materials are used for CNC bending machine dies? These are the answers to the question. We share this information for reference. Since CNC bending machine dies are important machine components that affect the lifespan of the bending machine, it is necessary to carefully understand the die materials when purchasing a bending machine. Under similar conditions, the better the material of the CNC bending dies, the longer the machine's lifespan. Of course, when companies purchase bending machines, they should not only consider the die material but also the overall craftsmanship and equipment performance. Making purchasing decisions based on the actual needs of the company is a wise choice.
