China A2 Tool Steel Bar Supplier for Precision Dies & Cold Work Tools

When selecting steel for precision tooling, dimensional stability after heat treatment is often more important than maximum hardness. A2 Tool Steel Bar is a popular air-hardening cold work tool steel that offers an excellent balance of wear resistance, toughness, and low distortion. Compared with O1 tool steel, A2 provides better hardenability and more stable dimensions, making it suitable for precision dies and long-production tooling.

Products Description

Item	Details
Grade	A2 Tool Steel
Standard	ASTM A681 / DIN 1.2363 / JIS SKD12
Diameter	16–500 mm
Length	2–6 m or Customized
Supply Condition	Hot Rolled, Forged, Annealed
Surface	Black, Peeled, Turned, Bright
Processing Service	Cutting, Milling, Rough Machining, UT Inspection

Item	Value
C	0.95–1.05%
Cr	4.75–5.50%
Mo	0.90–1.40%
V	0.15–0.50%
Mn	≤1.00%
Si	≤0.50%
Hardness	57–62 HRC
Annealed Hardness	≤235 HB
Density	7.86 g/cm³
Melting Range	1420-1460℃

Why A2 Tool Steel Is Different

Excellent Dimensional Stability

A2 is an air-hardening steel, which greatly reduces quenching distortion compared with oil-hardening grades. This helps maintain machining accuracy and minimizes finish grinding after heat treatment.

Balanced Wear Resistance and Toughness

With around 5% chromium and controlled additions of molybdenum and vanadium, A2 offers longer service life than O1 while remaining less brittle than high-carbon D2, making it suitable for medium-to-high production tooling.

Easy Heat Treatment

Typical hardening temperature is 955–980°C, followed by air cooling and tempering. No oil quenching is required, simplifying heat treatment and lowering the risk of cracking.

Suitable for Precision Machining

Annealed A2 bars have good machinability before hardening, allowing efficient rough machining for punches, dies and precision components.

Typical Applications

A2 Tool Steel Bar is widely used for:

Blanking and punching dies
Forming and bending dies
Shear blades
Thread rolling dies
Precision gauges
Cold extrusion tools
Industrial knives and wear parts

FAQ

Q: What hardness can A2 Tool Steel achieve?

A: After proper heat treatment, A2 typically reaches 57–62 HRC.

Q: Can you supply machined bars instead of black bars?

A: Yes. Peeled, turned, ground and rough-machined bars are available according to customer drawings.

Q: What is the typical delivery time?

A: Standard stock sizes are usually shipped within 7–10 days, while custom forged or machined bars generally require 20–35 days, depending on size and processing requirements.