1.

2344
Hot working steel
Reference Standard UNI EN ISO 4957

1 Main characteristics and applications 5 Supply Conditions

Steel suitable for air hardening. It is characterized by fairly Annealed HB max 230
good dimensional stability during heat treatment. It maintains
high wear resistance up to temperatures of around 600 °C.
This steel also possesses excellent toughness and high level 6 Heat treatments
insensitivity to thermal shock and thermal fatigue.
A nitriding type surface treatment can be carried out on this Isothermal annealing
steel to increase the service life of the tooling. Heat to 880 °C, hold at temperature for 1/2 h to 1 h
Furnace cooling to 780 °C and hold at temperature for at least
Main applications: 5 hours
dies for the pressure casting of light alloys Cool by 10 °C/h to 750 °C
tooling for the extrusion of light alloys and steels Cooling in air
hot work shear blades Maximum hardness 230 HB
rolls for prof iling tools (welding area)
Stress relieving
To be carried after machining and before final heat treatment
The tools should be preheated to temperatures in the range
Heat to 650 - 700 °C hold for 4 - 6 h
250 - 300 °C before use.
Furnace cooling to 300 -350 °C
Cooling in air
2 Comparable standards
Hardening
UNI W.Nr DIN AFNOR AISI/SAE BS Initial preheating to 350 - 450 °C
Second preheating to 750 - 850 °C
(X40CrMoV51.1KU) 1.2344 X40CrMoV51 (H13) (BH13)
Heat to hardening temperature in the range 1000 - 1050 °C
and hold at temperature
3 Chemical analysis Cooling in air
Quenched hardness: 52 - 56 HRC
C Mn Si Cr Mo Ni V P+S
0.36 0.30 0.90 5.00 1.20 0.85 Tempering
0.44 0.50 1.20 5.50 1.50 1.15 0.015 In the range 550 - 630 °C for at least 3 h according to hardness
requirements and condition of use
Tempering must be repeated a second time at a temperature
4 Critical points equal to or 20°C lower than the previous
Before tempering, the parts must be preheated to 200 - 300°C
Ac1 860 °C
Ms 340 °C
 1.2344 Hot working Steel

7 C.C.T. curve

Austenitizing temperature: 1050°C

1200

1000
Carbides precipitations
intensity
800
Temperature [°C]

P
A+C
600
0,35 3,7 10°/min 5°/min 2,5°/min 1,25°/min 0,4°/min

400
Ms
B
200
M
0 650 610 580 525 420 200 185 HV

1 10 102 103 104 105 106

Time [s]

8 Tempering curve

1600 58
56
1
1400 54 HRC
52
Hardness [HRC]
Rm [M/mm]

1200 2 50
48
46
1000
44
42
800
40
38
600
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Tempering temperature [°C] Tempering temperature [°C]

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