Understanding High Speed Steel
When you need high wear resistance and high hardness for your steel, turn to high speed steel. This durable and reliable alloy is designed to handle a wide range of demanding situations and is commonly used in a number of cutting and forming applications. Learn more about the benefits of this steel alloy and explore common grades available at Griggs Steel.
High Speed Steel vs. Other Alloys
Also known as air hardened steel, this type of steel is composed of steel substrate and metal carbide. The carbide can include molybdenum, vanadium or tungsten carbide. Both the substrate and carbide work together to improve a number of characteristics. It typically has a high carbon content and can be made from a range of elements.
Compared to HSS steel, other alloys don’t offer the same hardness or high-speed capabilities. Other steel alloys are sometimes used in heated situations, however, because high speed can become brittle due to its extreme hardness. It isn’t a recommended alloy if you’re looking for malleable steel in your particular application.
For more tooling applications, however, high speed steel is a clear choice. Learn more about the advantage of this tooling option and find out where you can turn to order affordable steel in a variety of grades.
HSS Steel Advantages
Choose high speed steel to create cutting and forming tools that outpace other alloys. Select a popular grade of steel and enjoy extreme hardness and reliability in high-heat, high-impact and high-speed applications. These features are what make this steel a popular choice for cutting tools.
Work with high speed steel and you won’t experience as much maintenance and breakdown due to its abrasion resistance. This rugged option outpaces many other alloys in industrial applications where minor abrasion and other defects can compromise the quality of the components.
A dull tool is wasted time. Your employees need to stop your production, identify the issue with your tooling and determine whether you need a replacement or a sharpening service. All this time and energy results in extra costs. By increasing the hardness and abrasion resistance, high-speed tooling reduces downtime and results in a more affordable production line.
Common Uses and Grades
Many manufacturers use HSS steel for cutters, taps, drills, tool bits, saw blades and other tool uses. This alloy isn’t just popular in industrial applications, but manufacturers use it to make kitchen knives, pocket knives, files and other household steel tools.
There are many common grades of steel used in high speed applications. Compare common options to determine the best choice for manufacturing needs. Work with block sheet or plate steel in one of these grades for your tool manufacturing process:
- M2, M3, M4, M7 or M42
- PM M4, PM T15, PM M48 or PM A11
At Griggs Steel, you can find these diverse grades of steel at affordable rates. Whether you’re looking for hardened round bar stock, sheet metal or other sizes and grades, work with us and explore ways you can use our stock at your facility.
Choose Griggs Steel
Contact us today to compare high speed tooll steel options and explore additional benefits of this dynamic steel. Griggs is a leader in high speed steel distribution with affordable rates, prompt deliveries and unbeatable customer service. Improve the quality of your components or reduce your bottom line with high-quality steel from Griggs Steel today.