Thermodur 2383 Supercool — Hot Work Tool Steel for Press Hardening

Thermodur 2383 Supercool is a hot work tool steel developed specifically for press hardening applications by Deutsche Edelstahlwerke Specialty Steel GmbH & Co. KG.

Composition and properties

In addition to 0.45 % carbon, Thermodur 2383 Supercool exhibits a chemical composition of 1.5 % vanadium, 1.5 % molybdenum, 0.9 % manganese and 0.9 % nickel. It possesses excellent thermal conductivity (44 W/(m⋅K) at 100 °C) as well as good wear resistance, through-hardenability, long-term tempering resistance and high-temperature strength.

As a result of these properties, Thermodur 2383 Supercool is ideal for mould inserts in press hardening tools. These are currently used in the forming of automotive body parts.

Technology

In press hardening processes, steels are heated to austenitizing temperature before being transferred to a press tool featuring active cooling. The steel is then quenched and formed simultaneously. This allows ultra-high-strength steels to be formed into complex shapes, enabling replacement of expensive light metal alloys with thinner, stronger steels, an essential factor in the competitive automotive industry.

Thermodur 2383 Supercool advantages

Specifically, the high thermal conductivity of Thermodur 2383 Supercool, in comparison to conventional hot-work steels such as 1.2343 (AISI H11), 1.2344 (AISI H13) and 1.2367 (X38CrMoV5-3) in quenched and tempered condition, enables enhanced quenching uniformity as well as faster quenching, thereby allowing for reduced cycle times.

*This special steel is available from Deutsche Edelstahlwerke in plate form.