A NEW COLD WORK PM-GRADE

COMBINING HIGH WEAR

RESISTANCE WITH HIGH

DUCTILITY

By Magnus Tidesten, Anna Medvedeva, Fredrik Carlsson

and Annica Engström-Svensson

UDDEHOLMS AB

Vanadis 8 SuperClean

The next generation of Powder Metallurgical Tool Steel

Uddeholm

INCREASING DEMANDS IN

THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

The new advanced high strength steels

are more difficult to cut and form, driving

the development of new tool steels

A good combination of wear resistance

and ductility is needed for long tool life

and to avoid breakage of tools

UDDEHOLM VANADIS 8 –

A BALANCED COMBINATION OF

ABRASIVE WEAR

RESISTANCE

CHIPPING

RESISTANCE

MACHINABILITY

6

AGENDA

• Chemical composition

• Carbides

• Heat treatment response – hardenability

• Ductility

• Wear resistance

• Positioning

• Machinability

• Application tests

• Conclusions

NOMINAL CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

Steel grade C Si Mn Cr Mo V

New generation steels

Uddeholm Vanadis 8 2.3 0.4 0.4 4.8 3.6 8.0

Uddeholm Vanadis 4 Extra 1.4 0.4 0.4 4.7 3.5 3.7

Old generation steels

Uddeholm Vanadis 6 2.1 1.0 0.4 6.8 1.5 5.4

Uddeholm Vanadis 10 2.9 0.5 0.5 8.0 1.5 9.8

CARBIDES

Uddeholm Vanadis 8 Uddeholm Vanadis 4 Extra Uddeholm Vanadis 6 Uddeholm Vanadis 10

Steel MC %

(2800 HV)

M7C3 %

(1700 HV)

Total carbide

content %

Vanadis 8 18 - 18

Vanadis 4 Extra 9 - 9

Vanadis 6 11 6 17

Vanadis 10 19 6 25

HARDENABILITY. TA=1020°C

0

200

400

600

800

1000

100 1000 10000

Har

dn

ess

(HV

10

)

Cooling time between 800 - 500°C (s)

Uddeholm Vanadis 8

Uddeholm Vanadis 10

DUCTILITY - UNNOTCHED IMPACT

SPECIMENS IN TRANSVERSE DIRECTION

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

54 56 58 60 62 64 66

Un

no

tch

ed

im

pa

ct e

ne

rgy (

J)

Hardness (HRC)

+ 167% + 50%

CR2

ABRASIVE WEAR RESISTANCE,

PIN-ON-DISC TEST, AL2O

3- AND SIO

2

0

5

10

15

20

25

VANADIS 4EXTRA

VANADIS 6 VANADIS 10 VANADIS 8

We

ar r

ate

(mg/

min

)

Al2O3

SiO2

VANADIS 10 AGAINST AL2O

3 AND SIO

2

Against

P150 SiO2

Against

P800 Al2O3

POSITIONING AT 60 HRC

MACHINABILITY IN DELIVERED

CONDITION

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Vanadis 8 Vanadis 6 Vanadis 10

V3

0-v

alu

e (

m/m

in)

Tool: Coromant S4 SPGN 120304

Feed, f: 0,126 mm/r

Depth of cut, a: 1,0 mm

Turning with uncoated carbide

Cutting speed for 30 minutes tool life

and 0,3 mm flank wear

MACHINABILITY IN

HARDENED CONDITION

Cavity milling with solid carbide

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

V4E, 61 HRC V6, 61 HRC V8, 62 HRC V10, 62 HRC

Mac

hin

ed

vo

lum

e (

cm3)

APPLICATION TEST - BLANKING IN

1400 M (AHSS)

Application: Punch

Dimensions: Ø 9,8 mm

Work material: Docol 1400 M (AHSS)

Thickness: 1,0 mm

Rm: 1500 MPa

Steel grade Vanadis 8 Vanadis 10

Surface

treatment None None

HRC 65 64

Failure

mechanism Abrasive wear

Abrasive wear

and Chipping

Tool life > 100 000 strokes 100 000 strokes

APPLICATION TEST - BLANKING OF

HARDENED STRIP STEEL

Application: Punch & Die

Dimensions: 100 x 50 x 30 mm

Work material: Hardened Strip Steel

Thickness: 0,8 mm

Rm: 1570 MPa

Steel grade Reference Reference Test

Vanadis 4 Extra Vanadis 10 Vanadis 8

Surface

treatment None None None

HRC 62 62 63

Failure

mechanism Wear Chipping None

Tool life 10 000 strokes

(tool replaced)

<200

(cracked)

80 000 strokes

(still running)

APPLICATION TEST - BLANKING OF

HIGH STRENGTH CARBON STEEL

Application: Die

Dimensions: 200 x 30 x 250 mm

Work material: Carbon steel

Thickness: 0,4 mm

Rm: 800 MPa

Steel grade Reference Reference Test

Vanadis 4 Extra Vanadis 10 Vanadis 8

HRC 62 63 63

Failure

mechanism Wear Chipping/Wear Wear

Tool life 55 000 strokes 80 000 strokes 250 000 strokes Noice reduction pad

CONCLUSIONS

• Uddeholm Vanadis 8 has a combination of very high ductility and wear resistance –

both Vanadis 6 and Vanadis 10 can be exchanged

• The effect of Cr-carbides on wear resistance is limited and ductility is reduced

• High hardenability due to a higher Mo-content in the matrix

• The machinability is enhanced by the refined microstructure

• Measured properties are verified in application tests

• Uddeholm Vanadis 8 is an optimized and ideal steel for

long run tooling of High Strength Steels

THANK YOU!