The SIHARD K561 cold-work tool steel produced by SIJ Metal Ravne is a medium-chromium, air-hardening tool steel distinquished by an outstanding combination of hardness and toughness. This allows steel to achieve higher wear resistance compared to industrial standard for cold-work steel SIHARD 2379 /AISI D2), under abrasion and especially adhesion conditions. This tool steel is particulary suitable for demanding applications in the production of knives and lean tools requiring a high degree of toughness.

The SIHARD K561 steel is characterized by the following properties:

• high abrasive wear resistance
• very high adhesive wear resistance
• outstanding toughness
• high dimensional stability due to low retained austenite content

Comparison with SIHARD 2379 (AISI D2)

SIHARD K561 is a premium cold-work tool steel with greatly improved toughness and wear resistance. Compared to the conventional SIHARD 2379 (AISI D2), SIHARD K561 has a higher wear resistance under abrasive conditions, whereas it greatly outperforms when subjected to adhesive wear or galling. This steel achieves a similar hardenability and it is capable of achieving a combination of very high toughness and hardness upon tempering which gives rise to a very high chipping resistance.

Abrasion resistance is critical when tool is exposed to hard foreign particles (crushing tools, tablet stamps) or metals containing hard phases such as carbides (stamping and cutting tools), whereas chipping resistance is important for all cutting tools and knives.