We cut water-hardening, oil-hardening, air-hardening and high-carbon grades into dies, gauges, punches and wear parts. Tolerances held to ±0.005 mm, with 100% inspection before shipment.
If any of these sound familiar, the cause is usually the process plan, not the drawing.
D2 at HRC 60 kills an edge in minutes when the depth of cut and feed rate are wrong. The result is a white layer, micro-cracks and a die that fails early. Roughing and finishing need separate parameters, not one program run twice.
O1 and W1 are dimensionally unstable through quench and temper. A form die cut to final size before hardening can close up 0.05 mm or more. Leave stock, then finish after tempering. A2 holds size better, which is why we steer tight-tolerance work toward it.
Soft-annealed stock machines like 4140 and saves tool life. If your design calls for HRC 58–62 in service, cutting it hard is slow and expensive. Decide the hardness first, then choose the grade and the machining sequence around it.
A 0.8 mm rib in D2 is a broken end mill waiting to happen. Below about 1 mm feature width, the wall flexes, the cutter grabs and the part is scrap. We flag these features in DFM review and suggest a grade change or a redesign.
Six families, four we run every week, and a cutting plan for each.
Water-hardening W1 carries 0.6–1.4% carbon and almost no alloy. It machines easily in the annealed state and reaches HRC 57–60 after a water quench. That fast quench also means it moves, so it suits small parts and low-temperature work such as taps, reamers, drill bits and cold-heading tooling.
O1 adds oil quenching and lands at similar hardness with better dimensional stability after tempering. It is our default for bending dies, piercers, blanking dies, gauges and bushings. Yield strength sits around 345–682 MPa, and it cuts cleanly with carbide at moderate speeds when you keep the coolant on the cut.
A2 is air-hardening. It reaches full hardness in still air, which keeps distortion low and makes it the grade to pick when a die has to stay in tolerance through heat treatment. D2 takes more carbon and chromium, so it wears longer but machines harder and grinds slowly.
Milling hardened stock makes sense for thin ribs, sharp corners and features that would move during a second heat cycle. We run those cuts on 5-axis centers with small-diameter carbide and high-speed toolpaths. It is slower per cubic millimeter, but it removes a heat-treat step and the risk that comes with it.
Start here, then check the hardness you actually need in service.
| Grade | Machinability | Typical hardness | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| W1 | Easy in annealed state | HRC 57–60 | Small tools under 150 °C |
| O1 | Good, oil quench | HRC 57–62 | Dies, gauges, bushings |
| A2 | Moderate, air quench | HRC 57–62 | Stable long-run dies |
| D2 | Hard, high carbon | HRC 58–62 | Wear plates, punches |
| H13 | Moderate, hot work | HRC 45–52 | Die casting, extrusion |
| M2 | Difficult, high speed | HRC 60–65 | Cutting tools, drills |
One shop for the geometry, the fit and the finish.
Simultaneous 5-axis for contoured die surfaces, deep pockets and features that need one setup to stay true.
Prismatic die plates, punch holders and wear plates. Twelve four-axis mills and 27 three-axis machines.
Bushings, guide pins, reamer blanks and threaded inserts in O1 and A2, turned to ±0.005 mm.
One-off punches and tryout dies before you commit to a full tool. No minimum order quantity.
Black oxide, bead blasting, brushing and polishing. Laser marking down to 1.5 mm character height.
Raw material check, in-process monitoring and final inspection. Reports on request.
| Item | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum part size | 4,000 mm | Largest travel 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm |
| Tolerance | ±0.005 mm | ±0.0002 in on qualified features |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.2–0.8 μm | Fine finish on request |
| Rotary table | Ø400 mm | For round and angled features |
| Lead time | 3–5 days | Production start within 24 hours |
| Order size | 1 to 10,000+ | No minimum order quantity |
15 years on tool steel, stainless and alloy steel. The cutting data is already in the shop, not learned on your job.
16 simultaneous 5-axis centers, 12 four-axis mills, 27 three-axis machines and 16 mill-turn centers.
±0.005 mm on qualified features, checked on the machine and again at final inspection.
Parts that pass inspection the first time. Reports available with the shipment.
Drawing in, quotation and free DFM feedback out within 12 hours.
One prototype punch or a 10,000-part run. Same process, same inspection.
A2 and D2 inserts held to ±0.005 mm with matched clearances.
O1 gauge blocks and locating fixtures, stable after tempering.
D2 wear plates with hard-milled profiles and ground faces.
Yes, up to about HRC 62. Hard milling and hard turning use small-diameter carbide with high-speed toolpaths, lighter depths of cut and no interruption in the coolant.
The trade-off is time. Removing a cubic millimeter of D2 at HRC 60 takes several times longer than the same cut in annealed stock. That is why we often rough before hardening and only finish the features that would move.
A2. It is air-hardening, so it cools evenly and distortion stays low through the quench. O1 needs an oil quench and moves more, though it is easier to machine and cheaper to buy.
If the die has tight bore spacing or thin walls, A2 is the safer pick. If it is a simple bending or blanking die, O1 does the job and costs less.
±0.005 mm on qualified features, with surface finishes down to Ra 0.2–0.8 μm when the drawing calls for it. As-machined surfaces normally land at Ra 1.6–3.2 μm.
Tolerance depends on the feature. A 0.5 mm rib in hardened D2 will not hold the same band as a 50 mm bore. We tell you which features are realistic before the job starts.
We machine in the annealed state and coordinate heat treatment to the hardness your drawing specifies. Final machining or grinding follows the heat cycle so the finished dimensions are the ones that matter.
If you supply pre-hardened stock, we machine it as delivered. Send the certified hardness with the order so we can set the cutting parameters.
Around 1 mm feature width is the practical floor for a rigid wall in hardened stock. Below that, the tool deflects and the risk of a broken end mill climbs fast.
We flag thin ribs, sharp internal corners and deep narrow slots during DFM review and suggest a grade change, a radius, or a different machining sequence.
Quotation and free DFM analysis come back within 12 hours. Production can start within 24 hours, and parts ship in 3–5 days after that.
Hard milling, tight tolerances and multi-setup work add time. We confirm the schedule with the quote rather than after the order.
Yes. A 2D drawing with tolerances and a sample is often enough for die inserts, punches and replacement wear parts. We measure the sample, compare it to the drawing and note any conflict before cutting.
3D models are faster and leave less room for interpretation, but they are not required.
The grade, the hardness you want in service, the drawing or model, the quantity and any surface finish callout. That is enough for a price and a DFM note.
Uploads are kept secure and confidential. An NDA is available on request.
Tell us the grade and the hardness, and we will come back with a price, a cutting plan and any DFM flags.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo minimum order quantityNDA on request
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Upload your 3D model or 2D drawing and get a quotation with a free DFM analysis. Maximum processing size 4,000 mm.
CNC Metals 13 grades
CNC Plastics 10 grades
Machines & processes 12 options
Surface & post-processing 10 options
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