English Views: 0 Author: Eternal Tech Team Publish Time: 2026-08-28 Origin: Site
As a forging plant specializing in die steel forgings, Jiangyin Eternal Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. understands that the choice of die steel directly affects mold life, product precision, and production costs. With so many die steel grades on the market—domestic, imported, Japanese standard, American standard, and more—both procurement staff and technical engineers often find it challenging to make the right selection. We have systematically compiled the main types of die steel, their application scenarios, selection methods, and the latest market prices as of August 2026, hoping to provide a useful reference for your purchasing decisions.
The steel used for molds can be classified into three major categories based on their purposes. Each category places different emphasis on the material properties.
Plastic mold steel is mainly used in plastic forming molds such as injection molding, blow molding, and extrusion. Its core requirements include high polishability, good corrosion resistance, and dimensional stability.
Grade | Characteristic | Application |
P20 | The most commonly used plastic mold steel, in the pre-hardened state, has excellent processing properties. | General plastic product molds, household appliances, automotive interior parts |
P20+Ni/718 | Improved version, with better hardening properties, suitable for large molds | Large bumper and dashboard molds |
NAK80 | No heat treatment is required. It can be used directly and has excellent polishing properties. | High-precision molds and products requiring mirror finish polishing |
S136 | High corrosion resistance and excellent mirror polishing performance | Transparent plastic products, molds containing acidic materials |
2316/1.2316 | Its corrosion resistance is superior to S136 and it is suitable for highly corrosive plastics. | PVC and flame-retardant plastic molding molds |
Cold working mould steel is used for metal forming processes at room temperature. The core requirements are high hardness, high wear resistance and sufficient toughness.
Grade | Characteristic | Application |
Cr12MoV | High-carbon high-chromium steel, with excellent wear resistance, is the most commonly used type in China. | Cold stamping die, shearing die, forming roller |
SKD11 | The corresponding brand for the Japanese designation Cr12MoV is slightly more resilient. | Precision hardware molds, stamping molds |
DC53 | Improved cold-worked steel has better toughness than SKD11 and is less prone to cracking. | High-frequency stamping dies, complex-shaped dies |
D2 | American standard plate number, high wear resistance, suitable for long-life molds | High-load cold working molds |
Hot work Mould Steels are used for metal forming in high-temperature environments. The key requirements are high-temperature strength, resistance to thermal fatigue, and resistance to thermal cracking.
Grade | Characteristic | Application |
H13（4Cr5MoSiV1） | The most commonly used hot-work steel has excellent comprehensive properties. | Hot forging die, die for die-casting, hot extrusion die |
SKD61 | The target corresponds to H13. The preferred material for the aluminum alloy die-casting mold | Aluminum and zinc alloy die-casting molds |
8407 | Swedish 1000 series alloy ,better toughness than H13. | High-quality hot working molds, fiberglass-reinforced plastic molds |
3Cr2W8V | High tungsten content, better heat resistance, but poorer toughness | High-temperature hot extrusion die, copper alloy die-casting die |
Regarding imported vs. domestically produced steel: Imported die steels (such as Sweden's Assab, Japan's Daido Steel, Japan's Hitachi Metals, and Germany's Gröditz) have advantages in purity and microstructural uniformity, but their prices are often 2 to 4 times higher than those of Chinese-made products. For the vast majority of applications, the high-quality die steel produced by Jiangyin Eternal Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. using the electroslag remelting (ESR) process is already capable of meeting requirements, offering much better cost-effectiveness.
Selecting the wrong materials is the most common cause of early failure of molds. Here is a proven selection process:
First, determine whether the mold belongs to the cold-work, hot-work, or plastic mold category, and clarify the following parameters:
Operating temperature: Room temperature, 200–300°C, or 500–800°C?
Load bearing: Impact load or steady-state load?
Wear mode: Abrasive wear, adhesive wear, or corrosion?
Production volume requirements: For trial molding (less than 100,000 cycles), medium service life (100,000 to 1,000,000 cycles), or high-volume production (more than 1,000,000 cycles)?
Example: For an aluminum alloy die-casting mold with an operating temperature of approximately 680°C, which requires good thermal fatigue resistance and thermal shock resistance, H13 or SKD61 should be selected. If Cr12MoV is used for a hot-work mold, its hardness will drop sharply at high temperatures, and the mold will fail quickly.
For large-sized molds (thickness greater than 300mm), good hardenability is required. It is recommended to choose pre-hardened steels (such as P20, 718H) to avoid heat treatment distortion. For small precision molds, through-hardened steels (such as NAK80, S136) can be used.
If the molding material is PVC, plastics containing flame retardants or acidic components, or if the mold is exposed to a humid environment for a long time, stainless-type die steels such as S136, 2316, and other corrosion-resistant steels should be selected.
This is a link that many purchasers tend to overlook. For the same grade of die steel, insufficient forging ratio can lead to carbide segregation and non-uniform microstructure, making the steel prone to deformation or even cracking during heat treatment. For shaft-type and block-type die steel forgings, it is recommended to require a forging ratio of at least 3:1 and to perform ultrasonic inspection in accordance with ASTM A388.
Mould die steel prices are subject to significant fluctuations due to raw material costs, market supply and demand, and brand factors. The following are reference prices for mainstream die steel grades in the Chinese market as of late August 2026 (tax included, in USD/ton):
Type | Grade | Spec. | Price（USD/TON） |
plastic mould steel | P20 | 板材 | 800 |
plastic mould steel | NAK80 | 25×151mm | 3000 |
cold-work tool steel | Cr12MoV | Φ50mm | 2000 |
cold-work tool steel | SKD11 | 150×35mm | 5500 |
hot-work tool steel | H13（esr） | Φ70mm | 3000 |
hot-work tool steel | DAC/SKD61 | 20×3000mm | 11000 |
high-speed tool steel | W6Mo5Cr4V2/M2 | Φ30mm | 18000-21000 |
high-speed tool steel | W18Cr4V | Φ8mm | 50000 |
Market Brief:
Prices for mainstream die steel grades in China (P20, Cr12MoV, H13) have remained stable within the year and are expected to fluctuate within a narrow range in the second half of the year.
The price gap between imported die steel and domestically produced steel remains in the range of 2 to 5 times. For cost-effective procurement, we recommend giving priority to the high-quality ESR steel produced by our company.
High-speed tool steel prices remain at high levels, mainly supported by the cost of alloying elements such as tungsten and molybdenum.
Special Note: The above prices are market spot prices collected in August 2026. Actual transaction prices are subject to factors such as purchase volume, dimensional tolerances, heat treatment requirements, delivery condition, and more. For an accurate quotation on die steel forgings (forging blanks, open-die forgings, and block forgings), we recommend contacting us directly with your drawings and technical specifications.
Choosing the right die steel means you're already halfway to achieving optimal mold life. Remember three core principles:
Select materials based on working conditions — Cold-work, hot-work, and plastic mold steels are three distinct categories that should not be confused.
Pay attention to material purity and forging quality — Even with the same grade, different processing techniques can lead to vastly different performance.
Prioritize cost-effectiveness — In most cases, the high-quality steel produced by Jiangyin Eternal Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. can fully replace imported alternatives.
