AISI A – 6 Air Hardening Tool Steel Our A – 6 product is a fine-grained, superior quality electric furnace, low temperature, air hardening tool steel. It retains it air-hardening characteristics even though it has exceptional machinability.  The A – 6 steel is a balanced combination of carbon, manganese, chromium and molybdenum. These elements produce an improved type of air-hardening die steel perfect for die shapes, thread rolling dies, slitters, gages and machine ways. The A – 6 material is capable of being hardened from a low temperature such as was formally restricted to many of the oil-hardening grades. Typical applications include: -  Blanking dies   -  Knurls    -  Rolls -  Brick and mold Liners -  Mandrels   -  Sand Slingers -  Coining dies   -  Master hobs   -  Shear knives -  Cold forming tools  -  Molds    -  Slitter knives -  Forming dies       -  Spindles The chemical composition of our grade A - 6 ground flat stock falls within ranges that are rigidly monitored. These chemical ranges are shown below * Precision Ground Tolerances  Thickness: +/-.001"  Width - Up to 8": -.000/+.005" Width - 9" and Over: -.000/+.015" Square:  +/-.001" Length - 18": Length - 24": Length - 36": Squareness (All Edges): +1/4" +1/2" +5/8" .003" per Inch Hardening Rate of Heating: Slowly Preheat Temperature: 1, 200 F (649) C Hardening Temperature: 1,525 – 1,600 F  (829 – 871) C Time at Temperature:  Minutes 20-45 Quenching Medium:  Air Tempering Tempering Temperature: 300 – 800 F   (149 – 427) C Approximate Tempered Hardness: HRC     54 - 60 Attributes WEAR RESISTANCE MEDIUM TO HIGH TOUGHNESS  MEDIUM RESISTANCE TO SOFTENING MEDIUM DEPTH OF HARDENING DEEP MACHINABILITY LOW TO MEDIUM GRINDABILITY MEDIUM DISTORTION IN HEAT-TREATING LOWEST RESISTANCE TO CRACKING HIGHEST RESISTANCE TO DECARBURIZATION MEDUIM  TO HIGH   Close Window *Source: Steel Products Manual – "TOOL STEELS" a publication of the Iron and Steel Society  - June 2000