D2 Tool Steel vs. D3 Tool Steel: Performance Comparison for Cold Work Applications Focus: Grade Comparison, Application Suitability

Cold work applications are used in various industrial processes. It involves in manufacturing machine parts like bolts, gears, and cutting metal pieces into flat sheets.  Tool steels are typically manufactured to be used in cold work, where the metal is shaped at room temperature, which is well below its recrystallization threshold. Using a hardened tool steel is a standard requirement, and manufacturers have to ideally select between D2 Tool Steel and D3 Tool Steel, depending on the unique criteria of the production process.

Similarities between D2 Steel and D3 Steel Grades

Both types of tool steel are made with a high-carbon and high-chromium alloy content, categorized under the DIN Standard. DIN Standard refers to the German Institute for Standardization (Deutsches Institut fur Normung). It is universally recognized for its guidelines on chemical composition, dimensions, and mechanical properties of steel products, including cold work steel.

Difference between D2 and D3

• Chemical Composition: D3 steel (1.2080 steel) consists of more carbon. But it lacks molybdenum and vanadium. On the other hand, D2 steel (1.2379 steel) is manufactured with the addition of Molybdenum and Vanadium.
• Wear Resistance and Toughness: The key aspect that you should consider while choosing the steel is the degree of wear resistance vs. the degree of toughness that you will require. The higher carbon content of D3 tool steel results in a higher level of wear resistance, which is achieved by a denser concentration of hard chromium carbides.
  With a lower carbon content (but with the addition of Molybdenum and Vanadium), D2 steel has a better impact toughness, which is 30-40% more than D3 steel.  To summarize, D3 has a better hardness and stronger wear resistance, while D2 provides a more balanced alternative when you need moderate wear resistance and toughness.

• Heat Treatment Process: D3 steel is primarily manufactured using the oil-hardening process. It is designed to offer better hardness. But it might carry a higher risk of distortion due to the faster cooling process. Whereas D2 steel is manufactured using the air-hardening process. It involves slowly cooling it in the air. The process makes it ideal for precision tools due to the minimal dimensional change.

Application Suitability of D2 Steel and D3 Steel

D2 Steel is ideally suited for applications. These include punches and industrial knives. The multi-stage dies required for thicker and high-tensile materials. It is commonly used in blanking and stamping dies that are used to shape sheet metal like copper, brass, and stainless steel. It is also utilized as a coining tool and to manufacture gauges and measuring tools. One of the common applications is to create threads on screws and bolts. Here, the die surface must be able to resist intense friction.

D3 Steel is preferably used in several key industrial applications, such as the manufacture of shearing blades and blanking dies for thin metal sheets. A common utility of D3 steel is to draw high-tensile strength wires, which are used in different environments. 

Conclusion

While selecting the right cold work steel supplier, you need to check whether the company insists on producing high-quality steel in both categories. Kushal Metal is widely regarded as a reputable supplier in this niche, having been in the business for more than three decades.