A NEW COLD WORK PM-GRADE
COMBINING HIGH WEAR
RESISTANCE WITH HIGH
DUCTILITY
By Magnus Tidesten, Anna Medvedeva, Fredrik Carlsson
and Annica Engström-Svensson
UDDEHOLMS AB
Vanadis 8 SuperClean
The next generation of Powder Metallurgical Tool Steel
Uddeholm
INCREASING DEMANDS IN
THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
The new advanced high strength steels
are more difficult to cut and form, driving
the development of new tool steels
A good combination of wear resistance
and ductility is needed for long tool life
and to avoid breakage of tools
UDDEHOLM VANADIS 8 –
A BALANCED COMBINATION OF
ABRASIVE WEAR
RESISTANCE
CHIPPING
RESISTANCE
MACHINABILITY
6
AGENDA
• Chemical composition
• Carbides
• Heat treatment response – hardenability
• Ductility
• Wear resistance
• Positioning
• Machinability
• Application tests
• Conclusions
NOMINAL CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
Steel grade C Si Mn Cr Mo V
New generation steels
Uddeholm Vanadis 8 2.3 0.4 0.4 4.8 3.6 8.0
Uddeholm Vanadis 4 Extra 1.4 0.4 0.4 4.7 3.5 3.7
Old generation steels
Uddeholm Vanadis 6 2.1 1.0 0.4 6.8 1.5 5.4
Uddeholm Vanadis 10 2.9 0.5 0.5 8.0 1.5 9.8
CARBIDES
Uddeholm Vanadis 8 Uddeholm Vanadis 4 Extra Uddeholm Vanadis 6 Uddeholm Vanadis 10
Steel MC %
(2800 HV)
M7C3 %
(1700 HV)
Total carbide
content %
Vanadis 8 18 - 18
Vanadis 4 Extra 9 - 9
Vanadis 6 11 6 17
Vanadis 10 19 6 25
HARDENABILITY. TA=1020°C
0
200
400
600
800
1000
100 1000 10000
Har
dn
ess
(HV
10
)
Cooling time between 800 - 500°C (s)
Uddeholm Vanadis 8
Uddeholm Vanadis 10
DUCTILITY - UNNOTCHED IMPACT
SPECIMENS IN TRANSVERSE DIRECTION
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
54 56 58 60 62 64 66
Un
no
tch
ed
im
pa
ct e
ne
rgy (
J)
Hardness (HRC)
+ 167% + 50%
CR2
ABRASIVE WEAR RESISTANCE,
PIN-ON-DISC TEST, AL2O
3- AND SIO
2
0
5
10
15
20
25
VANADIS 4EXTRA
VANADIS 6 VANADIS 10 VANADIS 8
We
ar r
ate
(mg/
min
)
Al2O3
SiO2
VANADIS 10 AGAINST AL2O
3 AND SIO
2
Against
P150 SiO2
Against
P800 Al2O3
POSITIONING AT 60 HRC
MACHINABILITY IN DELIVERED
CONDITION
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Vanadis 8 Vanadis 6 Vanadis 10
V3
0-v
alu
e (
m/m
in)
Tool: Coromant S4 SPGN 120304
Feed, f: 0,126 mm/r
Depth of cut, a: 1,0 mm
Turning with uncoated carbide
Cutting speed for 30 minutes tool life
and 0,3 mm flank wear
MACHINABILITY IN
HARDENED CONDITION
Cavity milling with solid carbide
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
V4E, 61 HRC V6, 61 HRC V8, 62 HRC V10, 62 HRC
Mac
hin
ed
vo
lum
e (
cm3)
APPLICATION TEST - BLANKING IN
1400 M (AHSS)
Application: Punch
Dimensions: Ø 9,8 mm
Work material: Docol 1400 M (AHSS)
Thickness: 1,0 mm
Rm: 1500 MPa
Steel grade Vanadis 8 Vanadis 10
Surface
treatment None None
HRC 65 64
Failure
mechanism Abrasive wear
Abrasive wear
and Chipping
Tool life > 100 000 strokes 100 000 strokes
APPLICATION TEST - BLANKING OF
HARDENED STRIP STEEL
Application: Punch & Die
Dimensions: 100 x 50 x 30 mm
Work material: Hardened Strip Steel
Thickness: 0,8 mm
Rm: 1570 MPa
Steel grade Reference Reference Test
Vanadis 4 Extra Vanadis 10 Vanadis 8
Surface
treatment None None None
HRC 62 62 63
Failure
mechanism Wear Chipping None
Tool life 10 000 strokes
(tool replaced)
<200
(cracked)
80 000 strokes
(still running)
APPLICATION TEST - BLANKING OF
HIGH STRENGTH CARBON STEEL
Application: Die
Dimensions: 200 x 30 x 250 mm
Work material: Carbon steel
Thickness: 0,4 mm
Rm: 800 MPa
Steel grade Reference Reference Test
Vanadis 4 Extra Vanadis 10 Vanadis 8
HRC 62 63 63
Failure
mechanism Wear Chipping/Wear Wear
Tool life 55 000 strokes 80 000 strokes 250 000 strokes Noice reduction pad
CONCLUSIONS
• Uddeholm Vanadis 8 has a combination of very high ductility and wear resistance –
both Vanadis 6 and Vanadis 10 can be exchanged
• The effect of Cr-carbides on wear resistance is limited and ductility is reduced
• High hardenability due to a higher Mo-content in the matrix
• The machinability is enhanced by the refined microstructure
• Measured properties are verified in application tests
• Uddeholm Vanadis 8 is an optimized and ideal steel for
long run tooling of High Strength Steels
THANK YOU!