34. Materials used for Cutting Tools Description of products ■Materials We have been seeking the best materials used for cutting tools since the company establishment because the performance of tools are depending on the selection of materials used. Major materials used in our company are listed below. (1) Taps HSS : Equivalent to SKH58, SKH51, SKH56 Powder HSS (SKH10, High Vanadium High cobalt material) Carbide : Cemented Carbide Materials of ultra micro grain (2) Dies HSS : SKH51, SKH56 Alloy Tool Steel : SKS2, SKS21, SKS3, SKS31 (3) Center Drills and Centering Tools HSS : SKH51, SKH56 Powder HSS (SKH10, High Vanadium High cobalt material) Carbide : Cemented Carbide Materials of ultra micro grain For product's improvement, material may be changed without notice. ■Circumstance of tools' materials Tensile strength, heat resistance, corrosion resistance and accuracy are the important features required of tool’ s materials. These requirements have been changing due to miniaturization and lightening of parts. And manufacturing methods, as well, have been changing because of necessity of economical efficiency such as saving process/cycle time while parts become hard-to-machine type and their hardness increases. As a result, the demand of industrial tools by users has become very tough. For example, higher wear resistance and chipping resistance are required in the area of hardness, and heavy cutting process or high-speed cutting are required in the area of cycle time. Moreover, product accuracy with its rigidity, laborsaving brought by uniformity, and systematic reliability are highly required. Therefore, technological improvement of tool steels never stops developing so that they satisfy users needs. The major materials used for taps are already listed in the chart, but those materials are ready to develop from conventional alloy tool steels and current high speed steel into next generation materials such as cemented carbide and cermet materials. New materials are developed even in high-speed tool steel area, such as SKH51 and SKH58 from SKH2, and they are moving into high performance materials, such as high vanadium, cobalt, and powder HSS made of high vanadium and high cobalt contents. As the material for round dies, were alloy tool steels mostly used because of the relationship with the use of adjustable round dies. However, for the hard-to-machine material. die material has been shifted into High Speed Steel. Major materials for center drills and centering tools are high speed steel materials, but they have been shifting to cobalt type or even cemented carbide from SKH51. We keep on seeking to develop our technology to meet user's needs and are trying to find the best materials in collaboration with steel manufacturers. Technical Information Technical-91 862