Establish SKD11 as Japanese imported steel, with the product name SLD Mold Steel, and the improved version as SLD-MAGIC Mold Steel. This type of steel produced by the Nippon Steel Corporation is known as DC11 Mold Steel. Both Nippon and Hitachi steel are produced according to the Japanese steelmaking standards.
This steel is a widely used air-cooled hardened cold-work die steel internationally, produced through electric furnace smelting and electroslag remelting. It boasts high purity, improved toughness, uniform structure, excellent high-temperature strength and toughness, and resistance to high-temperature fatigue. It can withstand sudden temperature changes.
SKD11 die steel is an imported Japanese steel, the prestigious product of Hitachi Metals, Japan. Its product name is SLD die steel, and its improved version is known as SLD-MAGIC die steel.
The Nippon Steel Corporation also produces this steel, known as DC11 mold steel. Both Nippon and Hitachi manufacture it according to Japanese steelmaking standards.
China's major steel mills also produce this type of mold steel, known as Cr12MoV mold steel in China, which is a standard Chinese grade. There is a significant price difference between imported and domestic steel, and there are also great disparities in quality and smelting technology.
SKD11 die steel, DC11, and Cr12MoV die steel usage methods:
Use in quenching and tempering condition.
Hardening + cold treatment + tempering condition for use (suitable for high precision and dimensional stability requirements).
Hardening, tempering, and nitriding treatments applied (suitable for high surface hardness requirements).
★ Deep cryogenic treatment is used to achieve high hardness and dimensional stability. The mold is immediately cryogenically treated at -70 to -80℃ after quenching, held for 3-4 hours, and then tempered. Tools or molds treated with deep cryogenic processing have a hardness 1-3HRC higher than that of conventional heat treatment. Deep cryogenic treatment poses a risk of cracking in parts with complex shapes and significant size variations.
