Introduction AISI A2 Cold Work Tool Steel air hardening, with maximum dimensional stability during heat treatment, offering high abrasion resistance and good toughness. Generally supplied annealed to HB 231 max. A2 steel is an air hardening, cold work, tool steel. A 5% Chromium steel which provides high hardness after heat treatment with good dimensional stability. It is heat treatable and will offer a hardness in the range 57-62 HRC. Applications AISI A2 steel takes a place in tool steel range between AISI O1 and AISI D2, offering an excellent combination of good wear resistance and toughness. It may be regarded, therefore, as a ¡¡ãuniversal¡¡À cold work steel. For cutting operations the good toughness of AISI A2 gives excellent resistance to chipping of the cutting edge. In many cases tools made from this steel have given better tooling economy than high-carbon, high-chromium steels of the D3/W.-Nr. 2080 type. AISI A2 steel has much better machining and grinding properties.It can be used to make Bending Dies, Blanking Dies, Block Gauges, Cams, Coining Dies, Cold Forming Dies, Cold Shears, Cold Trimming Dies, Forming Dies, Knurls, Machine Parts, Mandrels, Plastic Mold Dies, Punch Plates, Punchers, Reamers, Ring Gauges, Roll Threading Dies, Rolls, Shear Blades, Slitters, Stamping Dies, Threading Taps, Trimming Dies, etc. HEAT TREATMENT Forging: Heat slowly toC then more rapidly to 1050-1100 Avoid working below . Reheat as often as necessary to maintain proper forging temperature. After forging cool very slowly. Heat slowly and uniformly. Cool in vermiculite or in other insulating media. Anneal after forging. Annealing: Soak thoroughly at then slow furnace cool at a rate of not more than 20C per hour. After annealing A2 a maximum hardness of 215 Brinell may be achieved.Protect against surface decarburization using controlled atmosphere or by pack-annealing. Hardening: Pre heat slowly to 600-700and soak. Continue heating to the final hardening temperature of 950/980 and allow the component to equalise. Quench in oil or cool in air.Temper immediately after hardening. Allow to cool to 125-F before tempering. Soak time is 15 minutes per inch of thickness. Minimum of 30 minutes. Tempering: Heat uniformly and thoroughly to the desired temperature and hold for 25 minutes per cm of thickness. A2 can be double tempering, after intermediate cooling to room temperature. Temper at 200C for a balance of hardness and strength or where strength is more important than hardness.Complete equalization of temperature throughout the tools is essential for good results. Double temper. Recommended temperature is 400-1000 hot rolled and hot forged according to the customer