H13 Tool Steel
A hot-work tool steel with excellent resistance to thermal fatigue and wear. H13 is used in AM for die casting dies, forging tools, and extrusion dies where conformal cooling and complex geometries improve tool life and cycle times.
About H13 Tool Steel
H13 (1.2344 / X40CrMoV5-1) is a chromium-molybdenum-vanadium hot-work tool steel. It is the most widely used tool steel in AM, primarily for tooling applications where conformal cooling channels can be integrated to improve thermal management.
Processing H13 in LPBF is more challenging than stainless steels due to its high carbon equivalent and susceptibility to cracking during rapid solidification. Platform preheating (200–400 °C) is typically required to reduce thermal gradients and prevent cracking.
After printing, H13 requires austenitising (~1,020 °C), quenching, and double tempering to achieve the target hardness of 48–52 HRC for tooling applications.
Typical Applications
- Die casting dies with conformal cooling
- Forging dies and punches
- Extrusion dies
- Plastic injection mould cores
- Hot stamping tools
Engineering Considerations
- High cracking susceptibility — platform preheating mandatory (200–400 °C)
- Complex heat treatment required (austenitise + quench + double temper)
- Fewer AM service providers offer H13 compared to stainless or maraging steel
- DED/wire-arc is viable for large tooling repair and hybrid builds