DC 53 Steel Grade
Toolman Special Steels is proud to produce and offer DC 53 Steel. DC-53 is a general purpose cold work tool steel with exceptional Toughness, Wear Resistance, Compressive Strength and Temper Resistance. DC53, is an improvement over alloy tool steel D-2. It eliminates the disadvantages of insufficient hardness and toughness. DC53 steel also has excellent machining characteristics and is well suited as a substrate for PVD surface treatments
DC 53 Steel Properties
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Higher hardness (62-63HRc) than D2 after heat treatment.
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Twice the toughness of D2 with a superior wear resistance.
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20% higher fatigue strength than D2.
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Smaller primary carbides than D2 protect the die from chipping and cracking.
-
Machines and grinds up to 40% faster than D2 .
Chemical Composition
| Element | C (%) | Si (%) | Mn (%) | Cr (%) | Mo (%) | V (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 0.95 | 1.00 | 0.30 | 8.00 | 2.10 | 0.30 |
Mechanical Properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Quenching and Tempering Hardness (HRC) | 61 - 63 |
| Poisson’s ratio (25°C) | 0.31 |
| Rigidity Modulus | 79 Gpa |
| Tensile Strength | 2200 MPa |
Physical Properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Density (g/cm³) | 7.70 |
Modulus of Elasticity
| Temperature (°C) | GPa |
|---|---|
| 20 | 210 |
Thermal Properties
| Temperature (℃) | Thermal Expansion Coefficient (10^-6/℃) |
|---|---|
| 20-200 | 11.6 |
Thermal Conductivity
| Temperature (℃) | Thermal Conductivity (W/m•K) |
|---|---|
| 20 | 20 |
HEAT TREATMENT AND PROCESSES
Heat treatment
| Soft annealing °F | Cooling | Hardness HB |
|---|---|---|
| 830 - 880 | Furnace | Max 255 |
| Stress-relief annealing °F | Cooling |
|---|---|
| approx. 600 | Furnace |
| Hardening °F | Quenching | Hardness after quenching HRC |
|---|---|---|
| 1020 - 1040 | Oil, air, or vacuum quenching | 62 -64 |
| Process | Details |
|---|---|
| Tempering | Perform in non-atmosphere controlled convection furnace. First temper at 45-65°C. Allow to cool to ambient temperature between tempers. |
Applications
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Blanking Dies
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Progressing Dies, Rolling Dies, Bending Dies
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Cold Forging Dies, Drawing Dies
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Rolls
Punches
Plastic Molds
Trimming Dies
Shear Blades
Stripper plates for lead frame blanking
Gauges
Screws for injection molding machines
Quality Assurance
Our DC 53 steel undergoes rigorous testing and quality control to meet international standards, ensuring consistent performance and reliability. Certificates and test reports are available upon request. Feel free to reach out to us for more information on our DC 53 steel products or to discuss your specific requirements. We're dedicated to providing top-quality steel solutions that meet your needs and exceed your expectations.
Manufacturing Range
| Products | Diameter (mm) |
|---|---|
| Hot Rolled bar | 8 - 65 |
| Forged and Turned bars | 65.2 - 500 |
| Forged Square Bars | 50 - 500 |
Flats
| THICKNESS | WIDTH |
|---|---|
| 6.00 mm - 410.00 mm | 20.00 mm - 700.00 mm |
Frequently Asked Questions
We manufacture DC53 as a general-purpose cold work tool steel developed as an improvement over D2. It combines toughness, wear resistance, compressive strength and temper resistance while addressing limitations in D2 hardness and toughness.
Our DC53 steel is listed with:
- 62–63 HRC hardness after heat treatment
- Twice the toughness of D2
- Superior wear resistance
- 20% higher fatigue strength than D2
- Smaller primary carbides to help reduce chipping and cracking
- Machining and grinding up to 40% faster than D2
- Suitability as a substrate for PVD surface treatments
We supply DC53 for:
- Blanking dies
- Progressive, rolling and bending dies
- Cold-forging dies
- Drawing dies
- Rolls
- Punches
- Plastic moulds
- Trimming dies
- Shear blades
- Lead-frame blanking stripper plates
- Gauges
- Injection-moulding machine screws
Our DC53 data includes:
- Quenching and tempering hardness: 61–63 HRC
- Hardness after hardening: 62–64 HRC
- Tensile strength: 2200 MPa
- Rigidity modulus: 79 GPa
- Poisson's ratio at 25°C: 0.31
- Density: 7.70 g/cm³
Our DC53 composition includes:
- Carbon: 0.95%
- Silicon: 1.00%
- Manganese: 0.30%
- Chromium: 8.00%
- Molybdenum: 2.10%
- Vanadium: 0.30%
Our published data includes:
- Soft annealing: 830–880
- Stress relieving: approximately 600
- Hardening: 1020–1040
- Quenching: oil, air or vacuum
- Hardness after quenching: 62–64 HRC
For tempering, we specify cooling to ambient temperature between tempering cycles.
We manufacture:
- Hot-rolled bars: 8–65 mm
- Forged and turned bars: 65.2–500 mm
- Forged square bars: 50–500 mm
- Flats: 6–410 mm thickness
- Flat widths: 20–700 mm
We also provide certificates and test reports on request.
