BÖHLER at IMTEX ToolTech 2023

The tooling steel makes the difference

Blanking has proven to be the appropriate shaping process for serial production for many years and addition, modern powerful press help to enhance productivity. Nevertheless, fine-blanking becomes more and more important as flush cuts help to avoid expensive post-processing.

The requirement of blanking and fine blanking have steadily grown over the years. On the one hand, the complexity and the accuracy of parts produced have increased significantly and on the other hand, the strength and the thickness of the sheet metal are at a high level but will rise even more over the years.

All those facts lead to higher loading on the tools and consequently to higher requirement on the tooling material and the surface quality. During blanking and fine blanking the tooling material has to withstand high mechanical loading. Especially the active parts are exposed to the highest loading. Thus in operation different wear mechanisms, break-outs or chipping can occur, which cannot completely be avoided. Therefore, for an adequate lifetime of the tools improved or new material concepts are required – a challenge for steel developers!

BÖHLER K490 MICROCLEAN strongly demonstrates its metallurgical competence as the powder metallurgical cold work tool steel. This steel grade convinces by its complex microstructure with a volume of hard primary carbides of about 10%. Its shows a toughness at the same level of wear resistance which is doubled when compared to PM grades M4 and PM 23.

SUBLIME® – The layer that redefines tool life in gear manufacturing

The SUBLIME® tool coating was developed for the special requirements in gearmanufacturing . Especially when cutting internal and external gears in steel workpieces, long cutting paths and high cutting speeds are required. The SUBLIME® layer significantly reduces wear on your gear cutting tools.

voestalpine Engineered Products

Are you not happy with the existing tool performance?

We have a unique approach and solution  for you.

Our Engineered products are the “Ready To Use” tools with right tool steel and right processes which provide better tool performance like increase in tool life, reduction in downtime, setup time & maintenance time, reduction in cost per component etc.