A2 Tool Steel / DIN 1.2363 / JIS SKD12

A2 tool steel is an air-hardening tool steel exhibiting excellent air-hardening properties. This proves highly advantageous for complex moulds requiring dimensional stability after quenching and tempering.

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Xiri Tool Steel is a leading supplier of AISI A2 tool steel in China. A2 steel is a high-carbon, medium-chromium cold work die steel that is air quenched. It is characterized by a good balance of wear resistance and toughness, as well as minimal distortion during heat treatment.

Whether you need A2 flat bars, steel plates, or round bars, we provide custom dimensions with machining or grinding services. Our materials are strictly tested to ensure premium metallurgical structure.

Equivalent Grades of A2 Steel

USA AISI	Germany DIN	Japan JIS	ISO	China GB
A2	1.2363	SKD12	100MnCrW4	Cr5Mo1V

Chemical Composition of AISI A2 / DIN 1.2363 tool steel

C	Si	Mn	Cr	P	S	V	Mo
0.90-1.05	0.20-0.40	0.40-0.80	4.80-5.50	max 0.030	max 0.030	0.10- 0.30	0.90-1.20

Supply Form & Size Range of AISI A2 / DIN 1.2363 tool steel

We supply AISI A2 / DIN 1.2363 steel in various forms to meet your manufacturing needs:

Round bar: Diameter 16mm – 800mm

Steel Plate / Flat: Thickness 16mm – 400mm x Width 200mm – 800mm

Surface: Black, Peeled, Rough machined or Grinded.

Delivery Condition: Annealed (Hardness 241 HB max.)

A Perfect Balance of Hardness and Toughness: A2 steel achieves outstanding hardening results under air-cooling conditions. Following appropriate heat treatment, its working hardness can reach an impressive HRC 60-62, ensuring resistance to the intense surface stresses and wear demands encountered during stamping and drawing operations. Crucially, it combines this high hardness with outstanding toughness, particularly in low-temperature tempered conditions. This effectively counters impacts and stresses during operation, significantly reducing the risk of chipping and cracking.

Superior wear resistance: A high-hardness matrix, complemented by carbide particle distribution, endows A2 steel with the capacity to withstand repeated friction between the die and material. This significantly extends service life in high-wear applications such as punching, bending, and forming operations.

Superior dimensional stability: Heat treatment distortion is an insidious cause of mould failure. A2 steel’s favourable air-hardening properties minimise distortion tendencies during heat treatment. Combined with appropriate tempering processes, this ensures consistent dimensional accuracy during mass production, reducing production delays and cost wastage from subsequent mould repairs.

Excellent machinability and polishability: In the annealed condition, A2 steel exhibits good machinability, facilitating mould fabrication. Following precision machining and heat treatment, it achieves high-grade surface finishes meeting stringent requirements for mould surfaces in premium products.

A2 steel’s comprehensive properties establish it as a robust foundation for numerous critical manufacturing sectors:

Precision Stamping Dies: Electronic component connectors, micro-motor stators/rotors, precision hardware fittings, etc.

Cold forming dies: Bending dies, cold heading dies, embossing dies, extrusion dies, etc.

Wear-resistant tooling components: Measuring tools, fixtures, guide bushings, precision plug gauges, and other high-wear-resistance, high-precision parts.

Cutting tools and blades: High-performance shear blades, punches, paper cutters, etc.

Plastic moulds: Mould inserts requiring high wear resistance but moderate impact loads.

Our advantages in Processing A2 Tool Steel

Exceptional performance is no accident; it stems from rigorous control at every stage of production:

Pure Refining: Employing advanced metallurgical techniques (such as Electro-Slag Remelting or Vacuum Degassing), we minimise impurities and harmful elements (S, P) in steel, ensuring high internal purity and uniformity to establish the foundation for superior performance.

Precision Rolling: Through exacting forging or rolling processes, grain structure is refined, carbide segregation is broken down, and material density and isotropy are optimised.

Advanced Heat Treatment: Equipped with large-scale, programmable heat treatment facilities (including box furnaces, atmosphere-controlled furnaces, precision-temperature-controlled salt bath furnaces, and vacuum furnaces), we execute standardised quenching (air/wind-cooled) and tempering processes. Rigorous control of temperature and time parameters at each stage ensures optimal hardness, balanced toughness, and stable microstructural conditions.

Comprehensive Inspection: Every batch undergoes rigorous quality control. This includes: – Strict chemical composition analysis via precision spectrometers to verify compliance; – Multi-point hardness testing with specialised hardness testers to ensure uniformity; – Microstructural examination under metallographic microscopes to evaluate grain size and carbide distribution; – Ultrasonic flaw detection for internal defect screening. All critical data is documented in detailed, traceable quality reports.

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Why Manufacturers Choose Huangshi Xiri

Huangshi Xiri combines international-standard steel grades, a complete tool steel portfolio, strict quality control and reliable global supply. We match DIN / JIS / AISI equivalents precisely, offer cutting and heat-treatment services, and control every step from smelting to inspection. With stable capacity, on-time delivery and responsive technical support, we help manufacturers reduce risk, save costs and run production with confidence.

International Standard Grades

We supply tool steel, mold steel and alloy steel produced to DIN, JIS and AISI equivalents. Precise grade matching ensures your engineers receive the same properties they expect: stable hardness, toughness and wear resistance, with mill test certificates and technical support to help you replace or localize imported brands without compromising performance or tool life.

One-Stop Steel Portfolio

Huangshi Xiri offers a full range of cold work, hot work, plastic mould and high-speed tool steels in bars, plates and blocks. We support cutting-to-size, pre-hardening and heat-treatment services, helping mold shops, machining centers and end users reduce preparation time, material waste and processing costs while keeping projects on schedule and within budget.

Strict Quality Control

Every batch follows a controlled route from smelting and forging to heat treatment, grinding and final inspection. Chemical composition, hardness and microstructure are carefully checked to ensure consistent performance in demanding applications. This stable quality helps reduce mold failure, unplanned downtime and rework, giving manufacturers greater confidence in long-term production runs and repeat orders.

Reliable Supply & Service

With a stable production base and logistics network covering more than forty countries, we support both trial orders and long-term framework purchases. Fast response, clear communication and flexible packaging options help you receive materials safely and on time. Our technical and sales teams work together to recommend suitable grades and cost-effective alternatives for your projects.

Contact Us

Contact Huangshi Xiri today for quotations, grade selection and technical support on tool steel, mold steel and alloy steel. Whether you need samples, cutting-to-size service or long-term supply for your projects, our engineers and sales team are ready to respond quickly with professional advice and reliable solutions for your manufacturing needs.

Huangshi Xiri Trading Co., Ltd.