M42 High-Speed Tool Steel
M42 stands as the star member within the high-speed steel family, boasting the highest cobalt content (approximately 8%). The incorporation of cobalt acts as a potent ‘energy engine’ for the material, significantly enhancing its red hardness. Even under cutting temperatures exceeding 600°C, it maintains outstanding hardness and edge strength, effectively resisting softening and deformation. Simultaneously, M42 boasts top-tier wear resistance, with peak hardness reaching HRC 67-70, making it exceptionally adept at machining high-strength, highly wear-resistant materials. Even more impressively, it exhibits outstanding resistance to tempering softening. Its performance remains remarkably stable and reliable even under complex heat treatment or prolonged exposure to high temperatures. This pinnacle combination of comprehensive properties ensures M42 tools deliver enduring performance in the most demanding conditions.
Product Description
Xiri Tool Steel is a leading supplier of M42 high speed tool steel in China. M42 is a cobalt-containing super-hard high-speed steel, renowned for its high hardness (up to HRC 67-70) and excellent red hardness. It is mainly used for machining difficult-to-cut materials such as ultra-high strength steel and high-temperature alloys.
Whether you need M42 flat bars, steel plates, or forged rounds, we provide custom dimensions with machining or grinding services. Our materials are strictly tested to ensure premium metallurgical structure.
M42 high-speed tool steel, with the American AISI standard code of M42 and the Chinese GB standard grade of W2Mo9Cr4VCo8, is a tungsten-molybdenum series super-hard high-speed steel containing cobalt.
Equivalent Grades of M42 High Speed Tool Steel
| USA AISI |
Germany DIN |
Japan JIS |
ISO | China GB |
| M42 | 1.3247 | SKH59 | HS2-9-1-8 | W2Mo9Cr4VCo8 |
Chemical Composition of DIN 1.3247 / AISI M42 high speed tool steel
| C | Si | Mn | Cr | P | S | Mo | W | V | Co |
| 1.05-1.15 | 0.15-0.65 | 0.15-0.40 | 3.50-4.25 | max 0.030 | max 0.030 | 9.0-10.0 | 1.15-1.35 | 0.95-1.85 | 7.75-8.75 |
Supply Form & Size Range of AISI M42 high speed tool steel
We supply M42 steel in various forms to meet your manufacturing needs:
Round bar: Diameter 60mm – 250mm
Steel Plate / Flat: Thickness 25mm – 200mm x Width 200mm – 410mm
Surface: Black, Peeled, Rough machined or Grinded.
Delivery Condition: Annealed (Hardness 269 HB max.)
The Core of Exceptional Performance of M42 High Speed Tool Steel
M42 stands as the star member within the high-speed steel family, boasting the highest cobalt content (approximately 8%). The incorporation of cobalt acts as a potent ‘energy engine’ for the material, significantly enhancing its red hardness. Even under cutting temperatures exceeding 600°C, it maintains outstanding hardness and edge strength, effectively resisting softening and deformation. Simultaneously, M42 boasts top-tier wear resistance, with peak hardness reaching HRC 67-70, making it exceptionally adept at machining high-strength, highly wear-resistant materials. Even more impressively, it exhibits outstanding resistance to tempering softening. Its performance remains remarkably stable and reliable even under complex heat treatment or prolonged exposure to high temperatures. This pinnacle combination of comprehensive properties ensures M42 tools deliver enduring performance in the most demanding conditions.
M42 High Speed Tool Steel Applications
King of Efficient Cutting: When machining ‘tough nuts to crack’ such as high-hardness alloys (e.g., superalloys, titanium alloys), stainless steel, and high-strength steel, M42 tools operate stably at higher cutting speeds and feed rates, significantly boosting efficiency and reducing tool changes.
Precision Forming Specialist: For core components in cold work dies and stamping dies demanding exceptional wear resistance and compressive strength (such as punches and dies), M42 serves as the reliable foundation ensuring extended service life and high precision.
Core of Specialised Tools: For specialised drills, taps, milling cutters, reamers, and other tools subjected to extreme wear or high-temperature environments, M42 steel delivers unparalleled performance support.
Woodworking and Aeronautical Excellence: Premium hardwood machining tools and cutting tools for critical aerospace engine components alike rely on M42’s exceptional performance.
Our advantages in Processing M42 High Speed Tool Steel
We recognise that even the most superior material properties must be underpinned by consistent, high quality. Our M42 high-speed tool steel adheres to the most stringent quality control systems from source to delivery:
Pure Smelting: Advanced metallurgical techniques (such as electroslag remelting) minimise impurities and harmful inclusions, ensuring intrinsic material purity—the foundation of consistent performance.
Precision Thermal Processing: Forging and rolling processes strictly control temperature and deformation, optimising internal grain structure to establish a robust foundation for subsequent heat treatment.
Scientific Heat Treatment: Optimised quenching and multiple tempering processes precisely control phase transformations, ensuring each batch of M42 achieves peak hardness of HRC 67-70 while balancing optimal toughness and red hardness. Heat treatment is the critical step unlocking M42’s full potential.
Comprehensive Inspection: End-to-end chemical composition spectral analysis, non-destructive testing (ultrasonic), multi-point hardness testing, and metallographic examination ensure defect-free materials and fully compliant performance. Rigorous sorting and marking guarantee traceability.
Not sure about the best equivalent for your application?
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.
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.
