Deutsche Edelstahlwerke (DEW) says it has developed the hot work tool steel Thermodur 2383 Supercool for press hardening applications such as those used in the automotive industry.
The company claims this tool steel in quenched and tempered condition, offers a higher thermal conductivity of 44 W/(mK) at 100°C. As such a die insert made of this steel is said to be able to conduct heat from the heated sheet in a controlled manner within a short time. In addition, it’s claimed to be more resilient at consistently high temperatures, which is expressed by the lack of loss of hardness.