1.2344 is a 5% chromium-molybdenum-vanadium hot work die steel built for dies that run above 600 °C. It resists heat checking and crazing, and keeps enough toughness to survive impact in forging, trimming and heavy-section die casting. Supplied annealed at ≤ 229 HB for machining and hardened to 48–52 HRC in service; standard heats are vacuum degassed (EF + LF + VD), with electro-slag remelting added on request where the die sees molten aluminium or deep polishing.
| Standards | DIN 1.2344 · AISI H13 · JIS SKD61 · GB 4Cr5MoSiV1 |
|---|---|
| Condition | Annealed, ≤ 229 HB |
| Hardness | 48–52 HRC (44–48 for high-toughness duty) |
| Melting route | EF + LF + VD · ESR or EFS on request |
| Size range | Bars φ12–65 rolled / φ70–700 forged · Plates 8–50 / 40–600 thick |
| Certificate | EN 10204 3.1 · UT to SEP 1921 D/d |
H13 tool steel sits where hot hardness, thermal fatigue resistance and toughness balance well enough to cover most hot work tooling without moving to a specialised grade. Three families account for most of the H13 that leaves here.
The largest family. Aluminium and magnesium die casting subjects the die face to a thermal cycle thousands of times, and the grade has to hold hardness at temperature while resisting the crack network that develops from repeated expansion and contraction. It remains the default for cavity blocks, cores and inserts.
Extrusion loads a die continuously rather than cyclically, so the demand shifts towards hot strength and wear resistance at the bearing surfaces, with nitriding usually applied afterwards. H13 is standard across flat dies, porthole dies and mandrels.
Particularly in small and medium sizes and for inserts within larger die sets, where toughness matters as much as hot hardness.
| Designation | C | Si | Mn | Cr | Mo | V |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIN EN ISO 49571.2344X40CrMoV5-1 | 0.35–0.42 | 0.90–1.20 | 0.30–0.50 | 4.80–5.50 | 1.20–1.50 | 0.90–1.15 |
| ASTM A681H13 | 0.32–0.45 | 0.80–1.20 | 0.20–0.50 | 4.75–5.50 | 1.10–1.75 | 0.80–1.20 |
| JIS G4404SKD61 | 0.35–0.42 | 0.80–1.20 | 0.25–0.50 | 4.80–5.50 | 1.00–1.50 | 0.80–1.15 |
| GOST 59504Kh5MF1S4Х5МФ1С | 0.37–0.44 | 0.80–1.20 | 0.15–0.40 | 4.50–5.50 | 1.20–1.50 | 0.80–1.20 |
| GB/T 12994Cr5MoSiV1 | 0.32–0.45 | 0.80–1.20 | 0.20–0.50 | 4.75–5.50 | 1.10–1.75 | 0.80–1.20 |
Composition in %, balance Fe. DIN, ASTM and JIS ranges are those we supply against; GOST 5950 and GB/T 1299 quoted per standard. Standard route is LF + VD + ESR, forged, annealed to ≤ 229 HB — held to P ≤ 0.015 % and S ≤ 0.003 %, below the limit of any grade above.
Full-process metallurgical control, strict lab testing, and complete 3.1 certification traceability.
Every order runs the full OEM route — melt, forge, anneal, finish — and leaves the yard only after a 100 % inspection pass: each piece is checked visually for cracks, seams and roll marks, ultrasonically tested to SEP 1921 D/d, identified by handheld spectrometry so two grades never get mixed, Brinell tested after annealing or QT, and gauged against the sizes and tolerances written into your contract.
Where your technical agreement asks for more, we go past that pass: non-metallic inclusion rating to GB, ASTM or DIN, microstructure to AS 9 or better, grain size 6 or finer, plus banded segregation and eutectic carbide held within the class you specify.
Every shipment carries an EN 10204 3.1 certificate, and the heat number stamped on the steel matches the one printed on the paper.
Packed for six weeks at sea, not just for the truck.
Two ways out. FCL in 20GP or 40GP containers, 24–26 tonnes each, loaded and sealed at our works — photos of the packed container go out before the vessel sails. Or break bulk, 100 to 3,000 tonnes, when the tonnage outgrows a box. Either way the steel leaves painted on six faces, wrapped, oiled and crated, packed for the weeks it spends at sea.
Sizes, surface conditions and tolerances, as we quote them.
| Shape | Process | Size range | Surface | Tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round bar | Hot rolled | Ø 12–65 mm Length 2,000–5,800 | Black / Turned | 0–+2 |
| Hot forged | Ø 70–800 mm Length 2,000–5,800 | Peeled / Ground | −2–+5 | |
| Turned / Bright | 0–+2 | |||
| Flat bar | Hot rolled | 8–50 × 410–910 mm Length 2,000–5,800 | Black / Sandblasted | Thickness 0–+2 Width 0–+10 |
| Hot forged | 40–600 × 210–1,500 mm Length 2,000–5,800 | Black | Thickness 0–+5 Width 0–+10 / +5 | |
| Turned / Milled / Bright | Thickness 0–+2 Width 0–+10 / +5 | |||
| Disc / ring | Forged | OD ≤ 1,500 mm | Black / Turned | On drawing |
Round bar up to Ø 800 mm, plate to 1,500 mm wide, cut to 5,800 mm.
Decarburisation matters more in H13 tool steel than in most grades a distributor stocks: the surface layer has lost carbon, will not harden to the same level as the bulk, and a die face machined into it behaves differently from the steel underneath. All four are cut to your lengths at ± 2 mm.
Annealed is what we deliver. Harden and temper it in your own furnace.
A recommended route, not a specification we impose or verify.
Send us the die, the thickness and the hardness you are aiming for, and we will write the cycle for your plant — preheat steps, soak, tempering window.
Most of the time 1.2344 is the right pick. When a die keeps failing the same way, the fix is usually a different grade — all four below come off the same line.
The die runs hot and crazes early. More molybdenum holds hardness at temperature, so the cracks start later.
It cracks before it softens. Less vanadium than 1.2344 — some hot strength traded for impact resistance.
It runs hot and never cools down. 3 % Cr with more Mo and V. Better under continuous heat, wrong for a die that cycles.
Big block, heavy blow. Ni-Cr-Mo rather than 5 % Cr, so it hardens right through the section.
Response in 24h on working days.
Email: wonderful@fcstoolsteel.com
WhatsApp: +86-18972782802