It is defined as a tool material capable of cutting at high speeds. The most important feature of these steels is that they maintain their wear resistance at high temperatures.
Cutting Tools
High speed tool steels are often used as cutting tools for machining other tools. The operating temperature varies between approximately 400–600 °C. These steels have good resistance to high temperatures, as well as very high properties such as hardness, wear and impact resistance.
High speed tool steels contain high amounts of Chromium (Cr), Vanadium (V), Molybdenum (Mo), Tungsten (W), Cobalt (Co) as alloying elements in various combinations. It is thanks to these carbide-forming elements that it maintains its mechanical properties at high temperatures. The most commonly used high speed tool steels are DIN 1.3343, 1.3243.