56NiCrMoV7
1.2714Heavy-duty hot work tool steel with high Ni (1.5-1.8%) for exceptional toughness at working hardness. THE forging die material for hammers and presses. Better impact resistance than H13 but lower hot hardness. Also used as backing steel for composite dies. Applications: forging dies, die holders, press tools, shear blades, and heavy-duty punches.
International equivalents
| Flag | Standard | Country | Grade | Number | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 | AISI | USA | AISI L6 (approximate) | — | REF |
| 🇪🇺 | EN | Europe | 56NiCrMoV7 / 1.2714 | 1.2714 | 100% |
Sources: ASTM A681, EN ISO 4957
Chemical composition comparison (wt%)
Side-by-side: 56NiCrMoV7 (EN) (EN ISO 4957) vs 56NiCrMoV7 / 1.2714 (EN) (EN ISO 4957)
| Element | 56NiCrMoV7 (EN) | 56NiCrMoV7 / 1.2714 (EN) | Overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 0.5–0.6% | 0.5–0.6% | OK |
| Si | 0.1–0.4% | 0.1–0.4% | OK |
| Mn | 0.6–0.9% | 0.6–0.9% | OK |
| P | 0–0.03% | 0–0.03% | OK |
| S | 0–0.03% | 0–0.03% | OK |
| Cr | 0.9–1.2% | 0.9–1.2% | OK |
| Mo | 0.35–0.55% | 0.35–0.55% | OK |
| Ni | 1.5–1.8% | 1.5–1.8% | OK |
| V | 0.05–0.15% | 0.05–0.15% | OK |
Mechanical properties
Hardened Tempered
| Property | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness HRC | 40–50 | HRC |
| Tensile Strength | 1300–1700 | MPa |
| Elastic Modulus | ≥ 210 | GPa |
| Density | ≥ 7.85 | g/cm3 |
Annealed
| Property | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness HB | ≤ 248 | HB |
Heat treatment
| Process | Temperature | Medium | Holding Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hardening | 830–870 °C | oil | — | Oil quench — not air-hardening like H13 |
| tempering | 450–600 °C | air | 2x min 1h per 25mm | Double temper |
Compatibility verdict
56NiCrMoV7 and 56NiCrMoV7 / 1.2714: 100% composition match
Close equivalents but NOT identical.
Related materials
P20 / 40CrMnMo7
1.2311Pre-hardened plastic mold steel (usually delivered at 28-34 HRC). The most widely used mold base steel globally. Good machinability in pre-hardened condition, good polishability. Used for injection molds, die-casting dies, extrusion tooling, and structural mold components.
M2 / HS6-5-2
1.3343The most widely used high-speed steel worldwide. W-Mo-Cr-V composition gives excellent red hardness (cuts at temperatures up to 600°C). Used for twist drills, end mills, taps, reamers, bandsaw blades, and general-purpose cutting tools. The benchmark HSS grade.
X45NiCrMo4
1.2767Nickel cold-work tool steel with exceptional toughness from ~4% Ni content. Excellent through-hardenability, polishability, and impact resistance. Used for plastic injection molds (high-gloss), embossing dies, scrap shear blades, punches, cutlery dies, and bending tools.
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