Influence of heat treatment process on the hardness and material structure of SKD61 tool steel

This study investigates the influence of heat treatment on the hardness and material structure of SKD61 steel. The study focused on the influence of quenching temperature and tempering temperature on the hardness distribution of SKD61 steel. The equations representing the relationship between hardness and tempering temperature were derived based on the results. By the results of the analysis of the material structure, the appropriate process conditions for machining molds at high temperature were determined. We concluded that the steel should be heated to 1050[Formula: see text]C. The heat was maintained for 2 h and the steel then quenched in oil media. It was further annealed at 580[Formula: see text]C, with the heat maintained for 2 h and then cooled in the same furnace. With the above heat treatment process, an average hardness of 52HRC was obtained and the structure of the steel was sufficiently stable to ensure the success of subsequent heat treatment processes.