Before the customer had to do a heat treatment. The previous material also were more brittle so the knife cracked. Besides the technical advantages, the price today is lower with Toolox® 44.
The previous material is Orvar Supreme (tool steel from Uddeholm).
Toolox® 44 is working in the application since more than 2 years. The lifetime is the same as before but resharpening inside the factory makes it possible to reuse the knives fast and inexpensive. Previous problems with weld cracks are avoided and galling is less important. The customer has introduced the Toolox® 44 as standard and is using it at their two billet moulds. For each machine, they have 5-6 knives in rotation. The knives are refurbished until finally the dimensions are too small and the knives thrown away. Around 20 knives have been worn out.
Lower initial cost
New service life: Similar to previous
Tool steel