1. General presentation

Tool steels are regulated in accordance with standard NF EN ISO 4957 of May 2000, which specifies :

• product acceptance conditions, with reference to the ISO 10474 control document standard;

• some aspects of the manufacturing processes and, in particular, the normal delivery condition (annealed condition), as well as indications on surface conditions and aspects, with references to the corresponding standards (e.g. ISO 1035 for hot-rolled steel bars);

• product testing conditions: selection and preparation of samples and test specimens in compliance with NF EN ISO 377 and NF EN ISO 14284 standards.

The purpose of this standard is to define the most commonly used grades of tool steel, based on their chemical composition and their characteristics determined...