High‑pressure die casting injects molten aluminum, magnesium, or zinc alloys into steel dies at high speed and pressure. Precision tooling and rapid solidification enable thin‑wall, high‑volume parts used in automotive, electronics, and structural components.
High‑pressure die casting is a fast, cyclic process in which molten metal is injected into a hardened steel die at high velocity and pressures reaching several thousand bar. Aluminum alloys such as Al‑Si or Al‑Mg are widely used due to their good castability and strength-to-weight ratio.The melt—typically aluminum, magnesium, or zinc alloys—is delivered to the shot chamber and accelerated by a hydraulic or servo-driven plunger. The gating system and intensification phase ensure rapid cavity filling and high compaction, enabling thin‑wall structures with excellent dimensional accuracy. HPDC tooling consists of fixed and moving die halves with optimized runner layouts, cooling circuits, ejector systems, and wear‑resistant inserts to withstand thermal fatigue and erosion. Common tooling materials are high quality 5%CrMoV-Hot Work Tool Steels. HPDC is essential for high-volume production of automotive structural components, housings, brackets, transmission parts, and consumer electronics, where tight tolerances, complex geometries, and high surface quality are required.
BÖHLER W300 ISOBLOC is a 5% chromium steel and corresponds to material number 1.2343 (X37CrMoV5-1). Produced via the electroslag remelting process (ESR), this tool steel has very high hot toughness as well as good hot hardness and very good resistance against heat-checkings. The combination of these properties makes it a top performer in high- and low-pressure die casting as well as in closed-die and open-die forging. In addition, this material has very good polishability and is therefore also often used as a molding material for plastic injection molds.
Read MoreBÖHLER W300 ISODISC is a 5% chromium steel and corresponds to material number 1.2343 (X37CrMoV5-1). This common tool steel has good hot toughness as well as a high hot hardness and a high resistance against heat-checkings. The combination of these properties makes it a standard choice in extrusion, forging and low-pressure die casting. This material is also available as W300 ISOBLOC which is a remelted grade with improved cleanliness, homogeneity and toughness.
Read MoreBÖHLER W302 ISOBLOC is a 5% chromium steel and corresponds to material number 1.2344 (X40CrMoV5-1). Produced via the electroslag remelting process (ESR), this tool steel has very high hot toughness as well as very high hot hardness and a very good resistance against heat-checkings. The combination of these properties makes it a top performer in closed- and open-die forging as well as in high- and low-pressure die casting. In addition, this material has very good polishability and is therefore also often used as a molding material for plastic injection molds.
Read MoreBÖHLER W302 ISODISC is a 5% chromium steel and corresponds to material number 1.2344 (X40CrMoV5-1). This common tool steel has good hot toughness as well as a high hot hardness and a high resistance against heat-checkings. The combination of these properties makes it a standard choice in extrusion, forging and low-pressure die casting. This material is also available as W302 ISOBLOC which is a remelted grade with improved cleanliness, homogeneity and toughness.
Read MoreBÖHLER W303 ISODISC is a 5% chromium steel and corresponds to material number 1.2367 (X38CrMoV5-3). This tool steel has good hot toughness as well as a very high hot hardness and resistance against heat-checkings. Compared to an X37CrMoV5-1 (material number 1.2343), the steel has an increased molybdenum content, which significantly increases its thermal resistance and thus makes it the ideal material in die closed-die forging, open-die forging and extrusion.
Read MoreBÖHLER W350 ISOBLOC is a material produced by the electroslag remelting process (ESR) which is particularly suitable for use in large casting and forging molds. Although the steel can be classified as a 5% chromium steel, the chemical composition has been chosen to provide the best possible through-hardenability without any loss of toughness or resistance against heat-checkings. These properties make the steel the perfect choice to produce very large die casting molds, for example for mega- or giga-casting.
Read MoreThe BÖHLER W360 AMPO is the powder equivalent of the W360 ISOBLOC. Due to its chemical composition, the material belongs to the product group of hot-work tool steels. After hardening and tempering, it can achieve a hardness of up to 57 HRC with very good toughness properties. Its high temperature wear resistance, heat resistance and toughness characterizes the material. Applications: Printed components with conformal cooling for die casting applications, wear protection layers and repair work in mold making using laser cladding.
Read MoreBÖHLER W360 ISOBLOC is a material produced by the electroslag remelting process (ESR), which has been specially adapted for use at high tool hardnesses in the range of 51-57 HRC. Although the steel can be classified as a 5% chromium steel, the increased carbon and molybdenum content coupled with state-of-the-art manufacturing technology ensures that BÖHLER W360 ISOBLOC still shows a very good toughness and an exceptionally good thermal resistance, even at high hardness levels. These properties make the steel the perfect choice for smaller components in the die casting sector (e.g., mold inserts, cores, core pins, ejector pins, etc.). The material also is frequently the preferred choice for closed-die and open-die forging tools due to its high wear resistance. Because of this excellent wear resistance and the high toughness, BÖHLER W360 ISOBLOC is also frequently used for cold work applications and as a molding material for plastic injection molds. The Steel also is available as powder material for metal-3D-printing under the brand name BÖHLER W360 AMPO.
Read MoreBÖHLER W400 VMR is a vacuum remelted material specially developed for tools with complex structures. The steel can be assigned to the 5% chromium steels and has a very high purity due to the special manufacturing technology. Because of its high degree of purity, the excellent homogeneity and the special alloying concept, BÖHLER W400 VMR is one of the hot work tool steels with the highest reachable toughness values. Therefore, this material is a problem solver in many areas when standard grades are no longer sufficient. In addition, Böhler W400 VMR has outstanding polishability. For this reason, the steel is also popular as a molding material for plastic injection molds.
Read MoreBÖHLER W403 VMR is a vacuum remelted material which was developed as a problem solver for tools for where a standard solution is no longer sufficient. The steel can be assigned to the 5% chromium steels and has a very high purity due to the special manufacturing technology. In addition, the increased molybdenum content leads to improved thermal resistance as well as wear resistance, which makes BÖHLER W403 VMR an all-rounder that is often used for highly stressed dies in the die casting sector. In addition, Böhler W403 VMR has outstanding polishability. For this reason, the steel is also popular as a molding material for plastic injection molds.
Read MoreBÖHLER W720 VMR is not a classic hot work tool steel, but an ultra-high strength maraging steel. Compared to quenched and tempered steels, the material generates its high strength not through a hardened and tempered martensitic structure with a high carbon content and secondary hardening carbides, but through the precipitation of intermetallic phases from a tough nickel martensitic matrix. BÖHLER W720 VMR corresponds to material number 1.6358 (X2NiCoMoTi18-9-5) and has proven to be ideally suited for many tool steel applications in cold and hot work (e.g., for extrusion stems) up to 450 °C.
Read MorePercipitation hardening nickel martensitic (marging) steel, material number 1.2709, which offers a good combination of strength and toughness. Can be printed very easily without additional heating of the building plattform or chamber. The achievable hardness of 55 HRC makes this material a universal solution for tool steel applications in which conformal cooling is required, such as die casting applications.
Read MoreUddeholm Dievar is a premium steel developed for the demanding application of high pressure casting. With new process improvements and development for use in large sizes, Uddeholm Dievar’s quality and toughness is better than ever. It is the industry benchmark for a high performance steel for the longest tool life and lowest crack risks due to its superior toughness and ductility. Apart from die casting it has proven itself as a great tool steel for other applications such as forging, extrusion and hot stamping. Uddeholm Dievar is also available for Additive Manufacturing, powder for processing Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) and Laser Metal Deposition (LMD). Benefits Uddeholm Dievar has superior heat checking and hot properties over AISI H13 and AISI H11 Perfect for large structural dies Standard specification AISI H13 / AFNOR Z35 CDV 5.3
Read MoreUddeholm Impax Supreme is prehardened mould steel with very good polishing and photo etching properties. It is suitable for a wide range of injection moulds, blow moulds and extrusion dies for plastic. Uddeholm Impax Supreme is supplied at 290-330 HB. In east/south east asian countries served by Assab, Uddeholm Impax Supreme is sold as AS 718 Supreme. Benefits No hardening risks No hardening costs Time saving, e.g. no waiting for heat treatment Lower tool cost (e.g. no distortion to rectify) Modifications easily carried out Can be subsequently nitrided to increase surface wear resistance or locally flame hardened to reduce surface damage. Standard specification W.nr 1.2738 / AISI P20 / AFNOR 35 CND 7
Read MoreUddeholm Orvar Supreme can be regarded as an “all-round” steel used in several application areas. Except for hot work application areas the steel is also used in moulds for plastics and as a material in high stressed axles. The high degree of purity and the very fine structure shows improvement in dies and components where high mechanical and thermal stresses are involved. Proven over and over again Uddeholm Orvar Supreme has stood the test of time and remains well known in the tooling industry for its high and reliable performance and ease of machining. Benefits Improved tooling performance Uddeholm Orvar Supreme meets the North American Die Casting Association (NADCA) #207 requirements for Superior high quality H-13 die steel. Standard specification W.nr 1.2344 / AISI H13 / AFNOR Z38 CDV 5.1
Read MoreUddeholm QRO 90 HT is a hot rolled, pre-machined and pre-hardened QRO 90 Supreme material. The properties of Uddeholm QRO 90 Supreme in combination of pre-machined, pre-hardened round dimension makes the product extremely robust for core pins and other thermal stability inserts for high pressure die casting. Benefits Reduced maintenance and downtime costs combined with increased productivity due to the reduced likelihood of premature failures. Excellent machinability in pre-hardened condition ensures advantages in both tool making and tool maintenance. Standard specification AISI H13
Read MoreUddeholm QRO 90 Supreme is a specially premium hot work steel developed by Uddeholm to provide better performance in high temperature tooling. The name “supreme” implies that by special manufacturing techniques, including electro-slag remelting the steel attains high purity and good mechanical properties. This together with the optimum balance of alloying elements in Uddeholm QRO 90 Supreme gives a property profile which is unique among hot work die steel. Benefits Uddeholm QRO 90 Supreme excels as a tool steels where tools tempers down quickly to lower hardness. Uddeholm QRO 90 Supreme has given improved service life in die casting and extrusion. Standard specification AISI H13 / AFNOR 40 CDV 10 (ESR)
Read Morevoestalpine AM Distributor Rings for die-casting applications are produced with premium materials by BÖHLER/Uddeholm. Used mainly in two-plate die casting molds, these finished products include voestalpine heat treatment, final machining, eifeler PVD coating, and customized conformal cooling. Our additively manufactured (AM) distributor rings offer outstanding high-temperature wear resistance, excellent ductility (gross crack resistance), premium tempering resistance, significant soldering reduction, high heat-checking resistance, as well as high thermal conductivity. AM versions are further enhanced with our customized high-performance conformal cooling design to attain the highest efficiency in die temperature control. With their superior properties, these distributor rings are designed to increase your OEE.
Read Morevoestalpine AM Distributors for die-casting applications are produced with premium materials by BÖHLER/Uddeholm. Used mainly in two-plate die casting molds, these finished products include voestalpine heat treatment, final machining, eifeler PVD coating, and customized conformal cooling. Our additively manufactured (AM) distributors offer outstanding high-temperature wear resistance, excellent ductility (gross crack resistance), premium tempering resistance, significant soldering reduction, high heat-checking resistance, as well as high thermal conductivity. AM versions are further enhanced with our customized high-performance conformal cooling design to attain the highest efficiency in die temperature control. With their superior properties, these distributors are designed to increase your OEE.
Read MoreWith voestalpine forced venting Chill Blocks, we combine first-class material know-how with our tailor-made solutions for every application requirement. The patented voestalpine wave design allows a large gap size (up to 1.3mm), which enables a consistently high venting performance. During the opening process, the special wave geometry leads to a self-deformation in the forced venting area, thereby lowering the removal forces and providing high process reliability. Thanks to its robust steel design, this innovative solution is ideally suited for harsh foundry condition. Furthermore, low downtimes and less maintenance effort increases the OEE for our customers, which leads directly to improved productivity.
Read MoreCore pins are frequently used to cast intricate designs. Due to the extremely high thermal loads in combination with extremely hot-temperature wear on these exchangeable parts, they are one of the most critical components in HPDC and LPDC tools. With constantly rising Al-part complexity, more and more core pins are required in DC molds. Our voestalpine Core Pins are the solution to these industrial challenges. These ready-to-use components are made from premium materials by BÖHLER/Uddeholm and incorporate several state-of-the-art services, including machining, heat treatment and PVD coating. With this outstanding combination, productivity and lifetime are significantly increased.
Read MoreOur distributor rings for high pressure die casting applications are created from premium materials by BÖHLER/Uddeholm. The finished products include heat treatment and are available with or without eifeler PVD coating. Our ready-to-use distributor rings are mainly used in two-plate die casting molds. This solution offers high temperature wear resistance, excellent ductility (cross crack resistance), good temper back resistance and soldering reduction (with eifeler PVD coating). Reduced down-time and maintenance efforts, increases the OEE for our customer, which directly results in increased productivity.
Read MoreOur distributors for high pressure die casting applications are created from premium materials by BÖHLER/Uddeholm. The finished products include heat treatment and are available with or without eifeler PVD coating. Our ready-to-use distributors are mainly used in two-plate die casting molds. This solution offers high temperature wear resistance, excellent ductility (cross crack resistance), good temper back resistance and soldering reduction (with eifeler PVD coating). Reduced down-time and maintenance efforts, increases the OEE for our customer, which directly results in increased productivity.
Read MoreOur fin filters for die casting applications are created from premium materials by Uddeholm. The Fin Filter is a high-performance filtration system that stands out for its efficiency and durability. It is additively manufactured and designed for maintenance-free operation, with an easy blow-out feature that can be performed either manually or automatically by a vacuum unit after each cycle. Made from high-quality stainless steel, the filter is exceptionally long-lasting and resistant to wear. Its innovative design prevents clogging, ensuring more consistent and accurate vacuum values. Additionally, the Fin Filter is a cost-effective solution, providing significant savings. For efficient and uninterrupted degassing, we recommend combining our fin filters with voestalpine Chill Blocks.revents clogging, ensuring more consistent and accurate vacuum values. Additionally, the Fin Filter is a cost-effective solution, providing significant savings. For efficient and uninterrupted degassing, we recommend combining our fin filters with voestalpine Chill Blocks.
Read MoreWe provide the HPDC industry with ready-to-use AM Sprues, which are mainly used in 3-plate die casting molds. Made from our premium BÖHLER/Uddeholm powders according to our customers’ needs, these AM parts contain our unique conformal-cooling design, providing significant improvement of cycle time, lifetime, and maintenance effort.
Read MoreThe ready-to-use sprues are used in 2 & 3-plate die casting molds. This solution offers high-temperature wear resistance, excellent ductility (cross crack resistance) and good temper back resistance. Increased and stable lifetime, reduced downtime and maintenance effort, increase the OEE for our customer, which directly results in higher productivity.
Read Morevoestalpine AM Sub Inserts for die-casting applications are produced with premium materials by BÖHLER/Uddeholm. The finished products include voestalpine heat treatment, final machining, eifeler PVD coating and customized conformal cooling to deliver high-performance solutions that are ready for foundry use. Our additively manufactured (AM) sub inserts offer outstanding high-temperature wear resistance, excellent ductility (gross crack resistance), premium tempering resistance, significant soldering reduction, high heat-checking resistance as well as high thermal conductivity. AM versions are further enhanced with our customized high-performance conformal cooling design to attain the highest efficiency in die temperature control. With their superior properties, these sub inserts are designed to increase your OEE. To meet the highest level of demand, they are available with a hardness of up to 57 HRC.
Read Morevoestalpine Sub Inserts for die-casting applications are produced with premium materials by BÖHLER/Uddeholm. The finished products include voestalpine heat treatment, final machining, and eifeler PVD coating to deliver high-performance solutions that are ready for foundry use. Our sub inserts offer outstanding high-temperature wear resistance, excellent ductility (gross crack resistance), premium tempering resistance, significant soldering reduction (with eifeler PVD coating), high heat-checking resistance as well as high thermal conductivity. These superior properties lead to reduced downtime and maintenance effort, thereby substantially increasing OEE. To meet the highest level of demand, these sub inserts are available with a hardness of up to 57 HRC.
Read MoreWater Jackets are exchangeable tool inserts used for the casting of aluminum engine blocks. This important component is very thin and tends to have variations in thickness of its curved walls from top to bottom. Due to this design characteristic, a premium solution is required. We offer this with a combination of outstanding materials and state-of-the art processes, including heat treatment and PVD coating.
Read MoreOur water jackets are exchangeable tool inserts used for the casting of aluminum engine blocks. This important component, with typically very thin and variable thickness walls, must withstand extremely high thermal loads in the HPDC process. Due to this, a premium solution is required. Our ready-to-use water jackets offer high temperature wear resistance, excellent ductility, good temper back resistance and soldering reduction (PVD coating). Increased stable lifetime, less down-time and reduced maintenance efforts improve our customers’ OEE which directly results in increased productivity!
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