Hot extrusion forces heated metal billets through a hardened steel die to form rods, tubes, and profiles. Using aluminum, steel, copper, and titanium alloys, the process provides uniform shapes for automotive, aerospace, and construction applications.
Hot extrusion is a deformation process in which heated billets are forced through a die to create long profiles with uniform cross‑sections. Billets are typically heated to 450–500°C for aluminum and up to 1200°C for steels, ensuring sufficient ductility and reduced forming forces. The process can be direct—where the ram pushes the billet toward the die—or indirect, which reduces friction by moving the die toward the billet. Common materials processed include aluminum alloys, copper, steels, and titanium. Tooling usually consists of Hot Work Tool Steel dies, extrusion stems, containers, dummy blocks, and shear rings designed to withstand high pressure, wear, and thermal cycling. Lubrication and die cooling are critical for surface quality and tool life. Hot extrusion enables the production of rods, tubes, bars, structural profiles, and precision components used in automotive, aerospace, construction, heat exchangers, and electrical applications where consistent properties and complex shapes are required.
BÖHLER 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 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 MoreUddeholm Formvar is a high performance hot work tool steel which offers a very good resistance to hot wear and plastic deformation. It is a solid upgrade choice especially from H13 and H11 forging tools on the market. With good tempering back resistance and hot yield strength, Uddeholm Formvar will ensure increased tool life over H13/H11 dies. This gives a longer tool life and reduced maintenance and tooling costs. Benefits Longer tool life Reduced maintenance Reduced tooling costs Standard specification AISI H13 / AFNOR Z35 CDV 5.3
Read MoreUddeholm Orvar 2 Microdized is a premium hot work tool steel engineered for demanding applications where high-temperature strength, wear resistance, and dimensional stability are critical. With its exceptional through-hardening properties and uniform microstructure, this steel delivers consistent performance across a wide range of tooling environments. Benefits Designed to meet the rigorous standards of aluminum extrusion tooling and die casting, Uddeholm Orvar 2 Microdized offers outstanding resistance to thermal fatigue, plastic deformation, and premature cracking. Thanks to its high level of machinability and polishability, manufacturers benefit from reduced production time and enhanced surface finishes. The material’s availability in large round dimensions further supports versatility in design and tooling applications. In east/south east asian countries served by Assab, Uddeholm Orvar 2 Microdized is sold as AS 8407 2M. Standard specification W.nr 1.2344 / AISI H13 / AFNOR Z40 CDV 5.1
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)
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