Injection Moulding

BÖHLER M200 is a prehardened, non-corrosion-resistant chromium-manganese-molybdenum alloyed plastic mould steel with very good machinability and uniform strength over the entire cross-section of medium-sized dimensions.

BÖHLER M238 is a prehardened, non-corrosion-resistant plastic mould steel with good machinability. The addition of Ni guarantees uniform strength across the entire cross-section, even with large dimensions (up to 600 mm).

BÖHLER M238HH corresponds to BÖHLER M238 in High-Hard product variant. A variation in the heat treatment enables significantly higher wear resistance and edge-stability for improved tool life.

BÖHLER M261 is a precipitation-hardenable steel for plastic molds that exhibits very good machinability in the as-delivered condition – solution-annealed and aged. Compared to 1.2312, BÖHLER M261 has a higher resistance to pressure and wear. By eliminating the need for additional heat treatment, the throughput time can also be significantly reduced.

BÖHLER M300 is a prehardened corrosion-resistant martensitic chromium steel that can be tempered to a higher strength due to its carbon content. Due to the alloying with chromium and molybdenum, BÖHLER M300 has very good corrosion resistance and good wear resistance and is therefore suitable for molds for processing chemically aggressive molding compounds (e.g. PVC).

BÖHLER M303 is a corrosion-resistant, martensitic chromium steel with very good toughness, corrosion resistance, good wear resistance and improved machinability and polishability. Compared to 1.2316, BÖHLER M303 has better homogeneity and is approved for food and beverage contact.

BÖHLER M303HIGHHARD corresponds to BÖHLER M303 in the High-Hard product variant. A variation in the heat treatment enables significantly higher wear resistance.

BÖHLER M303 ISOPLAST corresponds to a remelted BÖHLER M303 . The variation in the production route enables greater toughness and polishability thanks to higher purity and improved homogeneity. Also available as product variant BÖHLER M303HH ISOPLAST (high-hard variant).

BÖHLER M310 ISOPLAST is a corrosion-resistant, martensitic chromium steel which, through electroslag remelting and optimization of the chemical composition, has a good homogeneity and a balanced hardness-toughness-corrosion resistance ratio.

BÖHLER M314 is a prehardened, corrosion-resistant martensitic plastic mold steel which, due to its chemical composition, has very good machinability and uniform strength over the entire cross-section.

BÖHLER M315 is a prehardened, corrosion-resistant martensitic plastic mold steel. Due to its chemical composition, BÖHLER M315 has improved machinability compared to 1.2085 and is approved for food contact.

BÖHLER M333 ISOPLAST is a corrosion-resistant, martensitic plastic mold steel with excellent polishability and toughness for products with highest surface requirements. BÖHLER M333 ISOPLAST is also approved for food and beverage contact.

BÖHLER M340 ISOPLAST corresponds to a corrosion-resistant, martensitic chromium steel with improved wear resistance. This is ideal for the application area of glass fiber reinforced plastics. In addition, the BÖHLER M340 ISOPLAST is approved for food and beverage contact.

BÖHLER M368 MICROCLEAN is a corrosion-resistant, martensitic chromium steel produced by powder metallurgy. Due to the alloy concept and the production route, the steel has a high wear resistance, high corrosion resistance and high toughness. In addition, BÖHLER M368 MICROCLEAN is approved for food and beverage contact.

BÖHLER M380 ISOPLAST is a high-nitrogen alloyed, corrosion-resistant, martensitic plastic mold steel electro-slag remelted under pressure with excellent corrosion resistance, very good polishability and very high toughness combined with a high hardness of up to 60 HRC. In addition, BÖHLER M380 ISOPLAST is approved for contact with food and beverage.

BÖHLER M390 MICROCLEAN is a corrosion-resistant, martensitic chromium steel produced by powder metallurgy. Due to its alloy design, this steel has very high wear resistance and good corrosion resistance. In addition, BÖHLER M390 MICROCLEAN is approved for food and beverage contact.

BÖHLER M398 MICROCLEAN is a corrosion-resistant, martensitic chromium steel produced by powder metallurgy. Due to its alloy design, this steel has good corrosion resistance and higher wear resistance compared to BÖHLER M390 MICROCLEAN.

BÖHLER M789 AMPO is a newly developed maraging steel, which combines the mechanical properties of 1.2709 with the corrosion resistance of 17-4PH. This patent bending grade can easily printed without any preheating and achieves a hardness of about 52 HRC with a very easy heat treatment. Furthermore, this material shows an excellent polishability, which makes it the ideal choice for inserts with conformal cooling in plastic injection molding and in any other application where a high hardness and corrosion resistance is of need.

BÖHLER N685 is a corrosion-resistant, martensitic chromium steel with a high carbon content and molybdenum and vanadium additives.

BÖHLER N690 is a corrosion-resistant, martensitic chromium steel with a high carbon content and the addition of cobalt, molybdenum and vanadium. BÖHLER N690 is also approved for food and beverage contact.

BÖHLER N695 is a corrosion-resistant, martensitic chromium steel with a high carbon content and added molybdenum.

BÖHLER N700 is a martensitic, corrosion-resistant, precipitation-hardenable chromium-nickel-copper steel with high strength and toughness. Further increases in strength can be achieved by cold forming and subsequent precipitation hardening. These products are typically used for parts that require higher corrosion resistance than the usual 13% or 17% chromium steels and high strength. Various remelting processes are used to improve steel purity and homogeneity. (ESR, PESR, VAR). Certain processing methods and operating conditions can make these products susceptible to stress corrosion cracking. For applications such as bolting where stress corrosion cracking is possible, the product should be aged for at least 4 hours at the highest temperature compatible with the strength requirements, but in no case lower than 552 °C. Typical engineering applications include surgical and dental instruments as well as aerospace components, reactor construction, highly stressed pump parts, springs and ship shafts.

BÖHLER N701 is a corrosion-resistant steel available in the form of bars, wire, and forgings in the solution-annealed condition. It is a martensitic, precipitation-hardenable chromium-nickel-copper steel with high strength and toughness. Further strength enhancements can be achieved through cold working and subsequent precipitation hardening. These products are typically used for parts that require higher corrosion resistance than conventional 13% or 17% chromium steels and high strength up to 316°C. However, their use is not limited to such applications. The vacuum melting process is used to improve steel purity and homogeneity. Certain processing methods and operating conditions can make these products susceptible to stress corrosion cracking. Typical applications include reactor construction, highly stressed pump parts, springs, ship shafts, plastic injection molds and compression molds, and medical instruments.

BÖHLER R250 is a a premium aircraft-quality, double vacuum-melted low-alloy steel in the form of bars, forgings and forging stock. The grade is used typically for parts such as bearings operating under heavy loads and high speeds at moderate temperatures up to 600° F. E.g. bearings and rolling elements, bearing balls and races.

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.

BÖHLER 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.

BÖHLER 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.

BÖHLER 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.

BÖHLER 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.

The 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.

BÖHLER 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.

BÖHLER 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.

BÖHLER 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.

BÖHLER 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.

Percipitation 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.

The voestalpine Cooling Liquid Filter CLF-100 is engineered to protect your conformal cooling solutions. The star-shaped stainless-steel sieve offers exceptional filtration performance, effectively preventing particles larger than 100 µm from entering the cooling channel. This filter is a cost-effective investment, reducing the risk of unnecessary downtimes. Experience a reliable operation with our stainless-steel filter, engineered for water-based or oil-based coolants in a temperature range of -10 to +260°C. Achieve maximal coolant flow with an impressive flow rate of up to 80 liters per minute up to a nominal pressure of PN 16. The filter can be flanged to the mold or operated directly with a temperature control unit. The large filter volume and surface ensure extended maintenance intervals. When maintenance is required, the filter cartridge can be removed while the filter housing remains in the system circuit, offering a maintenance-friendly design that reduces downtimes. The filter cartridge itself can be cleaned using compressed air, an ultrasonic bath, or a high-pressure cleaner.

voestalpine Distributors 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, and eifeler PVD coating to deliver high-performance solutions that are ready for foundry use. Our distributor rings 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 enable reduced maintenance effort and a more constant melt flow, thereby substantially increasing OEE.

Nozzle filters are used to prevent contamination from the plastic melt causing blockages or interruptions to the injection process. These contaminates can cause damage to hot runner systems, resulting in extended downtime and increased maintenance costs. The design of the voestalpine Flow Filter V & X capitalizes on the unique capabilities of additive manufacturing to create a high-density solid mesh filter. Flow Filter X combines filtration and mixing properties, thereby reducing masterbatch consumption. Flow Filter V provides an extremely low pressure drop (up to 65% compared to comb filter). These filters provide improved performance over traditional injection molding nozzle filters and are available in both standard sizes and tailored dimensions. The use of voestalpine Flow Filters increases part quality, reduces scrap rate, significantly reduces shear stresses, and reduces masterbatch consumption. The filters also exhibit high wear- and corrosion resistance as a result of their premium material composition.  

voestalpine Inserts for Bottle Caps have optimized conformal cooling solutions, enabling our customers to run a stable and highly efficient production with a minimized cost per plastic part produced. Our inserts offer higher wear resistance and increased lifetime compared to standard inserts, resulting in lower costs per part produced. Made using our premium steel, our inserts do not contain copper beryllium, which is a potentially toxic element in standard inserts. Many globally active plastic injection molding companies in various industries have confirmed the premium functionality and profitability of our corrosion-resistant inserts for bottle caps.

voestalpine Inserts for Cylindrical Containers are produced using additive manufacturing and have optimized conformal cooling channels that enable our customers to run a stable and highly efficient production. This results in a cost reduction per plastic part produced. Our inserts for cylindrical containers offer an overall cycle time reduction of up to 26% compared to conventionally manufactured inserts. Improved part tolerances are also achieved through homogeneous and conformal cooling design, leading to lower scrap rates and increased productivity.  The inserts are highly polishable, highly ductile (safety against cracks), and have high wear- and corrosion resistance. Many globally active plastic injection molding companies in various industries have confirmed the premium functionality and profitability of our corrosion-resistant inserts for cylindrical containers.

Our Inserts for Food Container lids have optimized conformal cooling solutions, enabling our customers to run a stable and highly efficient production with a minimized cost per plastic part produced. With more homogeneous temperature distribution, our inserts enable improved productivity and can reduce the overall cycle time by up to 15% compared to conventionally manufactured products. Many producers of food container lids have tested our AM solutions and confirmed the increased profitability by using our corrosion resistant inserts for food container lids.

Our AM Inserts for PET-Preform have optimized conformal cooling solutions, enabling our customers to run a stable and highly efficient production with a minimized cost per plastic part produced. Our inserts offer higher wear resistance and lifetime compared to standard inserts, resulting in lower costs per plastic part produced. Made using our premium steel, these inserts do not contain copper beryllium, which is a potentially toxic element in standard inserts. Many PET-preform producers have tested our AM solutions and confirmed the increased profitability by using our corrosion-resistant AM Inserts for PET-Preforms.  

Our AM Inserts for Syringes have optimized conformal cooling solutions, enabling our customers to run a stable and highly efficient production with a minimized cost per plastic part produced. Our inserts offer a refined production process, reducing the overall cycle time by up to 15% compared to sprinkler cooling. Improved part tolerances are also achieved through homogeneous and conformal cooling design, leading to a reduced scrap rate. The polishability requirements (similar to 1.2083) are achieved for 100% of the produced inserts. Many syringe producers have tested our AM solutions and confirmed the increased profitability by using our corrosion-resistant AM Inserts for Syringes.  

Our AM Inserts for Test Tubes have optimized conformal cooling solutions, enabling our customers to run a stable and highly efficient production with a minimized cost per plastic part produced. Our inserts reduce the overall cycle time by up to 30% compared to conventionally manufactured drilled cooling channels. Improved part tolerances are also achieved through homogeneous and conformal cooling design, leading to decreased scrap rates. Many globally active plastic injection molding companies in various industries have confirmed the premium functionality and profitability of our corrosion-resistant AM Inserts for Test Tubes.  

With rising demands for higher part quality, the need for effective process monitoring is increasing. For precise quality monitoring and process control, temperature sensors must be placed at critical points. However, practical constraints like limited accessibility and space due to cooling channels or ejectors often force compromises. This can result in reduced process insights, even with advanced measurement technology. voestalpine Sensorized Inserts overcome these limitations by enabling the seamless integration of internal channels for sensor placement via additive manufacturing. Using our integration know-how, small diameter channels can be realised with precise positioning up to 0.5 mm from the cavity. This approach allows precise process monitoring at critical areas without sacrificing cooling performance. Utilizing the design freedom of additive manufacturing, sensors can be optimally positioned between cooling channels and the cavity wall, eliminating the need for additional drilling efforts. Moreover, conventional thermocouples offer a cost-effective alternative, as they can be installed directly into the mold insert. USE CASES Process monitoring – cavity temperature Process monitoring – blocked cooling channel Switchover for variothermal processes Download datasheet ( under "Downloads" below) for more details!

Using additive manufacturing, venting structures with a microscopic porosity can be produced that allow a targeted release of compressed air and ensure that the mold remains air free during injection. These structures help to avoid defects caused by the diesel effect, which is a well-known industrial problem. Our geometry independent venting structures provide application-specific venting performance and allow an easy and customized integration into the mold. Using our corrosion-resistant premium materials by BÖHLER /Uddeholm, the structures ensure high part quality throughout the mold lifetime. The high material and functional quality of our Engineered Products leads to improved overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). This is achieved through a reduction in scrap rates caused by defects such as burn marks and short shots, and a lowering of required injection pressure, which can contribute to energy savings.