The packaging industry uses extrusion, molding, thermoforming, and cutting processes to convert plastics, paper, and composites into functional packaging. Precision tooling enables high-speed production for food, pharma, personal care, and industrial applications.
The packaging industry encompasses processes and technologies used to convert raw materials into functional packaging for protection, transport, and product presentation. Key processes include film extrusion, thermoforming, injection molding, blow moulding, die-cutting, printing, laminating, and sealing. Materials range from polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, and PVC to paperboard, corrugated fiberboard, aluminum foils, and multilayer barrier composites. Tooling plays a central role: extrusion dies, thermoforming moulds, injection moulds, cutting dies, sealing tools, and print cylinders ensure dimensional accuracy, repeatability, and high-speed operation. Automated filling and packaging lines rely on precision components such as forming shoulders, sealing jaws, knives, and conveyors. Applications span food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, personal care, household goods, logistics, and industrial packaging. The industry prioritizes efficiency, product safety, and increasingly sustainable solutions such as lightweighting, recyclability, and bio-based materials.
BÖHLER K107 is a 12% ledeburitic chromium steel and corresponds to material number 1.2436 (X210CrW12). Due to the higher tungsten content, BÖHLER K107 achieves a higher resistance to abrasive wear compared to the conventional tool steel 1.2080. Compared to modern cold work tool steels, BÖHLER K107 has the advantage of simple heat treatment with lower hardening temperatures and single tempering. However, this characteristic tempering behaviour limits the use of modern coatings..
Read MoreBÖHLER K110 is a 12% ledeburitic chromium steel and corresponds to material number 1.2379 (X153CrMoV12, D2). This tool steel combines the advantages of conventional 12% ledeburitic chromium steels with those of advanced tool steels. In the group of 12% ledeburitic chromium steels, BÖHLER K110 offers the best combination of wear resistance, compressive strength and toughness, for which reason it is used in virtually all cold work applications. Its advantageous tempering behavior with a pronounced secondary hardness maximum also enables the use of advanced coatings. This also makes BÖHLER K110 suitable for complex tools requiring a high degree of dimensional stability and shape stability.
Read MoreBÖHLER K294 MICROCLEAN is a cold work tool steel manufactured using powder metallurgy and belongs to the group of 10% vanadium steels. The high content of vanadium carbides makes this steel highly resistant to wear. The toughness is at the same level as conventional 12% chromium steels. BÖHLER K294 MICROCLEAN is used in situations where wear resistance is the decisive factor and toughness is of secondary importance.
Read MoreBÖHLER K305 belongs to the group of 5% chromium steels and corresponds to the material 1.2363 (X100CrMoV5, A2). Compared to conventional tool steels with 1% carbon and low chromium content, BÖHLER K305 has significantly better through hardenability and wear resistance. This class of 5% chromium steels is used in situations where grades like 1.2842 are no longer sufficient in terms of wear resistance and through hardenability but materials like 1.2379 are not yet required. BÖHLER K305 is used for punching and cutting tools, die plates and inserts, thread cutting tools and machine knives in the wood, paper and recycling industries.
Read MoreBÖHLER K329 belongs to the group of 8% chromium steels and is a modified 1.2360 (AISI A8) type. BÖHLER K329 is the classic among the chipper steels and is mainly used for machining knives in the woodworking industry, but also for knives in the paper and recycling industries. BÖHLER K329 is popular among knife customers worldwide not only on account of its excellent properties, but also because BÖHLER is able to supply customized solutions thanks to its broad product portfolio.
Read MoreBÖHLER K340 ECOSTAR belongs to the group of conventionally produced 8% chromium steels. Compared to conventional 12% chromium steels, this conventionally smelted tool steel has better toughness, hardening response and higher adhesive wear resistance. This combination of high adhesive wear resistance and toughness also offers advantages for industrial knives subject to high stress. This grade is also used for stamping and cutting tools.
Read MoreBÖHLER K390 MICROCLEAN is a high-alloyed, high-performance cold work tool steel manufactured using powder metallurgy. This material has the highest alloy content in the group of cold work tool steels with high vanadium content. The high alloy content gives this material outstanding wear resistance. At the same time, the powder metallurgical manufacturing process creates a uniform matrix with finely distributed primary carbides. Among other things, this leads to good material toughness. BÖHLER K390 MICROCLEAN is a problem solver for applications requiring extremely high wear resistance and compressive strength.
Read MoreBÖHLER K460 corresponds to the material 1.2510 (100MnCrW4, O1) and has comparable properties to the popular tool steel 1.2842. Additional alloying with tungsten achieves higher resistance to abrasive wear compared to the tool steel 1.2842. BÖHLER K460 offers the advantage of simple heat treatment with low hardening temperatures and single tempering. However, this characteristic tempering behaviour limits the use of advanced coatings. The material has a good hardening response, but only moderate through hardenability. BÖHLER K460 is used for punching and cutting tools, plastic molds, thread cutting tools and machine knives in the wood, paper and recycling industries.
Read MoreBÖHLER K490 MICROCLEAN is a high-performance cold work tool steel with a balanced property profile, manufactured using powder metallurgy. This powder metallurgical tool steel offers an outstanding combination of high wear resistance, compressive strength, toughness and very good machinability. Thanks to the resulting flexibility, BÖHLER K490 MICROCLEAN is used in virtually all cold work applications, and in many cases this material is the first choice for newly developed tools. The commonly used hardening temperatures of BÖHLER K490 MICROCLEAN also enable shared heat treatment with popular cold work tool steels (1.2379, D2), making it very economical in terms of heat treatment.
Read MoreBÖHLER K890 MICROCLEAN is a high-performance cold work tool steel manufactured using powder metallurgy. It features good toughness, very high compressive strength and excellent fatigue strength. This favorable combination of properties can avoid chipping damages to tools. BÖHLER K890 MICROCLEAN is not only used in cold work applications, but also in mold making.
Read MoreBÖHLER S390 MICROCLEAN – “The decathlete” This grade is our PM steel with many positive usage properties. For twist drills, taps, mills, broaches, or cold-work applications, BÖHLER S390 MICROCLEAN is always a high performer.
Read MoreBÖHLER S500 – “The fireproof one” In the family of conventional high-speed steels, this alloy combines excellent cutting properties with very high hot hardness.
Read MoreBÖHLER S690 MICROCLEAN – “The simple one” The tough high-speed steel for challenging machining and cold forming.
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