A2 Steel

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Anybody ever use A2? What's it like?

 

Thanks,

[steve f]

...tough to machine, very little "shifting" during heat treating and very high wear resistance. I've used it in forming and draw dies because of it's excellent wear resistance but be prepared to buy alot of inserts to cut it. Hope this helps,

 

Steve

[Brendan P]

If you are talking about A2 tool steel

I have cut it and did not have any problems with it.

What type of machining do you have to do to it?

Mill,Turn,Drill?

 

I have some decent surface footage setings if you need James.

[Finecut]

James,

Its kind of like 304 S.S.. It will get hard right before your eyes if you use dull tools.Its very stable, but can warp on you so plan on cutting opposite sides to even out the stress.

In heat treating it will stay pretty flat compared to most tool steals. long blocks need about .01 to .015 per side to finish grind. Short blocks need less.

Speeds and feeds are about 50% of 1018 for starting. Dont let the tools get dull. It will put heat into the part very quickly, and turn them to 50 RC or better. Not fun !

New style cutters will work better. I would use coolant if the cutter permits it. I have not used the newer desgins of inserts. hope somebody else could chime in on that

Finecut

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Sure, Ill take anything you've got.

 

Basically I'm making a welding fixture to weld aluminum on and "this is what we have laying around".

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Well, today is my lucky day. They said we'll buy you some 1018.

 

Thanks for all the help guys. Whew what was fast too.

[Andy]

Well, thank them for the 1018, save you a lot of heart aches!

[resjun]

try maching D2 ill take a bullet for A2 anytime

turn D2 on a lathe it's sounds like a pig sweal

 

[ 03-04-2003, 09:21 PM: Message edited by: resjun ]

[kyle]

key to A2 and D2 is to leave as little grind stock to work with after heat treat. A2 to is not bad to grind D2 can cause headaches. We use A2 alot and D2 for high volume shuttle molds and shuttle molds with stampings. Have not done alot of work after heat treat to these steel beside c-bores and venting.

[chris m]

quote:

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Basically I'm making a welding fixture to weld aluminum on and "this is what we have laying around"

---

OUCH!

 

quote:

---

Well, today is my lucky day. They said we'll buy you some 1018

---

Somebody must've figured out that they could run to the supply house, pick up the stock, and come back by the time you finished the first roughing pass on that A2!

 

We used A2 alot at my old shop, basically i'd echo what all the other guys said.

 

C

 

[ 03-05-2003, 07:12 AM: Message edited by: chris m ]

[jeff]

I'd rather machine A-2 than M-2 any day!

That stuff makes me go insane.

[Alan S]

http://www.pmtsco.com/A2.HTM

something that may help James.

[dnguyen1]

Jame,

With the A2 steel I think you can use the HANTA Varimill with Tialn coated you can buy them through ARSON-Cambell. Currently they are 55% off

we been cutting the stainless steel with SFPM of

250 and have to full depth of cut, it cut like

Alumninum.

 

Incredible & you'll like it

[Toolfab]

James,

 

We make about 80% of our products out of A2 (check out our lame web site to see some of our stuff). I find it very easy to machine and use. We leave .012 grind stock on the shanks and after heat treat (40-45 r/c) it takes nothing to grind that off. If you decide in the future to use that A2 I would be more than happy to get you some numbers.

[Thad]

I'm not trying to start a $hitstorm here, but what's the big deal with machining A2? Sure...it's not 1018, but it's not *that* bad. We don't use any special cutters or inserts either. I work in a die shop and we cut A2 on a daily basis. I'm not trying to sound like Superman here, I just don't think it's as tough as the majority have made it sound. Just my opinion...

 

Thad

[Brendan O' Regan]

I would agreee with Toolfab and Thad. We machine a lot of A2 and D2 and would raher machine A2 any day. It is easy to machine and grind after Heat treatment compared with D2 which does give us a lot of touble if the lads leave too much to grind off after heat treatment.

 

Here is a link to download info on A2 from Uddeholm's Steel web site A2 info

 

Uddeholm call A2 Rigor as their trade name

 

[ 03-06-2003, 05:02 AM: Message edited by: Brendan O' Regan ]

[Marty A]

i totally agree with thad and brendan, i work in a tool and die shop to, and a2/d2 is very common. run your speeds and feeds the correct way and you will have no problem, just like cutting 1018 or whatever.one thing though we do alot of hard cutting and you should try and cut hard d2 after heat treat.......motty

[Sandybar]

I'm fairly new at machining A2. Do you guys that machine A2 prefer inserts or solid carbide?

 

I'm currently machining a big press die (hear it machining?) using Ingersoll grade 2030 inserts @250 sfm .004 chip per tooth and .1875 depth of cut. It seem to me the inserts only last about 2 hours and then I need to replace them. Is this normal?

 

 

Sandybar

[connormac]

James

 

I agree with the guys above. I do tool and die work. A-2 is the best. Just cut it to size and heat-treat. Make sure to leave radius in corners because that is a fracture point after heat-treat. Like the guys above said just use the suggested speed and feed. Machinist handbook even has them for A-2. After heat-treat unless you temper it way back you will need a grinder to do any work on it.

 

Good luck

Kyle

[Jack Mitchell]

I would tend to agree with Thad and most of the other toolmakers in the regard that A2 poses no particular difficulty – I actually enjoy machining very consistent materials.

 

“Uddeholm call A2 Rigor as their trade name”

 

Actually I have found anything that Uddeholm produces to be of the highest quality and extremely consistent; How about the melt in your mouth flavor of H13? – You just learn to love this stuff after working with product from the poorer quality suppliers.

 

If anything, the material I dislike the most is 1018 cold drawn – filled with stress & taps like chewing gum; material I prefer is undoubtedly hot rolled steel & 8620 - A2 rates a very close second.

 

Even after machining a couple of thousand pounds of D2, I just never really felt a very close attraction to this stuff.

 

Regards, Jack

[cadcam]

quote:

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I would tend to agree with Thad and most of the other toolmakers in the regard that A2 poses no particular difficulty – I actually enjoy machining very consistent materials.

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I am with you jack I have made some large sheet metal form tools and some platic injection dies with A-2 and I do not find it any harder to work with then 304ss.

I thought it machined pretty nice.

[Marty A]

sandybar. what you are doing sounds good to me.......motty

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

I usually keep an open mind with new materials unless they are of the cobalt or nickel sort, then it's just assumed they are nasty and should ne handled with care.

 

I realy appreaciate all of the advise. This part (had I machined it in A2) would not have been heat treated anyway. It was just goging to be used for a weld fixture drilled and tapped in a few spots too.

[Steel Surgeon]

Right!!!

[rchoward]

for me nothing beat good old C12L14

that's right leaded steel

 

cuts better than 7000 alum

 

i would rather make a part from 4140 compared to 1018

 

hot rolled, minimal movement, sweet finishes, it gets no better

 

throw it on the mill and u will look like a rock star james