High Speed Steel, categorized as tool steel, is commonly used to cut tool bits, power saw blades, and bandsaw blades.
Tougher than its predecessor, carbon steel, HSS is more tolerant of higher temperatures without compromising on hardness. This property allows for faster cutting rates than high carbon steels and why it is named high speed steel.
There are three categories of HSS: M2, M35, and M42 steel.
Of the three, M42 is widely used in the metal forming industry because its chemical composition is specially engineered for high hardness and superior hot hardness compared to the more conventional high speed steels. Properties that make M42 the better choice for cutting or machining high strength or pre-hardened steels, high-hardness alloys, and the difficult-to-machine, non-ferrous super alloys used in the aerospace, oil, and power generation industries.
Another M42 property is its resistance to wear, accomplished by way of its high heat treatment, allowing a hardness of 68 to 70 HRc while the 8% cobalt content incorporates the hot hardness. Both help to make a bandsaw blade made from M42 steel stay sharp longer under extreme and heavy production cutting operations.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
● DENSITY: 0.282 LB/IN3 (7806 KG/M3)
● SPECIFIC GRAVITY: 7.81
● MODULUS OF ELASTICITY: 30 X 106 PSI (207 GPA)
● MACHINE-ABILITY: 35-40% OF 1% CARBON STEEL
M42 High Speed Steel applications include:
- Twist drills, router bits, fly-cutters
- End mills, form tools, thread rolling dies
- Turning tools, keyway cutters, tool bits
- Milling cutters, dovetail tools, bandsaw blades
Sawblade.com offers an M42 metal blade in their Q601 Series of bi-metal bandsaw blades. They are specially designed for general purpose cutting and incorporate an aggressive tooth geometry and fatigue resistant backer.
Q601’s are a durable saw blade with the capacity to cut a wide range of alloy, making it popular with steel service centers, fabrication shops, and tool & die shops.
The Q601 blade resists heat, shock, and abrasion and can be used on both horizontal and vertical bandsaw machines, making it an ideal blade for contour and general purpose cutting.
Application varies widely from carbon steel, chrome steel, tool and die steel, stainless steel, and nickel based steel.
For more details please visit Sawblade.com.
