S7 shock resisting tool steel.
S7 tool steel hardness before heat treat.
As a result dozens of tool steel types exist.
S7 is easy to machine in the annealed condition and can be readily heat treated.
The combination of strength and high toughness makes it a candidate for a wide variety of tooling applications.
This process is commonly called interrupted oil quenching.
S 7 is typically heat treated and used in the rockwell c hardness range of rc 54 59.
S7 tool steel is produced and supplied to the machinist or tool maker in the annealed or soft condition.
However the aisi sae tool steel code categorizes tool steels based on basic application and material characteristics.
Simply stated the tool is quenched into oil until the section just turns black followed by air cooling.
It can be quenched in air exhibiting minimal distortion on hardening.
S7 an air hardening shock resisting tool steel is a classic example of a steel which will not develop full hardness in larger sections unless it is given an interrupted oil quench.
S7 also has medium hot work characteristics making it a versatile tool steel for both cold and warm shock applications as well as plastic molds that require high hardness.
The specific properties of s7 d2 and a2 tool steels which are among the most popular in industrial and manufacturing applications today are discussed in further detail below.