In the vast family of metallic materials, there is a type of steel that has become a mainstay in tool manufacturing due to its "easy processability, high stability, and wear resistance"—it is the classic non-deforming oil-hardening steel under the American standard system: O1 oil steel. From precision molds to daily-use cutting tools, O1 oil steel meets diverse industrial and domestic needs with its balanced performance. Its unique material properties and wide applicability have secured its irreplaceable position among similar steels.

The standout advantages of O1 oil steel first lie in its processing and heat treatment performance. As a high-carbon steel, it exhibits excellent machinability, allowing for deep grinding to create fine cutting edges, with reliable toughness that resists chipping. Its unique composition—high manganese combined with chromium and tungsten—greatly enhances hardenability, enabling it to reach a high hardness of HRc62 through oil quenching without the need for aggressive water quenching. After heat treatment, it shows minimal dimensional distortion and exceptional stability. Meanwhile, tungsten and chromium jointly boost the steel’s wear resistance, making O1 steel blades highly capable of maintaining sharpness, fully meeting daily cutting needs, and absorbing moderate impact to reduce chipping or breakage.

However, O1 oil steel does have limitations: its toughness only meets regular usage requirements and is unsuitable for extreme impact scenarios. Additionally, lacking high chromium or other corrosion-resistant elements, it has poor corrosion resistance and is prone to rust when exposed to humid environments for extended periods, requiring protective measures during use.

In application scenarios, O1 oil steel is widely used in two major fields: hardware molds and cutting tools. In mold manufacturing, it is commonly used for precision molds such as blanking dies, stamping dies, and bending dies, meeting the accuracy and service life requirements of metal processing. In tool manufacturing, after proper heat treatment, it is suitable for making daily tools like kitchen knives, outdoor knives, and industrial cutting tools, balancing sharpness and durability.

The performance of O1 oil steel relies on standardized heat treatment processes. Core procedures include soft annealing (holding at 780°C followed by slow cooling to improve processability), stress relief annealing (holding at 650°C followed by slow cooling to reduce deformation risks), and critical quenching-tempering (austenitizing at 800-850°C followed by oil cooling, then multiple tempering at 180-200°C to balance hardness and toughness). Its typical 出厂 hardness ranges from 50-60HRC, with adjustments needed based on actual usage requirements.

In international standards, O1 oil steel has equivalent grades, such as Germany’s DIN 100MnCrW4 and Japan’s JIS SKS3, facilitating cross-standard material selection. Compared to steels like DC53 and M370, O1 excels in balancing toughness and processability. Although its corrosion resistance is weaker, it performs remarkably in scenarios requiring both precision and durability.

Tested through years of industrial practice, O1 oil steel has proven its value with stable performance. It may not be the top-performing material in any single property, but its balanced performance—"with no obvious shortcomings"—has made it a trusted choice for tool manufacturers. Whether for the high precision of molds or the durability of daily tools, O1 oil steel truly embodies the essence of a "classic material" through its performance, continuously providing reliable material support for industrial production and daily applications.

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