The achievable hardness of 1.2714 tool steel (55NiCrMoV6) depends mainly on the heat treatment process, section size, cooling method, and tempering temperature.
For most industrial applications, 1.2714 is not selected simply because it can reach a very high HRC value. Its real strength is the balance between hardness, toughness, and hardenability. This is particularly important for forging dies, die holders, hammer dies, and other heavy-duty hot-work tooling.
Typical Hardness Range of 1.2714
As a practical reference, 1.2714 can commonly be used at approximately 38–44 HRC after hardening and tempering.
| Condition | Typical Hardness | Typical Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Annealed | Approx. 200–250 HB | Machining before heat treatment |
| Hardened | Can reach around 50+ HRC before tempering | Intermediate heat-treatment condition |
| Hardened & tempered | Approx. 38–44 HRC | Forging dies and heavy-duty tooling |
| Lower tempered hardness | Approx. 35–40 HRC | Applications prioritizing toughness |
| Higher tempered hardness | Approx. 42–46 HRC* | Applications requiring more wear resistance |
*The actual achievable value depends on the steel manufacturer’s specification, section size, heat-treatment parameters, and customer requirements.
What Hardness Should You Specify When Ordering 1.2714?
Instead of simply asking a supplier:
“Can 1.2714 reach 50 HRC?”
it is better to specify the required final working hardness based on the application.
For example:
1.2714, forged, quenched and tempered, 40–44 HRC, ultrasonic tested, EN 10204 3.1 MTC.
This gives the supplier much more useful information.
For a large forging die, you may also need to specify:
- Dimension
- Hardness range
- UT standard
- UT acceptance level
- Heat-treatment condition
- Machining allowance
- MTC requirement
If you are sourcing 1.2714 tool steel, Dongguan Otai Special Steel can supply forged blocks, round bars, and customized sizes, with hardness, UT testing, machining allowance, and EN 10204 3.1 certification according to project requirements.
Email: rika@otaisteel.com
WhatsApp: +86 136 4282 5398
