HSS
HSS stands for High Speed Steel and designates a high-speed tool steel developed specifically for cutting tools. HSS is the standard material for drills, taps, dies and milling tools in metalworking.
Properties of HSS:
- High temperature resistance: Hardness is retained up to approx. 600 °C.
- High toughness: Break-resistant even under changing loads.
- Good grindability: Can be precisely resharpened.
- Universal applicability: Suitable for steel, aluminium, copper, brass and many other materials.
Variants:
Alloys with additional elements such as cobalt (HSSE) or
titanium (TiN coating) further improve hot hardness and tool life.
These variants are used primarily in series production and with hard or tough materials.
Practical example:
An HSS tap offers a good combination of hardness and elasticity
and is ideal for precise internal threads in unalloyed or low-alloy steels.