PLASTIC MOULD STEEL VP20 ISO

Brief Description Physical Properties

VP20ISO is a Cr-Ni-Mo plastic mould steel Density at 20 ºC: 7.85 kg/dm3.
delivered in hardened and tempered condition. Due
to special procedures applied in its production, Thermal expansion (in µm/m.K) from 20 ºC to (ºC):
including vacuum degassing, VP20ISO properties 425 540 650
exceeds the properties of standard low alloyed and 12.8 13.7 14.2
carbon steels and presents the following
characteristics:
Delivery Conditions
- Good machinability, either in hardened or in
annealed condition (see item below). Standard Identification colors:
- Excellent polishability. purple – black – purple.
- Good uniformity in hardness throughout the
Forms and hardness: hardened and tempered
section.
with hardness between 30-34 HRC. VP20ISO is
- Good nitrinding response.
available in the following sizes:
- High reproducibility in performance.
Round: max. 1000 mm.
Square: max. 900 mm.
Flat: maximum area of 8100 cm2.
Chemical Composition Other dimensions under consultation.

C Mn Cr Mo Ni
Typical Applications
0.36 1.60 1.80 0.20 0.80
VP20ISO is usually applied in large moulds, in the
following applications:
Improved Machinability with ƒ Moulds for Injection of non-chlorinated
Excellent Polishability thermoplastic polymers.
ƒ Moulds for extrusion of non-chlorinated
In the common mould processing operations, a thermoplastic polymers.
large portion of material needs to be removed in ƒ Moulds for blowing.
machining operations and mould steels with
improved machinability are always desirables.
Sulphur additions may be employed to improve this Processing operations
property, but they normally lead to intense decrease
in polishability, another essential property for mould
The following processes can be applied for
steels.
producing moulds with VP20ISO:
In this context, VP20ISO was developed.
Involving calcium treatment, VP20ISO has a
- Machining: grinding, turning or milling. As
substantially higher machinability than usual P20
discussed before, VP20ISO has improved
steels, without decreasing its polishability. In fact, the
machinability, which contributes to reduce
refined vacuum and ladle treatments applied in
wearing of cutting tools and/or make possible
VP20ISO production lead to high metallurgical
the use of optimised parameters, reducing the
cleanness, which gives to this steel an excellent
total machining cost.
polishing behaviour.
- Electrical discharge machining: the white layer
Standard Specifications should be mechanically removed, by grinding or
sanding. It is also important to re-temper the
VP20ISO is similar to the following grades: moulds in a temperature 50 ºC lower than that
≈ DIN: 40 CrMnNiMo 8-6-4 and WNr. 1.2738 of the previous tempering.
≈ AISI P20.
≈ BS: BP 20 - Polishing: VP20ISO can be polished in the
≈ AFNOR: 40 CMD 8 usual techniques, presenting excellent
≈ EN: 40 CrMnNiMo 8-6-4 polishability due to its high microstructural
cleanness.
PLASTIC MOULD STEEL VP20 ISO

He
Heat treatment
Annealing: soft annealing should be carried out by Case hardening: the heat treating response after
slow heating (100 ºC/h) to 760/800 ºC for 1 hour, case hardening is showed in the graphic bellow, on
followed by slow cooling at 30 ºC per hour until the right. Higher hardness in the surface is attained
600 ºC and, then, by air cooling. In this treatment, the by this treatment, improving wear resistance.
use of protective atmosphere is important to avoid Nitriding: VP20ISO is an adequate substrate for
surface oxidation and decarburization. nitriding. As nitriding is normally carried out around
Stress relieving: Intense material removal during 500 ºC, this temperature should be higher than that
machining of moulds can induce considerable stress. used in tempering. If the steel is delivered in
A stress reliving treatment is important to remove of hardened condition (30-34 HRC), nitriding can be
such stresses, in order to avoid distortions, being applied without core hardness loss.
applied after machining and before heat treatment.
The indicated procedure is slow heating (100 ºC/h) to
500/600 ºC, holding until complete homogenisation
(normally 30 min for 25 mm of the larger section), Relative Comparison of
and slow cooling (air or furnace) at least down to Villares Metals Plastic Mould Steels
200 ºC.
Wear Dimentional Corrosion
Hardening and Tempering: if VP20ISO is in the Machinability Polishability
resistance Stability Resistance
annealed condition, the recommended hardening and VP20 ISO
tempering temperatures are: VP20 ISO-F
VP20 ISO-FS
Pre-heating Hardening Tempering VP20 IM
VP50 IM
400 - 500 ºC 840 - 860 ºC 175 – 540 ºC VH13 IM
(see diagram below)
VP80
After preheating, moulds must be carried to VP420 IM
VP440 IM
another furnace, holding 30 min after soaking (i. e. VTM IM
after mould is fully heated throughout). SINTER 23

Quenching may be done in oil, holding until

reaching 100 ºC, followed by air-cooling.
Tempering must be applied immediately after
hardening, when the mould temperature reaches 50/70
ºC. The temperatures should be suitable to the required
hardness (see diagram). Double tempering is necessary
and after each one moulds must cool down to room
temperature. For each tempering treatments, the holding
time of at least 2 h (after soaking) is necessary.

Hardened and tempered only Case Hardened

Hardness of cemented layer
Hardness (HRC)

Hardness (HB)

Hardening Temp. = 850 ºC

Oil Quenching

TTempering
empering Temperature (ºC)
Temperature (ºC)

Results for small samples with 20 x 20 x 20 mm 3

Note: All information presented are intended to provide guidelines of material use. They do not have relation to warranty of specific properties or contractual
obligations