Hot Work Tool Steel

adminJul 31, 2026

DB6 Material Hardness in HRC

DB6 Tool Steel (DIN 1.2714) is a widely used hot work tool steel for forging, die casting, heavy engineering and plastic mould industries. It offers an excellent balance of toughness, wear resistance, impact strength, and heat resistance, making it suitable for demanding industrial applications.

Hardness of DB6 Tool Steel is an important factor that defines its performance properties, tool life, machinability and ability to resist deformation under high pressure and high temperature conditions. The right heat treatment to the correct Rockwell Hardness (HRC) will ensure optimum performance in forging dies, extrusion dies, hammer dies and pressure die casting application.

In this comprehensive guide, we cover DB6 Tool Steel hardness (HRC), heat treatment process, mechanical properties, applications, comparison with other tool steels, pricing considerations, and why Virat Steels is one of India’s trusted suppliers of premium-quality DB6 Tool Steel.

What is DB6 Steel?

DB6 Tool Steel is a high quality hot work tool steel, equivalent to DIN 1.2714, (AISI L6), (55NiCrMoV7). It is a nickel-chromium-molybdenum-vanadium alloy steel known for outstanding toughness and excellent resistance to thermal fatigue.

Compared to conventional hot work steels, DB6 provides:

• Superior impact strength
• High toughness
• Excellent wear resistance
• Good hardenability
• Outstanding resistance to cracking
• Longer die life
• Excellent polishability
• Good machinability

These characteristics make DB6 an ideal choice for large forging dies, hammer dies, die holders, extrusion tooling, pressure die casting dies, and heavy-duty industrial tools.

International Equivalents of DB6 Tool Steel

DB6 Tool Steel is internationally recognized under the DIN 1.2714 standard and is equivalent to EN 55NiCrMoV7. It is also considered an approximate equivalent to AISI L6 in certain applications. In India, DB6 is widely known by its trade name and is commonly used as a premium hot work tool steel for forging dies, die casting dies, extrusion tooling, and heavy engineering applications.

Chemical Composition of DB6 Tool Steel

DB6 Tool Steel contains a balanced combination of carbon, chromium, nickel, molybdenum, and vanadium, providing excellent toughness, wear resistance, and hot strength. This alloy composition ensures superior impact resistance, good hardenability, and extended tool life in demanding hot work applications.

Element	Composition (%)
Carbon (C)	0.50–0.60
Silicon (Si)	0.10–0.40
Manganese (Mn)	0.65–0.95
Chromium (Cr)	1.00–1.20
Nickel (Ni)	1.50–1.80
Molybdenum (Mo)	0.45–0.55
Vanadium (V)	0.07–0.12

Mechanical Properties of DB6 Tool Steel

DB6 Tool Steel offers an excellent combination of toughness, wear resistance, and heat resistance, making it ideal for high-impact and hot work applications such as forging and die casting.

Property	Typical Value
Density	7.85 g/cm³
Tensile Strength	High
Toughness	Excellent
Wear Resistance	Excellent
Heat Resistance	Excellent
Thermal Fatigue Resistance	Excellent

DB6 Tool Steel Hardness (HRC)

Hardness is the most important property when selecting DB6 Tool Steel for industrial tooling.

Different hardness according to different Tempering temperature conditions.

– Annealed condition – 255 BHN max

– Hardened and Tempered condition- 38 to 42 HRC

annealed stock measures up to 255 BHN, standard mill-supply condition is tempered to 38–42 HRC for machining, and finished dies are re-hardened and tempered to a working hardness of 45–56 HRC depending on whether the application prioritizes toughness or wear resistance.

Heat Treatment of DB6 Tool Steel

Proper heat treatment is essential to achieve the desired hardness and mechanical properties.

The process generally involves:

1. Annealing
2. Stress Relieving
3. Hardening
4. Quenching
5. Tempering

Each stage contributes to the final balance of hardness, toughness, and dimensional stability.

Annealing

Annealing softens the material, improves machinability, and relieves internal stresses before hardening.

Recommended Process:

• Heat slowly to 840–860°C
• Hold for sufficient soaking time
• Cool slowly inside the furnace

Resulting Hardness:

Approximately 220–250 HB

Stress Relieving

Stress relieving is recommended after rough machining.

• Temperature: 600–650°C
• Hold for 2 hours
• Furnace cool slowly

This minimizes distortion during final hardening.

Hardening

The hardening process significantly increases hardness and wear resistance.

Procedure:

• Preheat: 600 – 650°C
• Austenitize: 840–870°C
• Oil or polymer quench
• Air cooling where appropriate

The resulting hardness typically reaches 54–56 HRC before tempering.

Tempering

Tempering reduces brittleness while maintaining the desired hardness.

It is recommended to temper immediately after quenching.

Typical Tempering Range:

450–650°C

Double tempering is often recommended for improved dimensional stability and toughness.

Advantages of Proper Heat Treatment

By improving the mechanical properties and durability of the steel, proper heat treatment can improve the performance and service life of DB6 Tool Steel.

• Enhanced wear resistance
• Greater durability
• Improved thermal fatigue resistance
• Less risk of cracking
• Longer life of die
• Reduced maintenance costs

Applications of DB6 Tool Steel

DB6 Tool Steel (DIN 1.2714) is a popular choice for hot work applications requiring high toughness, wear resistance and resistance to thermal fatigue. It is ideal for the manufacture of heavy duty dies and tools used under extreme operating conditions.

Industry

Typical Applications

Forging

Closed forging dies, hammer dies

Die Casting

Aluminium die casting dies

Extrusion

Extrusion dies

Automotive

Crankshaft and connecting rod dies

Plastic Moulding

Large mould bases

Heavy Engineering

Die holders and forging blocks

Aerospace & Defence

Heavy-duty tooling

Steel Plants

Hot shearing blades and press tools

DB6 Tool Steel Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages	Disadvantages
Good impact resistance and toughness	More expensive than the usual alloy steels
Good wear and heat fatigue resistance	Needs proper heat treatment
Longer die life with less cracking	Not the best choice for high abrasive cold work applications (D2 is preferred)
Good hardenability and dimensional stability	Special tools are required for machining after hardening
Suitable for large forging dies, hot working tools	Material costs are higher for more expensive alloys

DB6 vs H13 Tool Steel Comparison

Property	DB6 Tool Steel (DIN 1.2714)	H13 Tool Steel (DIN 1.2344)
Steel Type	Hot Work Tool Steel	Hot Work Tool Steel
Toughness	Excellent	Very Good
Wear Resistance	Very Good	Excellent
Impact Resistance	Excellent	Very Good
Thermal Fatigue Resistance	Excellent	Excellent
Hot Hardness	Very Good	Excellent
Best Applications	Forging Dies, Hammer Dies	Die Casting & Extrusion Dies
Large Die Blocks	Excellent	Very Good
Relative Cost	Moderate	Moderate to High

Best Choice: Choose DB6 for heavy-impact forging applications requiring superior toughness, while H13 is ideal for high-temperature die casting and aluminium extrusion tooling.

   DB6 vs H11 Tool Steel

Property	DB6	H11
Toughness	Excellent	Excellent
Wear Resistance	Higher	Good
Hardness	45–56 HRC	44–52 HRC
Thermal Shock	Excellent	Excellent
Large Blocks	Excellent	Good
Service Life	Longer	Good

Best Choice: DB6 is preferred where higher wear resistance and longer tool life are required.

DB6 vs D2 Tool Steel

Property	DB6	D2
Type	Hot Work	Cold Work
Toughness	Excellent	Moderate
Wear Resistance	High	Very High
Hot Strength	Excellent	Poor
Impact Resistance	Excellent	Moderate
Forging Dies	Excellent	Not Recommended
Cold Blanking	Not Ideal	Excellent

Best Choice: Use DB6 for hot work and D2 for cold work applications.

DB6 vs P20 Tool Steel

Property	DB6	P20
Toughness	Excellent	Good
Hardness	Up to 56 HRC	28–34 HRC
Plastic Moulds	Good	Excellent
Forging	Excellent	Not Recommended
Wear Resistance	High	Moderate
Tool Life	Longer	Moderate

DB6 vs EN31

Property	DB6	EN31
Steel Type	Hot Work Tool Steel	High Carbon Steel
Toughness	Excellent	Moderate
Hardness	56 HRC	60–64 HRC
Impact Resistance	Excellent	Low
Hot Applications	Excellent	Poor
Bearings	Not Suitable	Excellent

   DB6 Tool Steel vs Other Tool Steel Grades

Steel Grade

Toughness

Wear Resistance

Heat Resistance

Typical            Hardness

Ideal Applications

DB6 (DIN 1.2714)

Excellent

Very Good

Excellent

45–56 HRC

Forging Dies ,     Hammer Dies

H13 (DIN 1.2344)

Very Good

Excellent

Excellent

44–54 HRC

Die Casting,    Extrusion Dies

H11 (DIN 1.2343)

Excellent

Good

Very Good

44–52 HRC

Hot Work &             Extrusion Tooling

D2 (DIN     1.2379)

Good

Excellent

Moderate

58–62 HRC

Cold Work Dies, Punches

P20 (DIN 1.2311)

Good

Moderate

Moderate

28–34 HRC

Plastic Injection Moulds

EN31

Moderate

Excellent

Low

60–64 HRC

Bearings, Rollers & Wear Parts

“DB6 Tool Steel Equivalents Explained: SKT4, 55NiCrMoV7, L6 & DIN 1.2714 Compared”

Property	DB6	SKT4	55NiCrMoV7	L6	DIN 1.2714
Standard	Commercial	JIS	EN	AISI	DIN
Steel Type	Hot Work	Hot Work	Hot Work	Low Alloy	Hot Work
Toughness	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Wear Resistance	Excellent	Very Good	Excellent	Good	Excellent
Hardness	45–56 HRC	45–54 HRC	45–56 HRC	45–55 HRC	45–56 HRC
Hot Work Performance	Excellent	Very Good	Excellent	Moderate	Excellent
Main Difference	Trade Name	JIS Grade	EN Grade	Approx. Equivalent	DIN Grade

DB6, DIN 1.2714, and 55NiCrMoV7 are essentially the same steel grade with different designations. SKT4 is a close Japanese equivalent, while AISI L6 is an approximate equivalent with similar toughness but comparatively lower hot-work performance.

Available Sizes of DB6 Tool Steel

Virat Special Steels supplies DB6 Tool Steel in a wide range of standard and custom sizes to meet the requirements of die makers, tool rooms, automotive, engineering, and precision manufacturing industries.

Available Sizes (Flat)

• Thickness: 13 mm – 1500 mm
• Width: 13 mm – 3000 mm
• Length: Available in standard mill lengths or custom-cut sizes on request.

Available Sizes (Round)

• Diameter: 13 mm – 1500 mm
• Length: Standard mill lengths and customized cut-to-size options available.

Custom Processing Services

To minimize machining time and material wastage, we also offer:

• Precision cut-to-size material
• Bandsaw cutting
• Surface machining (on request)
• Bulk supply with batch-wise traceability
• Material Test Certificate (MTC) and EN 10204 3.1 certification (where applicable)

DB6 Case Study 40% Improvement in Die Life in Forging

Operations Customer Challenge

A drop-forging plant for automotive components experienced premature die cracking of crankshaft forging dies made from standard hot work steels leading to expensive downtime.

Solution

The tooling was upgraded to DB6 (DIN 1.2714) supplied by Virat Special Steels, vacuum heat treated and double tempered to an optimized 46-48 HRC.

Results

40% increased die service life Eliminate catastrophic die cracking in high energy impact Lower maintenance and machine downtime Forged at a lower cost per part

Certifications Available

Reputable suppliers typically provide:

• Mill Test Certificate (MTC)
• Ultrasonic Tested Material
• Hardness Test Report
• Chemical Test Report

Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Appropriate DB6 Tool Steel

Some important points to consider before buying DB6 Tool Steel (DIN 1.2714) to get the best out of your application:

1. Choose the Right Hardness

Pick the hardness for your application:

• 38-42 HRC – Greater toughness and impact resistance
• 50-56 HRC – Increased wear resistance and extended tool life

2. Choose the required form of material

DB6 Tool Steel is supplied in:

• Forged and Rolled blocks
• Round and Flat Bars
• ESR and Non ESR Blocks

3. Material Quality Inspection

Always ask for:

• Mill Test Certificate (MTC) Ultrasonic Tested Material
• Material Traceability Spectro Tested Material

4. Match the App

Select DB6, depending on your tooling needs, such as:

• Forging Dies
• Hammer Dies
• Extrusion
• Holders for
• Casting Dies

5. Select a Trusted Supplier

Join hands with a supplier who can support with ready stock, custom machining, technical support and PAN India delivery for consistent quality and timely supply.

Why purchase DB6 Tool Steel from Virat Steels?

Selecting the right supplier is critical to maximizing tool life, performance and productivity. With over 70 years of experience in the industry, Virat Steels is one of the trusted suppliers of high quality imported and domestic tool steels in India with more than 2000 customers in the automotive, forging, die casting, aerospace, plastic mould, heavy engineering, railways and defence industries.

Why do manufacturers trust us?

• 70+ Years Experience supplying quality tool steels.
• 2,000+ Happy Customers in India’s Manufacturing Industry.
• Supplier of Materials from Reputed International Mills for consistent quality and performance.
• Tool Steel Ready Stock: DB6, H13, H11, D2, D3, P20, P20+Ni, M2, M35, EN31, OHNS and other grades.
• Mill Test Certificate (MTC) with full traceability of material.
• UT Tested & Spectro Tested Material for proven quality and internal soundness.
• Custom Cutting & Machining Services to suit your required sizes.
• Material Selection Assistance from experienced technical professionals.
• Fast PAN India Delivery, timely supply & reduced production downtime.

Virat Steels offers authentic quality, certified material and dependable service for all your tool steel needs. Whether DB6 Round Bars, Forged Blocks, ESR Blocks, Flat Blocks or Cut-to-size Material, we have it all.

Our Supply Network Across India

Virat Steels is one of the leading suppliers of DB6 Tool Steel (DIN 1.2714) to the manufacturers in the major industrial hubs of India like Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Belgaum, Chennai, Coimbatore, Hosur, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Faridabad, Manesar, Bhiwadi, Gurugram, Delhi NCR, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab and Jamshedpur.

Our strong logistics network, ready stock and technical knowledge enable us to provide fast PAN India delivery to forging companies, die makers, tool rooms, plastic mould manufacturers, die casting industries and heavy engineering businesses.

Conclusion

DB6 Tool Steel (DIN 1.2714) is a high-performance hot work tool steel, known for its excellent toughness, wear resistance and thermal fatigue resistance. Proper heat treatment gives it hardness in the range of 45–56 HRC and makes it ideal for forging dies, extrusion tooling, die casting dies, and other demanding industrial applications.

Virat Steels is your trusted partner for premium quality DB6 Tool Steel with 70+ years of experience, 2000+ customers, ready stock, MTC, UT & Spectro Tested materials and PAN India delivery.

Call us or send your drawing to receive a customised material recommendation.

Request a Quote

Looking for premium-quality DB6 Tool Steel (DIN 1.2714)?

Virat Steels supplies DB6 Round and Flat Bars & Forged and Rolled Blocks, ESR /non ESR Blocks, Cut-to-Size Material with:

• ✔ 70+ Years of Industry Experience
• ✔ 2,000+ Satisfied Customers
• ✔ Ready Stock
• ✔ MTC Available
• ✔ UT Tested Material
• ✔ Spectro Tested Material
• ✔ Custom Machining
• ✔ PAN India Delivery

Contact Virat Steels today for technical guidance and a customized quotation for your DB6 Tool Steel requirements.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the working hardness of DB6 steel?

DB6 steel is typically tempered to a working hardness of 44–50 HRC depending on the forging application.

2. Is DB6 a hot work or cold work tool steel?

DB6 (DIN 1.2714) is a premium hot work alloy tool steel containing Nickel, Chromium, Molybdenum, and Vanadium.

3. What is the annealed hardness of DB6?

 In annealed condition, DB6 has a hardness of 220–250 HB (Brinell Hardness) for easy machining.

4. What is the hardening temperature for DB6?

The recommended hardening (austenitizing) temperature is 840–870°C followed by oil, polymer, or air quenching.

5. How many tempering cycles are required for DB6?

At least two tempering cycles (double tempering) are required to relieve stress and stabilize the micro-structure.

6. Is DB6 equivalent to D2 or SKD11?

No. DB6 is a hot work steel (1.2714). D2 / SKD11 (1.2379) is a cold work steel used for cold punching and blanking.

7. What is the DIN equivalent of DB6?

The exact DIN equivalent is DIN 1.2714 (55NiCrMoV7) (L6).

8. What makes DB6 tough?

The presence of 1.50–1.80% Nickel (Ni) gives DB6 exceptional core toughness and resistance to impact cracking.

9. Can DB6 be used for blanking dies?

No, cold blanking requires cold work steels like D2 or DC53. DB6 is engineered for hot forging and high-impact dies.

10. What industries rely on DB6 tool steel?

Drop forging, press forging, automotive component manufacturing, heavy engineering, and defense.

11. Is pre-hardened DB6 available?

Yes, DB6 is often supplied in a pre-hardened condition (~35–40 HRC) for direct die cavity machining.

12. Can DB6 steel be welded?

Welding DB6 is difficult due to its high hardenability. Preheating to 300–400°C and post-weld stress relief are essential if welding is necessary.

13. Why does DB6 outperform H13 in drop forging hammer dies?

DB6 has higher Nickel content, offering superior impact energy absorption compared to H13, preventing die shattering under heavy hammer blows.

14. Why is stress relieving important before hardening DB6?

 It removes machining stresses, preventing warping and dimensional movement during quenching.

15. What quality reports come with DB6 from Virat Special Steels?

Material Test Certificate (EN 10204 3.1), Ultrasonic Testing (UT) report, and Hardness/Chemical test reports.

16. Does DB6 resist thermal fatigue?

Yes, its balanced Cr-Ni-Mo composition gives high resistance to heat checking (thermal fatigue).

17. What supply forms are available for DB6?

Round bars, flat blocks, forged blocks, and custom cut plates.

18. What is the primary advantage of DB6?

 High impact toughness combined with excellent hardenability across large block sizes.

19. What should buyers check before buying DB6?

Ensure ultrasonic soundness (UT testing) to prevent internal defects in large die blocks.

20. Why choose Virat Special Steels for DB6?

Extensive stock, certified quality, precision cutting facilities, quick delivery, and decades of technical expertise.