High Speed Steel (HSS) --- What is it?

High Speed Steel

High Speed Steel (commonly abbreviated to HSS or HS) is a type of tool steel used in the manufacturing of cutting tools and tool bits. It is far superior to the older high carbon steel commonly seen used in the 1940’s. High speed steel can endure higher temperatures than high carbon steel without losing its hardness. This feature allows for HSS to cut much faster than high carbon steel.

At room temperature HSS and high carbon steel have an equivalent hardness; only at elevated temperatures does HSS become advantageous.

Here at JAM Taylor Tool we use M2 HSS.

M2 is a high speed steel in tungsten-molybdenum series. The carbides in it are small and evenly distributed. It has high wear resistance. After heat treatment, its hardness is the same as T1, but its bending strength can reach 4700 MPa, and its toughness and thermoplasticity are higher than T1 by 50%. We use M2 steel to manufacture a variety of tap, reamers. & dies