CarTech No. 883 tool steel is a 5% chromium, hot work tool steel designed particularly for applications requiring extreme toughness combined with good red hardness. It will provide an extra margin of safety in tools subject to hammer blows and those tools containing deep recesses and sharp corners.

While CarTech No. 883 die steel has been designed primarily as a hot work tool steel, it has found many applications in cold work tools where extra toughness is required at the sacrifice of some wear resistance.

Applications:
CarTech No. 883 tool steel has been used for hot working tools requiring the greatest possible toughness. Typical applications have included:

Aluminum extrusion dies
Bolt dies
Bulldozer dies
Die casting dies
Forging dies
Forming punches
Heavy duty compression tools
Hot forging tools with deep recesses and sharp corners
Hot piercing punches
Vastoning dies

If necessary, hot work tools made from this alloy can be water cooled in service without danger of cracking or heat checking.

Because of the extreme toughness of No. 883 tool steel, it could also be considered for cold work applications where other steels have failed by breaking.