This is a starting point for discussion with your die designer and heat treater, not a substitute for them. Final choice depends on die size, workpiece temperature, contact time and your heat-treatment practice.
| Forging Process | Usual Grade | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hammer (drop forging) | DB6 / DIN 1.2714 | Repeated heavy impact. Toughness matters more than hot hardness. |
| Mechanical press | DB6 or H13 / DIN 1.2344 | DB6 where shock loading dominates. H13 where dies run hotter or stay in contact longer. |
| Hydraulic press | H13 or H11 / DIN 1.2343 | Longer contact with hot workpiece puts more heat into the die, so resistance to softening and heat checking counts. |
| Upsetter (horizontal forging machine) | DB6 for header dies and holders; H13 or H11 for inserts and punches |
Holders see impact. Inserts and punches see more heat. |
| Hot trimming | DB6 for impact-heavy trim tools; H13 or H11 where the cutting edge runs hot |
Depends on whether breakage or edge softening is your main loss. |
Start with how your dies actually fail, not with the grade name.
You have a toughness problem. DB6 (DIN 1.2714, AISI L6) is a nickel-chromium-molybdenum-vanadium steel, normally supplied pre-hardened, and it is widely used for hammer and press dies, die inserts and header dies. Note that DB6 is not “D6”; it is a hot-work grade.
You have a heat problem. H13 (DIN 1.2344) and H11 (DIN 1.2343) are 5% chromium hot-work steels, built to hold up better when the die surface gets hot and cycles between hot and cool. H11 and H13 are close cousins; ask us if your die design suits one more than the other.
No single grade wins everywhere. DB6 gives up some hot strength for toughness. H13 gives up some shock resistance for heat resistance. Large blocks, deep impressions and sharp radii push you toward toughness. Long contact times and hot workpieces push you toward H13
We supply DB6 in flat, square and round forms. Our DB6 die blocks are supplied after additional forging reduction and upsetting, with double tempering, aimed at better ultrasonic quality. H13 and H11 are also stocked for forging work.
horizontal and vertical band saws at our yards, with cutting capacity up to 2500 mm x 1100 mm.
an in-house machining shop for some value addition, which can save your own downtime on raw material.
tell us your finished block size and we will confirm availability from Gurugram or Ludhiana.
We import tool steel from mills in Europe and Asia and test at our own facility. Our infrastructure includes a chemical and spectro lab, a UT testing machine and a hardness tester. Tell us on the RFQ which documents your inspection department needs, such as the mill test certificate, spectro check, UT check or hardness check. We confirm what can be issued for your grade and lot when we quote.
A complete request gets a faster, more accurate answer. Please include:
Your drawing or a photo of the failed die, if you have one
We work alongside two of the country’s best known forging groups. Their standards shape how we stock, test and deliver.
The Kalyani Group includes businesses active in forging and steel. Bharat Forge, Kalyani Steels and Kalyani Forge have contributed to India's forging and engineering supply chain.
CIE Automotive India has a presence in automotive component manufacturing, including forging operations. Its business history includes the Mahindra CIE period and the addition of precision forging capabilities.
We Keep The Materials From India, China, Japan, South Korea, Italy, Germany, France, Brazil.
