TOPS Precision manufactures custom tool steel components using CNC milling, turning, EDM, grinding, and heat-treatment support. We machine D2, A2, O1, S7, H13, and hardened alloys with tolerances up to ±0.005 mm.
✅ Hardened Steel Machining Expertise
✅ EDM + Grinding + CNC Under One Roof
✅ Prototype to Production
✅ Build-to-Print Manufacturing
✅ ISO Quality Control
The machining of tool steel includes shaping, cutting, and finishing tool steel alloys into useful parts or components. It uses methods like CNC milling, turning, EDM, and grinding. Their hardness, durability, and remarkable strength under pressure make them perfect for cutting tools and in various industries.
H13 is widely used for molds due to heat resistance, toughness, and long service life.
Yes. Hardened tool steels are commonly machined using EDM, grinding, and specialized carbide tooling.
So, here is a step-by-step process for tool steel machining:
Our starting material is either raw billets, blocks, or pre-hardened tool steel, and we check spec conformity by material certificates and hardness tests.
CAD/CAM teams read your file, noting areas of difficulty with access, tolerance, and positions of fixtures. Once rigid workholding, deflection, and vibration are reduced.
Our carbide and PCD tooling is applied to cut bulk material through optimized chip control, coolant flow and volume, and heat-controlled tool paths.
Last finishes are done with minimal stepover and spindle RPM, and generate <=16 Ra surface or enhance it. 5-axis live-tool centers provide an even better surface finish.
When the geometry is complex, we have EDM (sinker/wire) to reach features that are difficult to reach, grinding, welding, and first-resistance checking.
Each of the parts is inspected using CMM and provided with First Article Reports (FAR) or AS9102 forms as needed.
Components are washed, plated, heat-treated (where not already), and prepared (dressed) to be assembled or dispatched.
We offer machining services for the following high-grade tool steels, each selected for specific performance characteristics:
Tool Steel Grade | Key Properties | Common Applications | Hardness (HRC) |
D2 | High hardness, excellent wear resistance, air-hardening | Dies, blanking tools, forming tools | 58–62 |
A2 | Balanced toughness and wear resistance, good dimensional stability, air-hardening | Punches, shear blades, injection molds | 57–62 |
O1 | Easy to machine, good edge retention, oil-hardening | Knives, cutting tools, precision gauges | 57–63 |
A3 | General-purpose tool steel, moderate toughness, and wear | Molds, jigs, fixtures | 50–58 (approx) |
S7 | High impact resistance, shock-load durability, moderate wear resistance | Hammers, chisels, and impact dies | 54–58 (after hardening) |
H13 | Excellent thermal fatigue resistance, maintains hardness at high temperatures | Die-casting molds, extrusion dies, forging tools | 48–53 (hot working) |
Tool steel machining involves advanced techniques to shape high-hardness alloys into precise, durable components. At TOPS Precision, we utilize industry-leading technologies and methods to deliver reliable and consistent results.
Multi-axis CNC Milling – High-speed, precision machining across multiple axes, ideal for complex geometries and tight tolerances.
Five-axis Machining – Enables complex contours and undercuts in a single setup, improving accuracy and reducing cycle times.
CNC Turning and Lathe – Perfect for cylindrical components, threads, and tight concentricity with high repeatability.
EDM Machining – Uses electrical discharges to remove material with precision, excellent for hard tool steels and tight corners.
EDM Wiring – Wire-cut EDM for producing intricate shapes and sharp internal corners in hardened steel.
Grinding – Achieves superior surface finishes and exact dimensions, essential for post-hardening accuracy.
Welding and Fabrication – Structural joining and assembly of machined components using TIG/MIG welding for strength and integrity.
CMM Inspection – Coordinate Measuring Machine used for precise dimensional verification of machined parts.
Injection Mold Building – Fabrication of mold bases and cores using tool steel for plastic and die casting applications.
Custom Part Manufacturing –Tailor-made machining based on specific customer drawings, tolerances, and material requirements.
Precision Tooling –Manufacture of punches, dies, and cutting tools with sharp tolerances and long service life.
Prototyping –Rapid production of tool steel prototypes for design validation and functional testing.
Build to Print –Production of parts exactly as per customer-supplied engineering drawings, ensuring design fidelity and compliance.
Try to follow these tips to cut the cost of tool steel machining.
Modify your tools’ appearance and quality using the options during processing.
Industries and businesses rely on tool steel parts in many places. These may include:
Core inserts, cavities, sliders, ejector plates, mold bases.
Punches, blanking dies, forming dies, guide blocks.
Wear-resistant fixtures, hardened precision components.
Cutting blades, gauges, tooling blocks, wear plates.
Progressive dies, fixtures, production tooling.
Here are some advantages of Tool Steel Machining:
We have the following challenges while performing machining on tool steel:
Many suppliers struggle with:
❌ Dimensional shift after hardening
❌ Poor EDM corner quality
❌ Grinding marks / finish defects
❌ Late delivery on urgent tooling
❌ Inconsistent repeat batches
❌ No engineering feedback
TOPS Precision solves these with in-house process control, fixture engineering, inspection systems, and tooling experience.
Send us your drawing and receive:
✅ Manufacturability review
✅ Material recommendation
✅ Heat treatment suggestion
✅ Fast quote in 24 hours
✅ Delivery schedule
H13 is widely used for hot-work molds and die casting tools.
Yes. We machine hardened steels using EDM, grinding, and carbide tooling.
Up to ±0.005 mm on critical dimensions.
Yes. We support hardening, tempering, nitriding, and finishing.
Yes. We support prototype through production.
Yes. Full build-to-print manufacturing available.