Data Sheet CPM ® 15V

Tooling Alloys
Zapp is certified to ISO 9001

Chemical composition Powder metallurgical and conventional microstructure

Carbon 3.4 %
Chromium 5.3 % The uniform distribution of carbides in
the powder-metallurgical structure
Vanadium 14.5 % compared to conventional tool steels
with big carbides and carbide clusters.
Molybdenum 1.3 %

CPM ® 15V Toughness

CPM 15V is the ultimate wear resistant grade in the
CPM cold work steel family. The highest carbide Charpy C-Notch impact test

amount of all PM cold work steels grant CPM 15V an

outstanding wear resistance and cutting edge stability Joule
with a reasonable toughness level. 30
CPM 15V is recommended as the ultimate phase in tool
performance improvement or as suitable alternative to
solid carbide when higher toughness is required. 20

Typical applications
10
o Blanking and punching tools especially for thin
sheets
o Knives for electric sheet steel 0
o Extrusion dies and hole punching tools 1.2379 1.2436 CPM CPM CPM
D2 D6 15V 15V 15V
o Knives for cutting foil, film and paper
HRc 61 61 64 61 58
o Rotary cutters
o Sinter pressing tools Standard size of the Charpy-test-piece with a 12.7 mm notch radius.

o Plastic forming tools where highly abrasive additives

Wear resistance
are used
o General items subject to wear Relative wear resistance

Physical properties
Modulus of elasticity E [GPa ] 235
Density [kg/dm³] 7.25 10

Coefficient of thermal expansion [mm/mm/K] 8

over temperature range of
20 – 100 °C 10.5 x 10-6
20 – 250 °C 11.1 x 10-6 6
20 – 425 °C 11.7 x 10-6
20 – 600 °C 12.1 x 10-6 4

0
1.2379 1.2436 CPM CPM CPM
D2 D6 15V 15V 15V
HRc 61 61 64 61 58

PAGE 1/ 3 TOOLING ALLOYS | CP M  15V

Thermal treatments Tempering
Tempering should be carried out immediately after the
Soft annealing material has cooled down to below 40 °C or when the tool
The material is heated uniformly to a temperature of can be held with hands. Triple tempering with a holding
870 °C and then maintained at this temperature for 2 time of 2 hours in each stage at the tempering
hours. Then, the material is cooled to 550 °C in a furnace temperature of 550 °C is necessary. It is important to
at a cooling rate of maximum 15 °C per hour. It is then ensure that the tools are cooled down to room
further cooled in still air down to room temperature. The temperature between the individual tempering stages.
typical hardness achieved by soft annealing is approxi-
mately 250-280 HB. Surface treatments
CPM 15V can be nitrided and/or PVD/CVD coated.
Stress relieving
Rough machined material is stress relieved by heating to
600-700 °C. Once complete heat penetration has been
reached (minimum 2 hours), the material is allowed to
cool in the furnace to approximately 500 °C followed by
cooling in air.
Hardened material is stress relieved at 15-30°C for 2
hours below last tempering temperature followed by
cooling in air.

Straightening
Straightening should be done in the temperature range
of 200-430 °C.

Hardening
Hardening of CPM 15V usually involves the use of two
preheating steps according to the table on the right.
Depending on furnace and charging, additional
preheating steps can be implemented. Maximum
toughness is attained by austenitizing at 1070 °C, whilst
maximum wear resistance is attained by austenitizing at
1180 °C. In order to achieve a corresponding degree of
dissolution of the alloying elements, as well as an
appropriate hardening, minimum heat penetration
times as given in the table are recommended. These
holding times should be correspondingly adapted for
thick or thin-walled material cross sections.

Quenching
Quenching can take place in hot bath at 540°C, oil or
pressurized gas. Quenching in salt bath or oil leads to
maximum hardness, whereas cooling in vacuum can
lead to lower values of 1-2 HRc. By use of vacuum
quenching a minimum pressure of 6 bar is recommend-
ed. The appropriate pressure needs to be adjusted for
complex tool shapes in order to minimize risk of
cracking and tool distortion. For attaining ideal
toughness properties, it is recommended to apply the
hot bath quenching method. For attaining maximum
hardness after quenching, the cooling rate between
1000°C and 700°C needs to be maximized.

PAGE 2/4 TOOLING ALLOYS | CP M  15V

 Tempering diagram

Hardness, HRc
66
64
62 1180 °C
60
1120°C
58
1070 °C
56
54
52
50
540 550 565 595
Tempering temperature, °C

Heat treatment instruCtions

1st preheating 450–500 °C

2nd preheating 850–900 °C
(3rd preheating) 1000-1050 °C
Hardening As specified in table
Tempering 3 x each 2 hours as specified in table

Quenching after hardening in hot bath at approx. 550°C

or in vacuum at least at 5 bar overpressure.

Required hardness Austenit- Holding Tempering

HRc ± 1 izing time at tempera-
tempe- austenit- ture
rature izing tempe- °C
°C rature
minutes*
59 1070 40 550
60 1120 30 550
63 1180 15 550

* Previous preheating at 870 °C.

The data referred to 13 mm round bar samples. The
holding times at austenitizing temperature should be
correspondingly adapted for large and very thin
profile dimensions. The maximum permissible
austenitizing temperature of 1180 °C must not be
exceeded.

Toughness values

Imact energy, J
32

28
1.2379
24

20

16

12
1.2436
8

0
56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64

Hardness, HRc

PAGE 3/4 TOOLING ALLOYS | CP M  15V

 Machining Data

TURNING Drilling
spiral drill made of hss
Cutting parameter Turning with cemented carbide HSS
medium turning finish turning Driller-∅ mm Cutting speed Feed
(VC) m/min. (f) mm/U
Cutting speed (VC) 80-110 110-150 15-20
m/min. -5 10-12* 0.05-0.15
Feed (f) mm/U 0.2-0.4 0.05-0.2 0.05-0.3 5 -10 10-12* 0.15-0.25
Cutting depth (ap) mm 2–4 0.05-2 0.5-3 10 -15 10-12* 0.25-0.35
Tools according P 10-P 20* P 20* - 15 -20 10-12* 0.35-0.40
ISO
* for TiCN-coated end mills made of HSS VC ∼ 25-30
* Use wear resistant coated cemented carbide, e.g. m/min.
Coromant 4015 or Seco TP 100.
Carbide metal driller
Milling
Face- And edgeMilling Cutting parameter Drill type Coolant bore
insert drill Solid carbide tip driller with
carbide tip*
Cutting parameter
-
Milling with cemented carbide HSS
medium turning finish turning Cutting speed (VC) 120-150 60-80 35
Cutting speed (VC) 80-130 130-160 15 m/min.
m/min. Feed (f) mm/U 0.08-0.14** 0.10-0.15** 0.10-0.20**
Feed (f) mm/U 0.2-0.3 0.1-0.2 0.1
* driller with coolant bores and a soldered on carbide
Cutting depth (ap) mm 2-4 1-2 1-2 tip
Tools according K 15* K 15* – ** depends on driller-diameter
ISO
Grinding
* Use wear resistant coated cemented carbide, e.g.
Coromant 4015 or Seco TP 100. Grinding method soft annealed hardened

Surface grinding, A 13 HV B 107 R75 B3*

End milling
straight grinding wheels 3SG 46 GVS**
A 46 GV
Solid carbide Milling cutter Coated HSS
w. indexable tips Surface grinding A 24 GV 3SG 36 HVS**
Cutting speed (VC) 45-50 90-110 5-8
m/min. Cylindrical grinding A 60 JV B126 R75 B3*
Feed (f) mm/U 0.01-0.20** 0.06-0.20** 0.01-0.30** 3SG 60 KVS**
A 60 IV
Tools according K 20 P 25*** -
ISO Internal grinding A 46 JV B126 R75 B3*
3SG 80 KVS**
A 60 HV
* for TiCN-coated end mills made of HSS VC ∼ 25-30
m/min. Profile grinding A 100 LV B126 R100 B6*
** depends on radial depth of cut and on milling cutter 5SG 80 KVS**
- diameter A 120 JV
*** Use wear resistant coated cemented carbide, e.g.
Coromant 3015 or SECO T15M.
* for these applications we recommend
CBN-wheels
** grinding wheel from the company Norton Co.

Zapp Materials Engineering GmbH Further information regarding our products and locations are available in
TOOLING ALLOYS our image brochure and under [Link]
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40880 Ratingen
P.O. Box 10 18 62 The illustrations, drawings, dimensional and weight data and other in-
40838 Ratingen formation included in these data sheets are intended only for the pur-
Germany poses of describing our products and represent non-binding average
Phone +49 2102 710-548 values. They do not constitute quality data, nor can they be used as the
Fax +49 2102 710-596 basis for any guarantee of quality or durability. The applications presen-
toolingalloys@[Link]
ted serve only as illustrations and can be construed neither as quality
SERVICE CENTER data nor as a guarantee in relation to the suitability of the material.
Hochstraße 32 This cannot substitute for comprehensive consultation on the selection
59425 Unna of our products and on their use in a specific application. The brochure
Germany is not subject to change control.
Phone +49 2304 79-511 Last revision: January 2020
Fax +49 2304 79-7652
[Link]

PAGE 4/4 TOOLING ALLOYS | CP M  15V