H13 Tool Steel – High‑Heat, High‑Strength Parts for Metal X Printers

We’re thrilled to unveil H13 Tool Steel, now available for the Metal X 3‑D printer. Since March 2018, over 150 customers worldwide have used 17‑4PH Stainless Steel; H13 expands that capability with unmatched high‑temperature performance.

What Is H13 Tool Steel?

H13 is a hot‑work tool steel engineered to retain strength and hardness at elevated temperatures. This material lets you print parts that endure both high heat and heavy wear. Our data sheet details its mechanical properties, composition, and tensile strength.

Free Metal Sample Part

Applications

H13’s abrasion resistance at low and high temperatures makes it ideal for injection molds, extrusion dies, metal‑forming tools, and any application demanding a hard, wear‑resistant surface that can withstand hot plastic or metal. While not the hardest tool steel, it can be heat‑treated to about 50 HRC, offering excellent resistance to heat checking and thermal fatigue.

How to Print With H13 Tool Steel

The printing workflow mirrors that of 17‑4PH Stainless Steel: print, wash, and sinter. The critical difference lies in heat treatment. For maximum hardness and durability, we recommend the standard multi‑step tool‑steel heat treatment:

1. Heat the part to 1,010–1,030 °C in a furnace; hold for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
2. Air‑quench.
3. Tempering at 600 °C for at least 2 hours. Adjust the tempering temperature to achieve 38–50 HRC, ensuring it exceeds the part’s maximum operating temperature. A second tempering step is optional but beneficial for parts prone to heat checking. For a deeper dive, consult Hudson Tool Steel’s heat‑treating guide.
4. Use your part.

While H13 can be used without heat treatment, we recommend the above process for most applications.

Read Our Metal Design Guide

What Does This Mean For My Metal X?

To print with H13, simply unload your current metal spool, load a new H13 spool, and select the material in Eiger. H13 uses the same release material as 17‑4PH, so no release spool change is needed. Wrap up your other spool for future use.

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What’s Next?

H13 Tool Steel will ship early next year. We’re also expanding our catalog to include A2 and D2 Tool Steel, 316L Stainless Steel, Inconel 625, Copper, and Ti‑6Al‑4V Titanium.

Watch Our H13 Webinar