Aerospace composite tooling tool steels.

In the aerospace composite tooling world tool steels shape composites but also metals, sometimes other materials, by cutting, forming, machining, battering, or die casting. Tool steels  have high hardness and durability under severe conditions. They range from plain carbon steels to highly alloyed steels.
High-speed steels are used for applications requiring long life at  high operating temperatures such as high-speed cnc machining.
Tool steels strengthened by precipitation-hardening tempering on the basis of the initial martensite structure are used to manufacture dies for cold deformation of steels. As a result of tempering, the hardness and strength characteristics of steels are enhanced when strengthening phases (carbides) precipitate from martensite. The retained austenite, a phase with low hardness, transforms to martensite. These processes increase the yield stress under compression but reduce viscosity.
Precipitation-hardening strengthening is also characteristic of heat-resistant steels.
In the aerospace composites manufacturing industry, AS9100 composite tools are the International Aerospace Quality System Standard for the manufacture of complex critical primary and secondary structural composite parts and assemblies as well as all types of flight surfaces. It ensures a proven method of engineering and design with checks and balances in place to ensure product integrity and an end product that is proven to be complete and accurate, providing our customers with the most cost effective solutions, reducing product cost and maintaining or improving product repeatability and integrity.