What is drill rod used for?

The tool steel drill rod pieces (O-1, A-2, D-2, H-13, S-7, M-2, and W-1) are usually machined in the annealed state and then heat treated to make hardened, long lasting tools. The Applications Table below shows the classes, steel grades, hardening methods, and typical applications for Drill Rod. To use the table, find the class in the left column. To find out what is drill rod used for, find the steel grade in the table below and read the applications in the right column of the same row.

 

Class Steel Grade Hardening Method Typical Applications
Most Popular O-1 Oil Quenched Gages
Punches
Dies
Lowest Cost
(Cold Drawn)
W-1 Water Quenched Cold heading tools
Hand-operated tools,
Metal cutting tools
Reamers
Embossing taps
Punches
Dies
Wear Resistance A-2
A-6
D-2
Air Quenched Knurls
Rolls
Hobs
Punches
Cold-forming tools
Coining dies
Punches
Dies
High Speed M-2 Vacuum Heat Treatment Cutting tools
Hot-work tools
Broaches
Hobs
Chasers
Reamers
Lathe tools
Punches
Woodworking tools
High Temperature H-13 Air Quenched Hot-work tools
Die-casting tools
Polished plastic mold tools
Forging dies
Core Pins
Ejector Pins
Shock Resistance S-7 Air Quenched Knock-out pins
Circular pipe cutters
Mandrels
Drift pins
Punches
Dies
Stamps
Grippers
Rivet sets
Track tools

 

O-1 Drill Rod may be the most popular grade and can be used for gages, punches, or dies. W-1 is the least expensive and can be used for making cold heading tools, hand-operated metal cutting tools, reamers, taps, punches, or dies.

A-2 or D-2 can be used for knurls, rolls, hobs, cold-forming tools, punches, or dies for piercing, blanking, or coining. Compared to A-2, D-2 has greater wear resistance but is more susceptible to shock. D-2 is also more difficult to machine and grind than A-2.

M-2 is an excellent choice for making high-speed cutting tools or parts that must retain hardness at elevated temperature. It can be used for hot-work tools or cold-work tools.

H-13 is another good choice for hot-work tools and it has better shock resistance than M-2. H-13 can tolerate water cooling in operation. A nitride coating can be applied to increase surface hardness and wear resistance. H-13 can be polished.

S7 has resistance to high impact and shock and it can be used at moderately high temperature. These properties makes it suitable for hot-work or cold-work applications.