Toolox 33 – Pre-hardened high-toughness steel for moulds, fixtures and machine components
Toolox 33 is a premium Swedish pre-hardened tool steel produced by SSAB. It is supplied in a hard and stable condition of approximately 33 HRC, while maintaining exceptional toughness, dimensional stability and very good machinability.
It is one of the highest-quality general-purpose steels on the market, suitable for plastic moulds, structural components, fixtures, steel constructions and highly precise machine parts.
Properties of Toolox 33
💥 High toughness at 33 HRC
Excellent resistance to cracking and fracture, making it safe for large moulds and massive components.
🔧 Very good machinability
Despite its high strength, it machines very well thanks to its specially optimized microstructure.
📏 Excellent dimensional and shape stability
Its production process results in very low internal stresses and minimal distortion during machining.
🔥 Suitable for nitriding and PVD coatings
Surface hardness after nitriding can reach 900–1200 HV without affecting the core properties.
🛡️ Resistance to wear and corrosion
Higher chromium and molybdenum content improves surface durability and service life.
⏱️ No additional heat treatment required
The material is supplied ready for machining, saving both time and production costs.
Chemical composition of Toolox 33 (guideline values)
Note: The exact composition is proprietary. SSAB only publishes typical alloying elements and approximate ranges.
| Element | Typical content |
|---|---|
| C | low / medium |
| Cr | alloying element improving resistance |
| Mo | increases strength and toughness |
| Mn | common alloying element |
| Ni | improves toughness, not always present |
Note: SSAB does not publish exact percentages. The composition is optimized for performance rather than a fixed standard.
Typical applications of Toolox 33
🧩 Plastic moulds
- medium-sized and large moulds
- shaped inserts
- core components
- moulds requiring stable surface quality
🛠️ Structural and machine components
- holders, arms and brackets
- sliding and rotating parts
- base plates for moulds and fixtures
⚙️ Precision fixtures and tools
- assembly and welding fixtures
- measuring frames
- positioning and clamping systems
🔩 Components requiring high toughness
- safety-related mechanical elements
- large precision parts exposed to vibration
- energy and pressure-related applications
Heat treatment of Toolox 33
Toolox 33 is not quenched and tempered again, because it is already supplied in its optimal condition.
Only surface treatments are recommended:
| Process | Note |
|---|---|
| Nitriding | surface 900–1200 HV, with virtually no distortion |
| PVD / CVD coatings | TiN, TiAlN, CrN – improve wear resistance |
| Quenching and tempering | not recommended – changes material properties |
Mechanical properties of Toolox 33
- Hardness: approx. 33 HRC
- Tensile strength: approx. 1100 MPa
- Yield strength: approx. 900 MPa
- Hardness after nitriding: 900–1200 HV
- Extremely low internal stresses
- High toughness and stability
