DIN C105W1 1.1545 JIS SK3 ISO C105U Tool Steel

Product Overview

DIN C105W1 (W-Nr. 1.1545) is a premium high carbon tool steel compliant with DIN EN 17350 standard, renowned for its exceptional hardness, superior wear resistance, excellent machinability and outstanding edge retention. As a classic non-alloy carbon tool steel, it is widely recognized in the global manufacturing industry, with equivalent grades in major international standards including SK3 from the Japanese standard JIS G4401, T10 from the Chinese standard GB/T 1298, C105U from the International standard ISO 4957.

This steel grade is engineered for applications demanding sharp, durable cutting edges and wear resistance, with strict control over impurity elements (P/S) ensuring high material purity and stable performance. It is the ideal material choice for cutting tools, precision blades, cold work dies and measuring tools in general industrial production, hand tool manufacturing and precision machining fields.

International Equivalent Grades

The following table lists the direct equivalent grades of C105W1 1.1545 in major international standards, with consistent core performance and interchangeable use in most scenarios (minor chemical composition differences need to be considered for high-precision applications):

Country	ISO	Germany	China	Japan
Standard	ISO 4957	DIN17350	GB/T1298	JIS G4401
Grade	C105U	C105W1/1.1545	T10/T10A	SK3/SK105

Chemical Composition

C105W1 1.1545 and its equivalent grades have slightly adjusted element ranges based on national standard requirements, with carbon content as the key index affecting hardness and wear resistance. All grades strictly control harmful impurities (P/S) to avoid brittleness and performance degradation:

Grade	C	Si	Mn	P	S
C105U	1.00-1.10	0.10-0.30	0.10-0.40	0.030Max	0.030Max
C105W1/1.1545	1.00-1.10	0.10-0.25	0.10-0.25	0.020Max	0.020Max
T10	0.95-1.04	0.35Max	0.40Max	0.035Max	0.030Max
SK3	1.00-1.10	0.10-0.35	0.10-0.50	0.030Max	0.030Max

Key Feature: DIN C105W1/1.1545 has the strictest impurity control (P/S ≤0.020%), with narrower Si and Mn ranges, making the material more uniform and suitable for high-precision tool manufacturing.

Mechanical Properties & Hardness

The hardness of C105W1 1.1545 changes significantly with different heat treatment processes, and the following are the standard performance indicators after professional heat treatment (tested on standard samples):

Heat Treatment	Hardness
Annealed (+A)	HB212Max
Cold-drawn condition	HB232Max
Quenched and tempred (+QT)	HRC28-32(Common Range)
Quenched (Water cooling) + Low-temperature tempering	HRC 60-62

Tempering Behavior: After quenching at 780℃ water cooling, the hardness of C105W1 1.1545 decreases with the increase of tempering temperature. Tempering at 170-190℃ can maximize the retention of hardness while reducing internal stress and avoiding brittle fracture.

Supply Specifications & Tolerance

We provide a full range of supply forms of C105W1 1.1545/SK3/C105U according to industrial application needs, with strict dimensional tolerance and straightness control to meet the processing requirements of different scenarios. 

Note: 1.1545 steel is a custom-order product with no regular stock, and the lead time can be inquired according to the order quantity and specification.

1. Product Size Range

Product type	Size range	Length
Hot rolled bar	Φ10-Φ190mm	2000-5800mm
Hot forged bar	Φ200-Φ600mm	2000-5800mm
Hot rolled plate/sheet	T:10-60mm; W:310-810mm	2000-5800mm
Hot forged plate	T:70-250mm; W:310-810mm	2000-5800mm
Hot Forged block	T: 260-500mm; W: 300-1000mm	2000-5800mm

2. Surface Finish & Tolerance

Different surface finishes are matched with precise dimensional tolerance to adapt to rough machining, finish machining and direct use scenarios:

Surface Finish	Turned	Milled	Grinding(Best)	Polished(Best)	Peeled(Best)	Black Forged	Black Rolled
Tolerance	+0/+3mm	+0/+3mm	+0/+0.05mm	+0/+0.05mm	+0/+0.1mm	+0/+5mm	+0/+1mm
Straighness	1mm/1000mm max.					3mm/1000mm max.

Non-destructive Testing

All products pass ultrasonic flaw detection in accordance with international standards to ensure internal material quality:

• Standard: EN10228-3 Class III or Sep 1921-84 D/D

• Testing scope: Internal cracks, inclusions and other defects, 100% full inspection for key specifications.

Steel Making & Forging Process

We adopt advanced smelting and forging processes to ensure the internal quality and performance stability of C105W1 1.1545 steel, avoiding common defects such as segregation and looseness of high carbon steel:

1. Steel Making Process

All processes adopt vacuum degassing to reduce hydrogen and oxygen content, improve material purity:

• EF+LF+VD (Electric Arc Furnace + Ladle Refining + Vacuum Degassing)

• EAF+LF+VD (Electric Arc Furnace + Ladle Refining + Vacuum Degassing)

• EF+LF+VD+ESR (Added Electroslag Remelting, for high-precision application scenarios)

• EAF+LF+VD+ESR (Added Electroslag Remelting, ultra-high purity material)

2. Forging Process Parameters

Strict temperature control to ensure the forging effect and avoid overheating/overburning:

• Initial forging temperature: 1050-1100℃

• Final forging temperature: 800-850℃

• Cooling method: Furnace cooling (slow cooling to reduce internal stress, avoid cracking)

Heat Treatment

C105W1 1.1545 is a high carbon steel with strong heat treatment sensitivity. The correct heat treatment process is the key to exerting its performance. The following is the standard heat treatment process recommended for industrial production (can be adjusted according to actual application needs):

1. Annealing

• Heating temperature: 750-800℃

• Holding time: 2-4 hours (according to workpiece thickness)

• Cooling method: Furnace slow cooling (cooling rate ≤50℃/h)

• Purpose: Reduce hardness, improve machinability, eliminate forging stress.

2. Quenching + Tempering

Quenching:

• Heating temperature: 770-790℃

• Holding time: 1-2 hours (uniform heating)

• Quenching medium: Water cooling (ensure rapid cooling to form martensite structure)

Tempering:

• Tempering temperature: 170-190℃

• Holding time: 2-3 hours

• Cooling method: Air cooling

• Purpose: Maximize hardness and wear resistance, reduce residual internal stress, avoid brittle fracture of workpiece.

Above curve in figure is a rough guide to the tempering behaviour of steels.

Main Application Fields

Based on the performance characteristics of high hardness, excellent wear resistance and good edge retention, C105W1 1.1545/SK3/C105U is widely used in the manufacturing of tools and parts that require sharp cutting edges or wear resistance, and is the first choice for medium and low load, small and medium batch production scenarios:

1. Cutting Tools & Blades

• Metal cutting tools: Lathe tools, planer tools, reamers (low-speed cutting)

• Hand tools: Woodworking chisels, hand saw blades, band saw blades

• Industrial blades: Food processing knives, leather cutting knives, paper cutting blades

• Precision blades: Traditional straight razors, surgical blades, metal shears, garden shears

• Drilling tools: Low-speed hand drills, small twist drills

2. Dies & Stamping Tools

• Cold work dies: Small punches, blanking dies, simple forming dies

• Stamping tools: Thin plate stamping dies, hardware part forming dies

Note: Suitable for light load, small batch production, not recommended for heavy load and high-speed stamping scenarios.

3. Measuring & Precision Tools

• Precision gauges: Snap gauges, plug gauges, block gauges, thread gauges

• Finishing tools: Hand files, shaping files, needle files

4. Other Wear-Resistant Parts

• Low-speed/low-load bearing parts: Bearing balls, bearing rings, bushings

• Machine tool accessories: Wear-resistant guide rails, sliding blocks

• Hand tool components: Hammer heads, screwdriver tips, wrench jaws

• Special tools: Glass cutting wheels, chemical fiber cutting blades

Comparative Analysis of Similar Grades

Customers often confuse T10 with other carbon tool steel grades (such as T8, T12, 45# steel) and alloy tool steel grades (such as 9CrWMn). The following is a detailed performance and application comparison to help select the most suitable material:

1. T10 vs T8 (GB/T)

Index	T10	T8
Carbon Content	0.95-1.04%	0.75-0.85%
Hardness (Quenched)	HRC 60-62	HRC 56-58
Wear Resistance	Excellent	Good
Toughness	Moderate	Better
Main Application	Cutting tools, precision blades	Hammer heads, chisels, low-wear tools

2. T10 vs T12 (GB/T)

Index	T10	T12
Carbon Content	0.95-1.04%	1.15-1.24%
Hardness (Quenched)	HRC 60-62	HRC 62-64
Wear Resistance	Excellent	Superb
Toughness	Moderate	Poor (easy to brittle)
Machinability	Good	Poor
Main Application	General cutting tools, dies	Files, reamers, low-toughness wear parts

3. T10 vs 45# Steel (Medium Carbon Structural Steel)

Index	T10	45# Steel
Steel Type	High carbon tool steel	Medium carbon structural steel
Hardness (Quenched)	HRC 60-62	HRC 50-52
Wear Resistance	Excellent	General
Edge Retention	Outstanding	Poor
Main Application	Tools, blades, dies	Structural parts, shafts, bolts

4. T10 vs 9CrWMn (Alloy Tool Steel)

Index	T10	9CrWMn
Steel Type	Non-alloy tool steel	Alloy tool steel
Price	Lower	Higher
Hardenability	Moderate (shallow hardening)	Good (deep hardening)
Heat Treatment Complexity	Simple	Complex
Wear Resistance	Excellent	Excellent
Main Application	Small/medium tools, small batch production	Large dies, heavy load stamping, mass production

5. C105W1 1.1545 vs C105W2 1.1645

• C105W1 (1.1545): Stricter impurity control, narrower element range, higher purity, suitable for high-precision tools.

• C105W2 (1.1645): Slightly wider element range, lower production cost, suitable for general industrial tools.

FAQ

Q1: What is the difference between C105W1 and C105W1A?

A1: The suffix "A" represents high-purity grade (annealed with better machinability), with stricter P/S control (generally ≤0.015%). C105W1A is more suitable for high-precision small tools and precision measuring tools, while C105W1 is suitable for general industrial applications.

Q2: What is the difference between SK3 and SK105?

A2: SK3 and SK105 are the same grade in JIS G4401 standard, with completely consistent chemical composition and performance. SK3 is the traditional grade number, and SK105 is the new grade number named by carbon content (about 1.05% C), which is the same material in actual use.

Q3: Why is the quenching medium of C105W1 1.1545 water cooling instead of oil cooling?

A3: C105W1 1.1545 has moderate hardenability (shallow hardening depth). Oil cooling has a slow cooling rate, which cannot form a complete martensite structure, resulting in low hardness and poor wear resistance. Water cooling ensures rapid cooling of the workpiece surface and core, exerting the maximum hardness performance of the steel grade.

Q4: How to choose between C105W1 1.1545 and T10 steel?

A4: T10 steel has a lower carbon content (0.95-1.04%) and slightly better toughness, with wider Si/Mn ranges and lower production cost, suitable for general low-precision tools; C105W1 1.1545 has higher carbon content, stricter impurity control and more uniform performance, suitable for high-precision cutting tools and precision blades. The two can be interchanged in most general scenarios.

Q5: What is the main difference between 1.1545 (C105W1) and 1.2510 (O1) steel?

A5: While both are tool steels, 1.1545 is a plain high-carbon steel that relies solely on carbon for hardness. It is water-hardening, which can lead to higher distortion but achieves a very hard, sharp edge. 1.2510 (O1) is an oil-hardening steel with added manganese and chromium, making it deeper hardening and more stable during heat treatment (less distortion).

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