Heat treatment of tool steel: Recent development and micro-industrial application in Indonesia

Tool steel is equipment that is very commonly used in the manufacturing industry, especially as cutting tools and tools in the metal forming process. Generally, tool steel must be strong, ductile, wear-resistant and durable. To achieve the desired properties, tool steel requires several treatments such as heat treatment and coating. Heat treatment is a commonly used treatment to improve mechanical properties which is not limited to tool steel. In heat treatment, quenching is a critical step to get an increase in mechanical properties, so it must be considered carefully. One of the steel tools that is widely used in the micro industry in Indonesia is a bamboo drawstring knife. Bamboo shaved blades have problems with the effectiveness of shavings and relatively short service life. To increase the reliability of the bamboo shaved blade, hardening was carried out with water quenching media. The results of the heat treatment showed an increase in the hardness of the bamboo shaved knife. In addition, the shaving effectiveness also increases along with the increase in the hardness of the bamboo shaved knife.