With the continuous development of the manufacturing industry, the requirements for mold steel are getting higher and higher. Choosing the right mold steel grade is crucial for improving production efficiency, reducing costs and ensuring product quality. In 2026, there are many mold steel grades on the market, which makes many purchasers confused. This article sorts out the top 10 mold steel grades in 2026, details their features, applications and advantages, and helps you quickly select the most suitable mold steel grade for your production.
Top 10 Mold Steel Grades for 2026 (Ranked by Applicability)
1. P20 Mold Steel (Most Cost-Effective)
Features: P20 is a pre-hardened plastic mold steel with moderate hardness (28-32 HRC), good machinability, and cost-effectiveness. It has no corrosion resistance, but its comprehensive performance is stable, and it is easy to process and shape.
Applications: Suitable for ordinary plastic injection molds, such as molds for daily necessities (plastic buckets, plastic chairs), low-precision plastic parts (plastic brackets, shell accessories), and small-batch production molds.
Advantages: Low price, easy processing, stable performance, suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises with limited budget.
2. 718H Mold Steel (High-Precision Choice)
Features: 718H is a high-grade pre-hardened plastic mold steel, based on P20 with added nickel elements, with higher hardness (32-36 HRC), better toughness and polishability, and uniform structure.
Applications: Suitable for high-precision, high-gloss plastic injection molds, such as molds for automotive interior parts (dashboard, door panel), electronic product shells (mobile phone cases, tablet cases), and large-batch production molds.
Advantages: High precision, good polishability, long service life, suitable for high-demand plastic product production.
3. S136 Mold Steel (Corrosion-Resistant Star)
Features: S136 is a stainless plastic mold steel with high chromium content (12.00-14.00%), excellent corrosion resistance and polishability, and can achieve mirror polishing (Ra ≤ 0.02 μm). After heat treatment, the hardness can reach 48-52 HRC.
Applications: Suitable for corrosive plastic molds, such as molds for PVC, PC, flame-retardant plastics, and molds in medical, packaging, electronic and chemical industries.
Advantages: Strong corrosion resistance, high polishability, long service life, no rust, suitable for harsh working environments.
4. H13 Mold Steel (Hot Work Leader)
Features: H13 is a hot work mold steel with high temperature resistance, good toughness and wear resistance. After heat treatment, the hardness is 42-48 HRC, and it can work stably at 550-600℃.
Applications: Suitable for hot work molds, such as aluminum alloy, zinc alloy die casting molds (automotive engine parts, hardware die casting molds), hot forging molds, and non-ferrous metal extrusion molds.
Advantages: Excellent high-temperature resistance and toughness, not easy to crack, suitable for high-temperature and high-pressure working environments.
5. SKD61 Mold Steel (Wear-Resistant Hot Work Steel)
Features: SKD61 is a hot work mold steel with high hardness (45-50 HRC after heat treatment), good wear resistance and high-temperature resistance, slightly lower toughness than H13.
Applications: Suitable for hot work molds with high wear resistance requirements, such as high-temperature forging molds, small and medium-sized die casting molds, and hot extrusion molds for plastics and rubber.
Advantages: High wear resistance, stable performance, suitable for molds with low impact load and high wear requirements.
6. D2 Mold Steel (High-Hardness Tool Steel)
Features: D2 is a cold work mold steel with extremely high hardness (58-62 HRC after heat treatment), excellent wear resistance, but poor toughness and corrosion resistance.
Applications: Suitable for cold work molds, such as stamping molds, blanking molds, cutting tools, and molds for high-wear cold forming parts.
Advantages: Ultra-high hardness, strong wear resistance, long service life, suitable for cold work scenarios with high wear requirements.
7. NAK80 Mold Steel (Mirror Polishing Expert)
Features: NAK80 is a pre-hardened plastic mold steel with excellent polishability, which can achieve mirror polishing without heat treatment, and the hardness is 38-42 HRC. It has good toughness and no need for polishing after processing.
Applications: Suitable for high-gloss plastic injection molds, such as molds for cosmetic packaging (lipstick tubes, perfume bottles), medical devices, and high-precision electronic product parts.
Advantages: Excellent polishability, no need for heat treatment, high efficiency, suitable for high-gloss product production.
8. 2083 Mold Steel (Economical Corrosion-Resistant Steel)
Features: 2083 is a stainless plastic mold steel with good corrosion resistance and polishability, lower price than S136, and the hardness after heat treatment is 45-50 HRC.
Applications: Suitable for medium-demand corrosive plastic molds, such as molds for ordinary PC, PVC plastics, and packaging products.
Advantages: Cost-effective, good corrosion resistance, suitable for enterprises with medium budget and corrosive plastic production needs.
9. H11 Mold Steel (High-Temperature Tough Steel)
Features: H11 is a hot work mold steel with good high-temperature resistance and toughness, lower molybdenum content than H13, and the hardness after heat treatment is 40-46 HRC. It has good machinability.
Applications: Suitable for hot work molds with moderate temperature requirements, such as low-temperature forging molds, aluminum alloy extrusion molds, and die casting molds for small parts.
Advantages: Good toughness, easy processing, cost-effective, suitable for medium-temperature hot work scenarios.
10. S50C Mold Steel (Ordinary Structural Mold Steel)
Features: S50C is a carbon structural steel, with moderate hardness (20-25 HRC before heat treatment), good machinability, low price, but poor wear resistance and corrosion resistance.
Applications: Suitable for low-demand molds, such as mold bases, auxiliary mold parts, and low-precision, small-batch plastic molds.
Advantages: Low price, easy processing, suitable for auxiliary mold parts or low-demand mold production.
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How to Choose the Right Mold Steel Grade for You?
To help you quickly select the right mold steel grade from the top 10, here are simple selection criteria:
- Plastic injection mold (ordinary, low budget) → P20; high-precision, high-gloss → 718H, NAK80; corrosive plastic → S136, 2083.
- Hot work mold (high temperature, high impact) → H13; high wear resistance, low impact → SKD61; moderate temperature → H11.
- Cold work mold (high wear, high hardness) → D2.
- Auxiliary mold parts, low-demand molds → S50C.
If you are still unsure which mold steel grade to choose, our professional engineer team can provide you with free consultation according to your specific production needs (product type, precision, production batch, working environment). We provide all the top 10 mold steel grades, with complete material certificates and free custom processing services. Contact us now to get a free quote and selection plan!