Grade VR 400 ESR
VR 400 ESR is a premium, ESR-refined pre-hardened mould steel designed for high-performance plastic mould applications. It is an advanced version of conventional P20-based Steel like 1.2311 steel and 1.2738 steel, offering superior cleanliness, toughness, hardness uniformity, and surface finish capabilities. Supplied in a pre-hardened condition of 36–40 HRC, it eliminates the need for further heat treatment, reducing machining time and avoiding distortion.
The key advantage of VR 400 ESR lies in the Electro Slag Remelting (ESR) process, which removes non-metallic inclusions and produces an ultra-clean, fine-grained microstructure. This results in improved fatigue resistance, better through-hardness, and consistent performance even in large mould sections.
Due to its refined structure, VR 400 ESR offers exceptional polishability and texturing response, making it ideal for mirror-finish and optical-grade moulds. It also maintains excellent hardness uniformity across thick sections (400–600 mm), ensuring dimensional stability and long service life.
Additionally, VR 400 ESR provides high toughness and good machinability, even at higher hardness levels. It can be nitrided (58–62 HRC surface hardness) for enhanced wear resistance and offers very good weldability, making it suitable for repair and modification in demanding tooling applications.
Key Properties
- Pre-hardened (36–40 HRC)
- Ultra-high cleanliness (ESR refined)
- Excellent hardness uniformity across large sections
- Superior polishability (mirror and optical finish)
- High toughness and crack resistance
- Excellent machinability for its hardness range
- Enhanced fatigue resistance
- Superior texturing and laser engraving capability
- Nitriding capability (58–62 HRC surface hardness)
- Very good weldability for repair and modification
Common Applications
- High-gloss injection moulds
- Transparent plastic moulds (optical parts, lenses, covers)
- Automotive interior & exterior moulds
- High-precision blow moulds
- Packaging industry moulds
- Moulds requiring deep texturing or laser engraving
- Large mould bases needing high hardness uniformity
PUROHIT STEEL is a trusted name in the tool steel industry, with humble beginnings dating back to 1965 and over three decades of expertise in delivering high-quality materials and solutions. Today, the group operates multiple well-established units, maintaining a vast inventory ranging from hot work and cold work tool Steel to specialized materials. Known for reliability and strong technical support, PUROHIT STEEL caters to the diverse requirements of small, medium, and large-scale industries. The company specializes in manufacturing moulds and tooling components using premium grades such as VR 400 ESR, which is ideal for applications including injection moulds (medium to large size), blow moulds, low-pressure die-casting dies, automotive moulds, tooling plates, extrusion dies, machine parts, shafts, and general tooling components. With a focus on quality, performance, and precision, PUROHIT STEEL continues to deliver durable and efficient tooling solutions.