Steel Vanadis 4 Extra-SA (Soft Annealed)
Heat-treated state
Delivery condition for machining/roughing of tool blanks before hardening.
Values for the SA condition
Other Vanadis 4 Extra tempers and conditions
Vanadis 4 Extra is listed in 7 conditions; see the grade overview at Vanadis 4 Extra.
Compare all 7 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SAThis page Soft Annealed | Delivery condition for machining/roughing of tool blanks before hardening. | 550 | 800 | 10 | 20 HRC | 2.9 % IACS |
Hardened & Tempered | Choose when chipping/cracking of slender punches or thick-plate blanking dominates over wear. | 1,750 | 1,900 | 1.5 | 58 HRC | 2.6 % IACS |
HT60Default Hardened & Tempered | Standard working hardness (≈1020–1050 °C austenitise, 3× temper 525–560 °C) — best wear/toughness balance. | 1,900 | 2,050 | 1 | 60 HRC | 2.7 % IACS |
Hardened & tempered 60 HRC + plasma nitrided | Diffusion case ~1100–1300 HV for extra surface wear resistance; case is brittle, avoid on sharp edges. | 1,900 | 2,050 | 0.8 | 60 HRC | 2.7 % IACS |
Hardened + deep cryogenic (−80/−196 °C) + tempered | Adds ~1 HRC and improves dimensional stability by removing retained austenite — for precision tools. | 1,950 | 2,100 | 1 | 61 HRC | 2.6 % IACS |
Hardened & Tempered | Higher austenitising/secondary-hardening temper for abrasive wear and high-strength-steel blanking. | 2,000 | 2,200 | 0.8 | 62 HRC | 2.6 % IACS |
Hardened & Tempered | Maximum hardness for pure abrasive wear / fine blanking of thin material; toughness margin is small. | 2,100 | 2,350 | 0.5 | 64 HRC | 2.5 % IACS |
What is Vanadis 4 Extra-SA?
Vanadis 4 Extra-SA is Vanadis 4 Extra heat treated to SA — delivery condition for machining/roughing of tool blanks before hardening. Vanadis 4 Extra-SA has a yield strength of 550 MPa (79.8 ksi) and a tensile strength of 800 MPa (116 ksi) — stronger than 71% of steel grades. Elongation at break is 10% and the elastic modulus is 208 GPa (30.2 Msi). Vanadis 4 Extra-SA has a density of 7.7 g/cm³ (0.278 lb/in³), lighter than 95% of steel grades. It melts at 1,290°C (2,354 °F). HT60 is the default condition FabDigit quotes; SA is available on request or by drawing note.
Advantages
- Polishes to a fine finish — 75/100, better than 94% of steel grades
Limitations
- High embodied carbon — 4 kg CO₂/kg, worse than 94% of steel grades
- Limited service temperature — 200°C (392 °F), worse than 93% of steel grades
- Low electrical conductivity — 2.9 % IACS, worse than 93% of steel grades
- Limited ductility — 10%, worse than 91% of steel grades
- Poor heat conductor — 25 W/m·K (14.4 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 88% of steel grades
Vanadis 4 Extra-SA properties
Typical room-temperature values for Vanadis 4 Extra-SA; 23 are specific to this condition. Other listed values are Vanadis 4 Extra reference data and may not represent this condition. Bars are the position among steel grades.
Physical3
Vanadis 4 Extra-SA has a density of 7.7 g/cm³ (0.278 lb/in³), lighter than 95% of steel grades. It melts at 1,290°C (2,354 °F).
Mechanical15
Vanadis 4 Extra-SA has a yield strength of 550 MPa (79.8 ksi) and a tensile strength of 800 MPa (116 ksi) — stronger than 71% of steel grades. Elongation at break is 10% and the elastic modulus is 208 GPa (30.2 Msi).
Thermal5
Vanadis 4 Extra-SA is rated for continuous service to 200°C (392 °F). It conducts heat at 25 W/m·K (14.4 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 88% of steel grades. Thermal expansion is 10.8 µm/m·K (6 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Vanadis 4 Extra-SA conducts electricity at 2.9 % IACS, worse than 93% of steel grades.
Chemical & Environmental2
Corrosion resistance is not recommended (14/100), better than 70% of steel grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Vanadis 4 Extra-SA takes about 55 MJ of energy and emits 4 kg of CO₂ — more than 94% of steel grades. Typical recycled content is 20%.
Manufacturability7
Vanadis 4 Extra-SA's machinability is fair (38/100, worse than 80% of steel grades); weldability poor (25/100); formability poor (15/100).
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Confirm any required mill or lot documentation when quoting.
Working with Vanadis 4 Extra-SA
Is Vanadis 4 Extra easy to machine?
Rough-machine in the soft-annealed state with sharp carbide/coated tooling and rigid setups; after hardening use grinding (SG/CBN wheels), hard turning with CBN, or wire/sinker EDM, and always stress-relieve after heavy EDM or rough cuts.
Can Vanadis 4 Extra be welded?
Only repair welding is recommended — preheat and hold at 200–250 °C, use matched or Cr-Mo-V tool-steel TIG filler, small stringer beads, slow cool and re-temper 20–30 °C below the original tempering temperature.
Can Vanadis 4 Extra be formed, bent or molded?
Not a formable grade; shape by machining and EDM in the annealed condition, then harden (1020–1080 °C, high-pressure gas quench) with 2–3 tempers of 2 h at 525–560 °C.
What surface finishes work on Vanadis 4 Extra?
Polishes cleanly thanks to the SuperClean PM microstructure; for anti-galling use PVD (TiCN, AlCrN) on a substrate tempered ≥ 525 °C, or plasma nitriding; store oiled or vapour-phase protected since the steel is not stainless.
Vanadis 4 Extra chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| C | 1.35 – 1.45 | 1.4 |
| Si | 0.3 – 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Mn | 0.3 – 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Cr | 4.5 – 4.9 | 4.7 |
| Mo | 3.3 – 3.7 | 3.5 |
| Vforms fine MC carbides | 3.5 – 3.9 | 3.7 |
| Fe | balance | — |
Vanadis 4 Extra-SA — frequently asked
What is Vanadis 4 Extra-SA used for?
Vanadis 4 Extra-SA is typically used for cold forming dies, punches, knives and shear blades. In short: balanced PM cold-work steel; resists chipping better than D2; clean structure polishes well.
What is the yield strength of Vanadis 4 Extra-SA?
Vanadis 4 Extra-SA has a typical yield strength of 550 MPa (79.8 ksi) and a tensile strength of 800 MPa (116 ksi) — stronger than 71% of steel grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 7 listed tempers.
Is Vanadis 4 Extra-SA easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated fair (38/100, worse than 80% of steel grades). Rough-machine in the soft-annealed state with sharp carbide/coated tooling and rigid setups; after hardening use grinding (SG/CBN wheels), hard turning with CBN, or wire/sinker EDM, and always stress-relieve after heavy EDM or rough cuts.
Can Vanadis 4 Extra-SA be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated poor (25/100). Only repair welding is recommended — preheat and hold at 200–250 °C, use matched or Cr-Mo-V tool-steel TIG filler, small stringer beads, slow cool and re-temper 20–30 °C below the original tempering temperature.
What surface finishes work on Vanadis 4 Extra-SA?
Polishes cleanly thanks to the SuperClean PM microstructure; for anti-galling use PVD (TiCN, AlCrN) on a substrate tempered ≥ 525 °C, or plasma nitriding; store oiled or vapour-phase protected since the steel is not stainless.
Can Vanadis 4 Extra-SA be formed, bent or molded?
Not a formable grade; shape by machining and EDM in the annealed condition, then harden (1020–1080 °C, high-pressure gas quench) with 2–3 tempers of 2 h at 525–560 °C.
What is the maximum service temperature of Vanadis 4 Extra-SA?
Vanadis 4 Extra-SA is rated for continuous use to about 200°C (392 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
What is the difference between Vanadis 4 Extra-HT60 and Vanadis 4 Extra-SA?
HT60 is the default condition — standard working hardness (≈1020–1050 °C austenitise, 3× temper 525–560 °C) — best wear/toughness balance. SA: delivery condition for machining/roughing of tool blanks before hardening. Yield strength is 1,900 MPa in HT60 versus 550 MPa in SA.
Sources
- Uddeholm Vanadis 4 Extra SuperClean product datasheet — Uddeholm / voestalpine High Performance Metals (2023)
- ASM Handbook Vol.1 — Properties and Selection: Irons, Steels and High-Performance Alloys (tool steels) — ASM International (1990)
- Tool Steels, 5th ed. — ASM International (1998)
- ASTM E140 — Standard Hardness Conversion Tables for Metals — ASTM (2019)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.