Definition

Noun: * An alloy steel that remains hard at a red heat; used to make metal-cutting tools: High-speed steel is a type of tool steel designed to withstand the high temperatures generated during high-speed machining operations without losing its hardness. It is primarily used for cutting tools like drill bits, milling cutters, and lathe tools.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The machinist selected a bit made of high-speed steel for the difficult job.
  • High-speed steel maintains its cutting edge much better than carbon steel when the tool gets hot.
  • These cutting tools are fabricated from high-speed steel.

Advanced Usage

• Technical Context: In metallurgy and manufacturing, "high-speed steel" (often abbreviated as HSS) refers to a specific class of alloys typically containing significant amounts of tungsten, molybdenum, cobalt, vanadium, and chromium.
  • Example: The performance of the tool depends on the exact grade of high-speed steel used in its manufacture.

Variants and Related Words

• HSS (noun): A common abbreviation for "high-speed steel."
  • Example: This is an HSS drill bit, suitable for metal.
• Tool steel (noun): A broader category of carbon and alloy steels that are well-suited to be made into tools. High-speed steel is a specific type of tool steel.
• Tungsten steel (noun): An older term sometimes used synonymously with some grades of high-speed steel, highlighting its tungsten content.

Synonyms

• Hard metal (in specific tooling contexts, though this can also refer to tungsten carbide)
• Tool steel (in the specific context of cutting tools requiring heat resistance)

Related Phrases

• Made of high-speed steel: Describes the material composition of an object.
  • Example: All our end mills are made of high-speed steel for durability.
• High-speed steel tooling: Refers to cutting tools manufactured from this material.
  • Example: For this application, high-speed steel tooling is more cost-effective than carbide.

Noun

1. an alloy steel that remains hard at a red heat; used to make metal-cutting tools