Why We Recommend Hardened A2 for Tight-Tolerance Machining

At Area Tool & Manufacturing, we frequently machine A2 tool steel for parts that face demanding, high-wear conditions. When an RFQ for an A2 project comes into our shop, there’s one common recommendation we make: heat treat the material first to make it into hardened A2.

This initially surprises some customers, but when we explain our reasoning, they’re almost always on board. If it’s a long-time customer, they already know that we often offer this type of guidance to set them up for long-term success. Some shops may quote parts as-is and produce them as quickly as possible, but we always proactively look for simple improvements that can have a big impact.

Find out how hardened A2 can help your timeline, your budget, and your part’s performance.

The Benefits of Hardened A2

Many customers assume that softer material is easier to machine, and that may be true if a part’s features have very loose tolerances. But precision machining is a different story; it is very difficult to achieve tight tolerances with soft A2. Hardened A2 is a better choice in a variety of ways:

Better machinability for precision features: Hardened A2 holds its form better during machining, which allows for more precise results for intricate or tight-tolerance features. Quality is always our number one priority, and hardened A2 ensures better quality. 

Lower costs: Heat treating does add a small cost upfront to your project, but it will almost always be offset by reduced scrap, less tool wear, and faster machining. We make the recommendation when we think your total project cost will go down, not up.

Shorter overall lead times: Heat treating may add a day or two upfront to your project, but significantly lower machining time will ultimately reduce your overall production time. In part, this is because of our close relationship with our trusted vendor, Peters’ Heat Treating. They’re just a few minutes down the road from our shop, offering quick turnarounds and consistent results. 

Pre-Hardened Stock or Heat Treating: How the Process Works

We’ll always make note of our recommendation during the quoting stage. If we see a part request in soft A2 and the buyer is in a hurry, we’ll respond right away to ask if we can harden the material. Almost all buyers say yes when they learn our reasoning. 

Depending on the part’s features and design, we may use either pre-hardened stock or a custom heat treat. Pre-hardened stock may be a good match for certain parts that will only require WIRE EDM , but custom treatment is better for most parts and features. In many cases, we will also provide cryogenic treatment as part of the process to further improve the material stability. 

When Can You Use Soft A2?

We’re never trying to upsell processes, and we only suggest heat treatment when it will optimize your part. In certain cases, there may be projects that do not require hardening. For instance, if a part doesn’t require tight tolerances and won’t experience significant wear in its application, untreated A2 may be sufficient.

We discuss each project on a case-by-case basis to ensure you get the best parts on the best budget.

Let’s Partner on Your Next Project

It’s worth noting that we also make common recommendations for other materials. For instance, we often suggest heat treating stainless steel alloys like 440 stainless. This guidance is a result of our general philosophy at Area Tool: We’re always trying to help maximize the success of your project by putting our experience and expertise to work for you.

Request a quote to partner with our precision machine shop!