Our dies are manufactured from the following types of steel:

    - X46Cr13 (commonly known as 'stainless' or 'chrome-steel')
    - 20MnCr5 (commonly known as 'alloy')
    - 18NICCrMo5 (steel similar to 20MnCr5 but it has a higher alloy content)

These materials have different characteristics for different applications:

Properties of the various alloy components:
    - nickel has a strengthening effect
    - manganese is included in the alloy because it improves the resistance to
      wear and shock loads
    - chrome influences the mechanical properties (resistance and hardness)
      and the physical ones (resistance to corrosion and oxidisation)
    - molybdenum reduces brittleness

The X46Cr13 steel dies are vacuum / through hardened, the thermal treatment achieving a 53-55 HRc hardness on the surface and in the core. The high content of chrome makes it corrosion resistant.
Although the cost is higher for that of normal alloy, X46Cr13 is by far the most common material used throughout the feed milling industry.

The dies made with 20MnCr5 and 18NiCrMo5 steel, on the other hand, are treated by case hardening, giving a 60-62 HRc hardness for approximately 0.8-1.2 mm. Under the case hardened layer, the steel remains malleable and therefore less brittle. The dies made with this steel are more resistant during the pelleting of extremely difficult fibre-rich products such as: beet pulp, alfalfa, straw and hay.