A category of tool steel alloyed with tungsten, molybdenum, and other elements to retain its hardness at high operating temperatures. It allows cutting tools to run much faster than older carbon steel tools without losing their edge. While largely replaced by carbide inserts in production CNC work, it remains standard for drills, taps, and custom manual lathe tools.
I ground a custom form tool out of a piece of high speed steel for that weird internal groove.
Also heard as
- HSS
Related terms
HSS
High-speed steel: the tough, hand-grindable tool steel used for drills, taps, lathe bits and some endmills.
Insert
A small replaceable carbide or ceramic cutting tip clamped in a holder, indexed to a fresh edge when worn.
Cutting
The primary process of removing material from a workpiece using a hardened tool.
Turning tool
A single-point cutting instrument used on a lathe to shape the outside diameter of a spinning part.