With over 125 years combined experience, Header Die and Tool, Inc. steel department manufactures the highest quality steel die inserts and steel punches. Our skilled craftsmen machine your parts to print on time, every time. Whether you need assistance choosing the right material for the job, or you need help updating a part to improve productivity, HDT can accommodate you in all aspects of tooling production.

HDT has the capability to both manually turn and CNC machine steel die inserts, punches, and casings with exact consistency of dimensions, from one piece to one thousand pieces. No job is too big or too small. Our machinists are among the top in the industry with the knowledge and skill to turn even the most challenging concept into reality.

Steel tooling inserts provide a less expensive form of die cast tooling. The high pressure steel tooling inserts usually consist of enough steel to produce the cavities and a small amount of additional steel to allow for the temperature variations of the molten metal injecting under extreme force. In order to extend the tool life, steel inserts are heat-treated to a specific hardness. If the cavity inserts are too hard, the high temperature of the molten metal will cause them to fail and crack the steel. If the cavity inserts are too soft, the injection force of the molten metal will cause early tool wear and erosion.

Quality steel punches can mean the difference between a profitable production run and just barely breaking even. Tooling that shows early wear, complete failure and overall poor output reduces your efficiency, lowers your quality and eventually affects your repeat business. HDT has the expertise to manufacture top quality steel punches to exact specifications time after time. Providing consistent, high-quality tooling on time and under budget is what makes HDT shine above the rest.

Header Die & Tool, Inc. stocks a full line of tool steels allowing us to begin working on most orders the same day they are placed. This shortens lead times and makes for faster deliveries.

In addition to stocking tool steels, HDT also carries steel nibs in D2, M2, and M42 which are heat-treated and have rough ID’s. Having these pieces on hand gives us the opportunity to fill orders faster as we do not have to wait for outsourcing of the heat-treat process.