Compare with carbide, its main advantages are:

1. It is more convenient for mechanical processes of forging and cutting that need to change the geometric form of the raw materials. Ad it is useful for manufacturing cutting tools of complicated shape.

2. Making sharpening cutting edges convenient. It can grind very sharp cutting edges not always by using super-hard CBN wheels.

3. It can obtain wearing resistance of a little high hardness. It can reach 63-70HRC according to different grades of high speed steel and can reach a little high hot hardness under 550 degree Celsius.

Its bending resistance and impact toughness are much higher than carbide. Owing to its good toughness, high speed steel is suitable for making discontinuous cutting tools with impact loads.

4. It can be used for high-speed cutting. Generally it can reach the speed of 30m/min. High speed tool steel gear hob can reach a hobbing speed of 100m/min under the correct shift of hob from cutting area.

Compared with alloy-mould steel, the features are:

1. Its good wearing resistance prolongs the mould life. Its high pressure resistance enables the mold not to be size distorted by great pressure.

2. High stability. Working in the temperature of 500 degree Celsius, it seldom occurs shape or cavities size changes because of organizational transformation.

3. High wear-resistant and heat resistance performance. Large quantity of wear-resistant alloys and carbide alloys in the structure determine its wear resistance performance. Working under the temperature of 500 degree Celsius can maintain its good and stable cutting performance.