Deep drawing steel is not one material. It is a ladder, and the rung you need is set by how far the material has to flow, not by how strong you want the finished part to be. A grade good enough for a shallow cover will tear on a deep cup, and a grade good enough for the deepest cup is more expensive and softer than the part required. This page is the ladder as it appears on real drawings, in the three naming systems that turn up most often.
Which steel grades are used for deep drawing?
Deep drawing uses low carbon cold rolled steel, graded by how much deformation it can take. In the European system, EN 10130 runs from DC01 for bending and folding, through DC03 for drawing quality and DC04 for deep drawing quality, to DC05 and DC06 for extra deep drawing, with DC06 supplied as an interstitial free steel with very low carbon. The Japanese system in JIS G3141 uses SPCC for commercial quality, SPCD for drawing, SPCE for deep drawing and SPCF for extra deep drawing, and these map closely onto the DC grades. In the United States, 1008 and 1010 low carbon sheet are the equivalents. DC02 appears on older drawings but has been removed from the standard. The right rung is set by the draw ratio and the number of stages, not by the finished part's strength.
The grade name tells you how far the steel will flow
The letters and numbers in a deep drawing steel grade are a statement about forming behaviour. A lower carbon and a cleaner steel have a higher plastic strain ratio and a higher work hardening exponent, which together mean the material thins less and resists local necking for longer. That is what lets a deep draw finish without tearing. It is also why the ladder is climbed for formability rather than strength: the same grading that makes DC06 formable makes it soft and easy to dent, so it belongs on the parts that need the draw, not on the parts that need stiffness.
| Grade | Standard | What it is for | Where it stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| DC01 | EN 10130 | Bending, folding, shallow forming, general presswork | Not intended for genuine drawing; will thin and tear on a deep cup |
| DC02 | formerly EN 10130 | Used to sit between DC01 and DC03 | Removed from the standard; treat it as a legacy callout and confirm the intended grade |
| DC03 | EN 10130 | Drawing quality: moderate draws, covers, shallow housings | Reaches its limit as the draw ratio rises or the wall needs thinning |
| DC04 | EN 10130 | Deep drawing quality, the workhorse of drawn housings and shells | At very high draw ratios or aggressive ironing, DC05 or DC06 is needed |
| DC05 | EN 10130 | Extra deep drawing: multi stage draws, thin walls, high draw ratios | Costs more, and is softer than a DC04 part of the same thickness |
| DC06 | EN 10130 | Extra deep drawing supplied as an interstitial free steel with very low carbon | The most formable of the family and the most easily damaged in handling |
| SPCC | JIS G3141 | Commercial quality, bending and light forming | Same ceiling as DC01 |
| SPCD | JIS G3141 | Drawing quality | Same ceiling as DC03 |
| SPCE | JIS G3141 | Deep drawing quality | Same ceiling as DC04 |
| SPCF | JIS G3141 | Extra deep drawing quality | Same ceiling as DC05 or DC06, depending on supply |
| 1008 / 1010 | ASTM / SAE | US equivalents for low carbon cold rolled sheet | Grade alone is not enough; the deoxidation practice and the temper decide formability |
Equivalent grades across the three naming systems
The three systems describe the same ladder of formability, which is why a drawing that calls up SPCE and a supplier who stocks DC04 can usually agree. They are not, however, interchangeable in a contract, because chemistry ranges, thickness tolerances and surface conditions differ between the standards. When the end customer names a standard, that standard governs; when the drawing names only a commercial grade, the equivalent needs to be agreed in writing, with the mechanical properties and the thickness tolerance band named.
What actually decides which rung you need
- The draw ratio. This is the ratio of the blank diameter to the finished diameter, and it is the single strongest driver of grade selection. The limits for a given material are set out in our maximum draw ratio page.
- The number of stages. A part that needs three draws is asking more of the material than one that needs one, even at the same final geometry. See how many draws a part needs.
- Whether the wall is ironed. Ironing thins the wall deliberately and needs a grade with enough residual ductility to survive it; that is a DC04 and above conversation.
- Thickness. Thin strip is less forgiving of a marginal grade than thick strip, because there is less material to redistribute.
- Magnetic requirements. Where the part is a soft magnetic component, a drawing grade may not be the right answer at all and a pure iron such as DT4E comes into play. We cover that comparison in DC04 versus DT4E.
- Surface and coating. Uncoated, electro-galvanised and hot dip coatings each change the friction at the die and the grade that will run cleanly.
Temper matters as much as the grade
Two coils of DC04 with the same chemistry and different tempers behave like two different materials. The grade fixes the chemistry and the cleanliness; the temper fixes the yield strength, the elongation and the shape of the stress strain curve that the die has to work with. A part that splits on one delivery and runs cleanly on the next is usually a temper problem rather than a grade problem. The four numbers that predict it, and how to specify the temper rather than only the grade, are set out in our temper selection guide.
Grades we would not draw, and why
Higher carbon, high strength low alloy and structural grades are specified for strength, and drawing them is a different project with different limits. They work harden faster, tolerate far less deformation before necking, and often need interstage annealing that a low carbon grade does not. That is not a reason to refuse the part; it is a reason to price the annealing, the extra stages and the tooling wear honestly at the quotation stage rather than discover them at first article. Carbon steel grades we do run, and what each is for, are listed under carbon steel.
Key point
Pick the rung by draw ratio and stage count: DC01 for bending, DC03 for drawing, DC04 for deep drawing, DC05 and DC06 for extra deep drawing, with SPCD, SPCE and SPCF as the JIS equivalents and 1008 or 1010 in the US system. Then specify the temper separately, because the grade alone does not predict whether the part will run.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between DC04 and DC05?
Both are deep drawing grades in EN 10130, and DC05 is the more formable of the two. DC05 is specified where the draw ratio is higher, where there are more stages, or where a thin wall has to survive ironing. The trade off is that DC05 is softer and costs more, so it is worth moving up only when the draw actually requires it.
Is SPCC the same as DC01?
They sit at the same point on the formability ladder in different standards: SPCC is commercial quality in JIS G3141 and DC01 is the equivalent position in EN 10130. Both are intended for bending and light forming rather than genuine deep drawing. They are not contractually interchangeable, because the chemistry ranges and thickness tolerances differ between the two standards.
Why does DC02 still appear on my drawing?
Because it was in earlier editions of the standard and older drawings have not been updated. DC02 has been removed from the current EN 10130 grade list. When a drawing calls it up, the sensible step is to confirm with the designer whether the intent was DC01 or DC03, and to record the decision rather than let a supplier pick.
Can you deep draw stainless steel instead of a DC grade?
Yes, and for corrosion resistance or a non-magnetic requirement it is often the right answer, but the behaviour is different: austenitic stainless work hardens far faster and usually needs interstage annealing that a low carbon grade does not. The grades and their limits are covered on our stainless steel page.