UnionStahl achieves new certification for safety-critical welding work
UnionStahl achieves DIN 2303 qualification class 2! Certified expertise for safety-critical welding work on steels and AlZnMg alloys. Discover the highest precision and quality.
S355J2+N, P355NH oder L360NE – auf den ersten Blick wirken Stahlbezeichnungen wie eine Kombination aus Buchstaben und Zahlen. Tatsächlich steckt dahinter jedoch ein genormtes System, mit dem sich wichtige Werkstoffeigenschaften direkt aus der Bezeichnung ablesen lassen. Wer Stahlgüten richtig versteht, kann Werkstoffe schneller einordnen.
Steel designations are standardized abbreviations for steel materials. They describe key properties of a material right in the name, thereby enabling unambiguous identification within the European standardization system.
The basis for this is DIN EN 10027, which consists of two parts:
The abbreviations specified in DIN EN 10027-1, in turn, distinguish between two types of designations:
In this article, we will focus exclusively on the first group. We will, however, cover the naming conventions based on chemical composition and the material numbers in separate articles.
Before the introduction of European standards, steel grades were often designated according to national standards or manufacturer-specific designations. With DIN EN 10027-1, European standardization therefore established a uniform naming system throughout Europe.
In practice, this standardized system forms the basis for day-to-day communication about materials in the steel trade. Steel designations make it possible, for example, to uniquely identify materials based solely on their abbreviated designations, without first having to compare complete technical data sheets.
This therefore offers numerous advantages for the steel trade as well as for companies in the steel, machinery, plant, and vessel manufacturing industries:
In addition, the standard improves international cooperation between manufacturers and customers.
A steel grade designation is much more than just a standardized abbreviation. Rather, it serves as a common language among steel manufacturers, steel distributors, design engineers, manufacturing companies, and end customers. Regardless of whether a material is produced in Germany, Italy, or another European country, DIN EN 10027-1 ensures that all parties involved are referring to the same material.
This is particularly important in the steel trade. After all, a wide variety of steel grades are requested, offered, ordered, and processed every day. Clear labeling reduces misunderstandings and, at the same time, makes it possible to classify materials into specific material groups based on their abbreviations.
Steel designations are also used in technical drawings, bills of materials, requests for proposals, purchase orders, and acceptance test certificates. As a result, they form the basis for clear communication throughout the entire supply chain—from the steel mill to the finished component.
Anyone who understands how a steel designation is structured can classify materials at a basic level even before consulting technical data sheets. In addition, many material properties can be deduced from the designation alone.
Especially for commonly used steel grades, the steel designation is often sufficient to identify the intended application and the key material properties. However, the final material selection is then made based on the applicable product standard and the technical delivery conditions. Nevertheless, the steel designation often serves as the initial basis for material selection.
DIN EN 10027-1 thus provides the basis for fast, reliable, and Europe-wide standardized material identification, while also facilitating day-to-day collaboration between purchasing, design, manufacturing, and the steel trade.
Steel designations based on intended use and mechanical properties follow a clearly defined structure. A steel designation according to DIN EN 10027-1 provides three key pieces of information right in the name:
Example:
The steel grade designation S355J2+N is composed as follows:
The first letter describes the steel’s intended use.
The designations are:
| S | Baustahl |
| P | Druckbehälterstahl |
| L | Leitungsrohrstahl |
| E | Maschinenbaustahl |
| B | Betonstahl |
| Y | Spannstähle |
| R | Stähle für oder in Form von Schienen |
| D | Flacherzeugnisse zum Flachumformen |
| H | Flacherzeugnisse aus höherfesten Stählen zum Flachumformen |
| T | Verpackungsblech und -band |
| M | Elektroblech und -band |
The very first letter thus provides important guidance on a material’s intended application. In the steel trade in particular, this allows for a quick preliminary selection of suitable steel grades before further mechanical properties or delivery conditions are considered.
The number in the steel designation indicates the minimum yield strength in MPa for structural steels:
The minimum yield strength refers to the stress up to which steel behaves elastically. If this value is exceeded, however, permanent deformation occurs.
The higher the minimum yield strength, the greater the loads a material can withstand without undergoing permanent deformation. For this reason, high-strength steel grades are used particularly frequently in steel construction, plant engineering, and mechanical engineering when the goal is to reduce weight or achieve higher load-bearing capacities.
Examples:
Impact toughness describes a steel’s ability to absorb impact loads at defined temperatures without fracturing in a brittle manner.
As a general rule, the lower the test temperature at which the required notch impact energy is achieved, the more suitable the material is for applications in cold environments or under dynamic loading.
| Notched impact strength in joules | Test temperature | ||
| 27 J | 40 J | 60 J | °C |
| JR | KR | LR | +20 |
| J0 | K0 | L0 | 0 |
| J2 | K2 | L2 | -20 |
| J3 | K3 | L3 | -30 |
| J4 | K4 | L4 | -40 |
| J5 | K5 | L5 | -50 |
| J6 | K6 | L6 | -60 |
The delivery condition describes the metallurgical state in which steel is delivered. It has a direct impact on strength, toughness, and workability.
The most important supplementary symbols are:
Depending on the steel grade, different delivery conditions are used. Among other things, they influence a material’s weldability, formability, and mechanical properties, and are therefore an important part of the steel designation.
Steel designations according to DIN EN 10027-1 form a clearly structured system for the unambiguous description of steel materials.
While the first letter defines the intended use, the number indicates the minimum yield strength, and additional symbols provide important information about toughness and the condition in which the material is supplied.
In practical applications—particularly in the steel trade and in the processing of heavy plate —they enable fast, reliable, and standardized material identification throughout Europe.
This makes steel designations a key tool for purchasing, design, and the technical selection of steel grades.
UnionStahl achieves DIN 2303 qualification class 2! Certified expertise for safety-critical welding work on steels and AlZnMg alloys. Discover the highest precision and quality.
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