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Latest News
27.Jan.2026
Material Knowledge
Differences in Materials for Press Stamping
A Viewpoint from Cold-Rolled Steel
For press stamping companies, even when materials are all classified as cold-rolled steel,
differences in carbon content can lead to significant variations in formability, yield rate, and die adjustment time.
In this article, we compare three representative materials
SPCC (general cold-rolled steel), carbon steel (equivalent to S65CM), and carbon tool steel (equivalent to SK85M)
and explain key points that should be considered in actual press operations.
1. Chemical Composition and Material Characteristics
| Material | Carbon Content (C) | Characteristics After Pressing and Heat Treatment |
SPCC (General Cold-Rolled Steel) |
approx. 0.12% |
Easy to stamp; heat treatment is usually not required; high dimensional stability after forming |
Carbon Steel (S65CM equivalent) |
0.62–0.70% |
Press forming is possible but more difficult; after quenching and tempering,
|
Carbon Tool Steel (SK85M equivalent) |
0.80–0.88% |
Even higher forming difficulty; becomes high hardness after heat treatment;
|
As carbon content increases, the difficulty of press forming and the risk of dimensional change after heat treatment increase step by step,
which becomes very apparent in actual production.
2. Formability After Cold Rolling and Considerations Related to Heat Treatment
SPCC (General Cold-Rolled Steel)
Low carbon content results in minimal work hardening and excellent formability.
Requires little die adjustment and is well suited for mass production.
High dimensional stability when no heat treatment is involved.
Carbon Steel (S65CM equivalent)
Higher carbon content leads to noticeable work hardening, making press conditions and die tuning more critical.
In many cases, quenching and tempering are required, and distortion, warping, or dimensional deviation after heat treatment must be anticipated.
Cer degree of work hardening than carbon steel, requiring even more careful control of press conditions.
Due to the higharbon Tool Steel (SK85M equivalent)
Exhibits a higher carbon content, bending operations become more difficult, and dimensional variation after heat treatment must be managed with particular care.
Optimization of die design, processing sequence, and heat treatment conditions is essential.
3. Material Stability and Quality Differences That Appear After Processing
For carbon steel and carbon tool steel, small variations in material batches, thickness, or hardness can directly affect press forming results.
While different cold-rolled steels may appear similar in surface condition, clear differences emerge after press forming and heat treatment.
The materials we supply, produced by Japanesesteelmakers, offer excellent stability across the entire coil length andwidth,ensuring
high repeatability after pressing and heat treatment.
4. A Message to Press Stamping Companies
If you are currently experiencing:
-
Yield rates that are lower than expected
-
Excessive time spent on die adjustment
-
Frequent re-setting of press conditions when material batches change
there is a strong possibility that the root cause lies in the material itself.
Please feel free to contact us.
We can provide our materials as test samples, allowing you to evaluate them under your actual production
conditions and identify the optimal solution.
► More Articles | Previous Post : Characteristics, Applications, and Material Selection Guidelines for High-Carbon Steels
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