IS 513:2018 is the Indian Standard (BIS) for cold rolled low carbon steel sheets and strips. IS 513 specifies cold rolled low carbon steel sheets and strips in 4 grades (O, D, DD, EDD) based on formability. Grade O is for commercial bending, while EDD is for severe deep drawing. Widely used in automotive, appliances, furniture, and HVAC ductwork.
Specification for cold rolled low carbon steel flat products (sheets, strips, and coils) for commercial, drawing, and deep drawing quality applications.
Key reference values — verify against the current code edition / project specification.
| Reference | Value | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Cold-rolled low-carbon steel sheets/strips/coils | Scope |
| Qualities | Commercial / drawing / deep-drawing / extra-deep | Grades |
| Properties | Yield, UTS, % elongation, n & r values (formability) | Acceptance |
| Surface | Specified surface finish & oiling | Finish |
| Use | Pressed parts, ducting, panels, fabrication | Application |
| Read with | IS 277 (galvanized) / IS 1079 (HR sheet) | Cross-ref |
IS 513:2018 is the Indian Standard for Cold Reduced Low Carbon Steel Sheets and Strips — Specification. It covers the thin-gauge cold-rolled mild steel sheets used in:
Use it when: - Specifying CR (cold-rolled) sheet for fabrication - Procurement audit — mechanical properties, surface finish, dimensional tolerance - Investigating forming / surface defects — splits, cracks, orange-peel, galling - Choosing between commercial / drawing / deep-drawing grades
Distinct from: - IS 277:2018 — Galvanized steel sheets (uses IS 513 sheet, then coated) - IS 1730:2017 — Hot rolled plate dimensions (thicker; > 5 mm) - IS 1079:2017 — Hot rolled carbon steel sheets and strips (HR alternative; thicker; coarser surface) - IS 5986:2017 — Hot rolled steel flats with improved formability - IS 6911:2017 — Stainless steel sheets (different chemistry)
Five formability grades (Clause 4) — each defines minimum elongation + maximum yield strength requirements:
CR1 — Commercial Drawing Quality: - For mildly drawn / shaped parts; flat panels with light bending - Yield strength: ≤ 280 MPa; UTS 270-410 MPa - Elongation A_80: ≥ 28% - For: appliance casings, simple shapes, file cabinet panels
CR2 — Drawing Quality: - For moderate drawing; deeper shapes than CR1 - Yield: ≤ 240 MPa; UTS 270-380 MPa - Elongation A_80: ≥ 32% - For: automotive non-Class-A panels, complex household appliance parts
CR3 — Deep Drawing Quality: - For substantial drawing; deep cup-shaped parts - Yield: ≤ 220 MPa; UTS 270-350 MPa - Elongation A_80: ≥ 36% - For: deep automotive panels, kitchen sinks, complex fabricated shapes
CR4 — Extra Deep Drawing Quality: - Severe drawing; very deep / complex shapes - Yield: ≤ 210 MPa; UTS 270-330 MPa - Elongation A_80: ≥ 39% - For: difficult automotive parts (rear-view mirror housings), complex appliance interiors
CR5 — Super Deep Drawing Quality: - Most demanding draws; aluminium-alloyed / interstitial-free steel - Yield: ≤ 195 MPa; UTS 270-320 MPa - Elongation A_80: ≥ 42% - For: most challenging automotive body panels (cars produced to international specifications)
Chemistry envelopes (Table 1 of IS 513:2018):
| Grade | C max (%) | Mn max (%) | P max (%) | S max (%) | Al min (%) | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | CR1 | 0.10 | 0.45 | 0.030 | 0.025 | 0.020 | | CR2 | 0.08 | 0.40 | 0.025 | 0.025 | 0.020 | | CR3 | 0.06 | 0.40 | 0.020 | 0.020 | 0.020 | | CR4 | 0.05 | 0.40 | 0.020 | 0.020 | 0.020 | | CR5 | 0.04 | 0.35 | 0.020 | 0.020 | 0.020 |
Carbon content decreases with grade — lower C = more ductile, more drawable.
Sheet sizes (Clause 5): - Thickness: 0.25-3.0 mm (the cold-rolled range) - Width: 600-1500 mm (sheets); coils up to 1800 mm - Length: cut to length; coils typically 5-10 tonnes coil weight - Surface condition: bright (smooth), matt (lightly textured), polished options
Thickness tolerance (Clause 6 + Annex C) — varies by grade + width + thickness: - For 0.5 mm sheet, 1000 mm wide: ± 0.04 mm - For 1.0 mm sheet, 1000 mm wide: ± 0.06 mm - For 2.0 mm sheet, 1500 mm wide: ± 0.12 mm
Width tolerance: ± 2 mm typical for slit coil; ± 5 mm for sheets
Length tolerance: ± 10 mm typical
Flatness tolerance: max deviation 5-15 mm per metre of length depending on thickness + width
Surface finish classes (Clause 7): - No. 2D: cold-rolled, annealed, pickled — uniform dull matt finish - No. 2B: 2D + light cold-rolled to brighter finish — most common - No. 3: coarse polished - No. 4: fine polished (brushed appearance) - No. 8: mirror polished (for visible decorative surfaces)
Surface inspection: - Should be free of: - Splits / fractures along the edge or surface - Pinholes (visible perforations from rolling) - Coil-set / wave beyond flatness tolerance - Hairline cracks at bends (test on sample) - Heavy mill scale (must be removed by pickling) - Galling / pickup marks from rolling damage
Mechanical test sampling (Clause 8): - Tensile test per IS 1608 - Hardness test per IS 1500 series (HBW typically 80-180 depending on grade) - Bend test (free or supported) — bend over a mandrel of specified diameter; check for cracks at the bend (Clause 8.4) - Erichsen cupping test (for drawing grades) — deep-drawability characterisation
1. Wrong grade for drawing operation — using CR1 (commercial quality) where CR3 or CR4 is needed: cracks at corners + edges during drawing. Always specify grade based on actual forming severity, not generic 'CR sheet'.
2. Surface finish mismatch — specifying No. 2B (standard) where No. 4 (brushed) is needed for visible appliance / automotive surfaces: visual unacceptable. Match finish to final product visibility.
3. No oil film on stored sheets — stored cold-rolled sheets rust within weeks if not oiled. Use thin oil film + sealed bundles for storage / transport.
4. Forming without adequate lubrication — cold-rolled sheets need press-shop lubrication during forming. Dry forming creates galling + tool wear. Use specified press-shop oils + rinse / clean after forming.
5. Specifying tighter thickness tolerance than needed — premium tolerance grades cost premium. Don't specify ± 0.02 mm thickness when ± 0.05 mm is adequate for the application.
6. Annealing wrong — annealed condition (soft, formable) vs cold-worked (harder, less formable) — these are different. CR1-CR5 grades are annealed standard. If you're sourcing cold-worked (work-hardened) sheets, mechanical properties differ.
7. Mixing CR grades in one product — appliance / automotive panels using different grade sheets from different sources can show colour / surface differences after coating. Use uniform grade + source.
8. Cold-rolling direction not specified — sheets have different mechanical properties longitudinal vs transverse to rolling direction. For critical applications (deep-drawing of complex shapes), specify rolling direction; otherwise mill ships whatever orientation.
9. No magnetic verification of grade — magnetic permeability differs slightly between grades. Some QC programs use magnetic verification as quick check on chemistry conformance.
10. Damage during transit — cold-rolled sheets bend easily; coils get edge damage from forklift handling. Inspect on receipt; reject damaged coils.
IS 513:2018 is the current revision (replacing IS 513:2008), well-aligned with EN 10130:2006 and JIS G 3141. Indian cold-rolled steel mills can interchange product between domestic IS spec and export EN / JIS spec.
Indian cold-rolled sheet market: - Major manufacturers (Tata Steel BSL, JSW Steel, AM/NS India, Bhushan Steel): consistent IS 513 / EN 10130 conformance. Export-quality. Primary suppliers to Indian automotive + appliance industries. - Mid-tier rerollers / cold-rolling mills: variable quality. Pre-qualify with sample testing. - Imported sheet (Korea, Japan, China): widely available; spec equivalence verified.
Application landscape: - Automotive (cars + commercial): largest single market; ~40% of CR sheet consumption in India. CR3-CR5 grades dominate. - Appliances (refrigerators, ACs, washing machines): ~25% of market. CR1-CR2 grades. - Pre-paint galvanized base (IS 277 / IS 14246): ~15% of market. CR1-CR2 grades. - Office furniture, lockers, racks: ~10%. CR1. - Other: ~10% (signage, ducting, light structures).
Procurement reality: - For automotive Tier-1 supply: full IS 513 conformance with batch-level testing + Material Test Certificate is mandatory - For appliance manufacturing: similar; quality consistency is critical for paint adhesion + corrosion resistance - For general fabrication / structural: looser quality acceptance; visual + dimensional inspection on receipt
Cost reality (2026 typical Indian market): - CR1 commercial quality: ₹60-90/kg (premium quality; major mills) - CR4-CR5 deep-drawing quality: ₹80-130/kg (specialty grades) - Imported high-grade: ₹100-150/kg - Rerolled / unbranded: ₹50-70/kg (quality varies; sample test)
Quality assurance recommendations: - Mandate Material Test Certificate per coil/heat - Random sample testing on receipt (chemistry + tensile + hardness) - Surface inspection: visual + magnetic gauge if applicable - Dimensional verification on every coil (thickness in multiple positions, width, weight) - For automotive / appliance applications: NABL-accredited lab verification
Future direction: - Advanced High-Strength Steels (AHSS): dual-phase, TRIP, TWIP, complex-phase steels for automotive lightweighting — covered by separate IS standards (not IS 513). Watch for: IS 11118 (HSLA), IS 11587, future codes for DP / TRIP grades. - Aluminium-killed grades for improved deep-drawing: traditionally CR4-CR5; emerging interstitial-free (IF) steels offer even better formability. - Hot-stamped boron steels for ultra-high-strength automotive parts (1500+ MPa UTS after hot stamping): emerging market; separate specifications.
For general engineering and most appliance applications, IS 513:2018 remains the workhorse specification and will for the foreseeable future.
| Parameter | IS Value | International | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drawing quality yield strength | Grade D: max 240 MPa | DC03: max 240 MPa | EN 10130 |
| EDD elongation (0.7mm) | EDD: min 38% | DC06: min 38% | EN 10130 |