DC04 Steel | 1.0338: Composition, Properties, Processing and Uses

DC04 galvanized steel is a top choice for manufacturers demanding high formability, precision, and corrosion resistance. Used in automotive panels, appliance housings, and construction components, it ensures reliability in deep-drawing uses.

At SteelPRO Group, we supply premium DC04 steel with strict quality control, delivering superior surface finish, precise tolerances, and consistent performance.

This guide breaks down DC04’s composition, properties, processing, coatings, applications, and key comparisons—everything you need to know, fast.

What is DC04 Steel?

DC04 is a low-carbon, cold-rolled deep drawing steel in the DC-grade series (“Drawing Class” for forming applications). Available with hot-dip or electro-galvanized coatings under EN 10152-2017, it provides corrosion resistance and excellent formability for complex shapes. With material number 1.0338, DC04’s smooth surface is ideal for precision uses in automotive and appliance manufacturing.

DC04 Steel Chemical Composition

DC04 Steel Mechanical Properties

DC04 Steel Approximate Equivalent Grade

DC04 Steel Application

• Automotive Industry: Body panels, interior trim, structural reinforcements, fuel tanks, complex-shaped parts
• Appliance Manufacturing: Washing machine drums, refrigerator panels, oven doors, decorative elements, appliance housings.
• Construction Components: Roofing sheets, wall panels, ceiling panels, ductwork, metal studs, framing systems.
• Electronics and Electrical Industry: Enclosures, casings, mounting brackets, electrical cabinets, control panels.
• General Manufacturing: Precision-formed parts, springs, clips, connectors, housings, metal furniture parts.
• Packaging: Metal cans, containers, caps, closures.
• HVAC Systems: Air conditioning ducts, ventilation systems, heat exchangers.

DC04 Steel Coil Dimension

At SteelPRO Group, we offer DC04 steel coils, ensuring consistency and high-quality performance across different industries. For custom thickness, width, or coil weight, SteelPRO Group can accommodate your needs with precision-cut solutions. Get in touch for personalized specifications and expert guidance.

DC04 Steel Products Tolerances

Precision is critical when working with DC04 steel, especially for deep stamping, bending, and welding, where even minor deviations can impact the final product’s integrity. At SteelPRO Group, we maintain strict tolerance control, ensuring every batch meets the highest industry standards for accuracy and consistency.

• Thickness tolerance: typically ±0.05 mm, ensuring uniform strength and formability of the steel for precise shaping.
• Width tolerance: typically ±0.5 mm, ensuring smooth handling and fit during processing.
• Length tolerance: typically ±1.0 mm, ensuring accurate cutting and facilitating precise assembly.

With our rigorous quality control processes, we ensure that each coil and sheet delivers the precision you need for high-performance applications.

DC04 Steel Machining

The low carbon content and good formability of DC04 steel make it an excellent performer in processing, especially for applications that require complex shapes and high precision.

• Deep drawing: DC04 steel has excellent ductility and low yield strength, which is suitable for deep drawing operations, and can form complex parts without cracking.
• Stamping: Thanks to its excellent strength to formability ratio, DC04 can maintain its shape integrity during repeated stamping, which is suitable for processing complex patterns.
• Bending: DC04 steel has excellent flexibility and can withstand bending processes without breaking, which is very suitable for parts that require curved shapes.
• Welding: The low carbon content makes DC04 steel suitable for various welding processes, such as spot welding and seam welding, ensuring the strength and durability of the welded joints.
• Cutting: Whether it is laser cutting, plasma cutting or mechanical cutting, the stable thickness and surface quality of DC04 steel can ensure accurate cutting results and reduce processing errors.

SteelPRO Group has advanced processing technology and high-precision equipment. Whether it is deep drawing, punching, bending or cutting, we can provide tailor-made solutions according to your needs.

DC04 Steel Surface Treatment

The surface quality of DC04 steel provides an excellent foundation for a variety of subsequent treatments. We offer a variety of surface treatment services to improve the corrosion resistance, visual effects and overall performance of the product.

DC04 Steel Surface Quality Grades

DC04’s smooth surface can undergo treatments like galvanizing or painting, which enhance corrosion resistance and appearance, due to its even finish and adherence qualities.

• FB (O3): Permits minor surface imperfections that do not interfere with forming or coating adhesion, suitable for standard applications.
• FC (O4): Offers a relatively high-quality finish on one side, free from significant defects, while the opposite side meets FB standards, ideal for partially visible parts.
• FD (O5): Provides a premium finish on both sides, with no visible defects, making it suitable for applications requiring a flawless surface after painting or galvanizing.

DC04 Steel Surface Treatments Types

• Hot-Dip Galvanizing: Provides a thick, durable layer for strong corrosion resistance, ideal for outdoor and industrial applications.
• Electro-Galvanizing: Creates a smooth, thin protective coating that enhances corrosion resistance while preserving surface precision.
• Phosphating: Adds a layer that improves paint adhesion and enhances corrosion resistance, commonly used as a pre-treatment.
• Painting/Coating: Provides visual appeal and extra protection, ideal for uses needing particular colors or surface finishes.
• Enameling: Provides a hard, glossy surface, making it resistant to heat and chemicals, ideal for appliances and cookware.
• Powder Coating: Produces a uniform, durable finish resistant to chipping and scratching, often used for decorative or high-durability parts.
• Polishing: Creates a smooth, reflective surface, enhancing the appearance and removing minor imperfections.

DC04 Steel Coatings Types

• Hot-Dip Galvanized Coating: Provides a thick, robust zinc layer, giving strong corrosion resistance for outdoor and industrial applications.
• Electro-Galvanized Coating (ZE): Offers a thinner, smooth zinc layer for corrosion resistance with high surface precision, ideal for applications needing further coating or painting.
• Zinc-Iron Alloy Coating (ZF): Created by heat treatment after zinc coating, forming a zinc-iron alloy layer with enhanced hardness and excellent paint adhesion.
• Organic Coating: A layer of organic material (paint or resin) applied for aesthetic finishes and added corrosion resistance, suitable for decorative or exposed parts.
• Phosphate Coating: Used as a pre-treatment to improve paint adhesion and corrosion resistance, especially effective for painted or powder-coated parts.

These coatings provide DC04 steel with varying levels of protection and functionality, meeting the needs of different applications.

DC04 Steel Advantages

Our products are superior in surface quality, precision control and durability, suitable for projects that require high performance and durability. Through precise processes and advanced technology, we ensure that every piece of steel meets strict quality standards.

Excellent formability

DC04 steel has excellent ductility and can withstand complex deep drawing and fine forming processes, ensuring crack-free products and suitable for the manufacture of complex shapes.

Superior surface quality

We use advanced cold rolling processes to ensure a smooth and uniform surface, providing optimal adhesion for coating and painting. Compared with other brands, our steel surface is flatter, reducing the difficulty and cost of subsequent processing.

Accurate dimensional control

Strict control of thickness and size during cold rolling ensures consistency and high precision of each batch of steel. Our products can fit perfectly in a variety of high-demand assemblies, improving assembly efficiency and quality.

Excellent weldability

Due to the low carbon content, our DC04 steel is suitable for a variety of welding processes, ensuring high strength and durability of welded joints to meet complex manufacturing requirements.

Enhanced corrosion resistance

We offer a variety of surface treatment options, such as electro-galvanizing and hot-dip galvanizing, to add additional corrosion protection to DC04 steel, extend service life and reduce maintenance requirements.

Consistency and stability

The consistency of composition and performance of each batch of DC04 steel ensures the stability of the production process and reduces the impact of material differences on product quality.

Environmental advantages

Our DC04 steel is fully recyclable and meets green environmental standards, helping customers reduce environmental impact and achieve sustainable manufacturing.

Alternative Grades

When you need higher formability or greater durability, DC04 is not the only choice. Depending on your specific needs, the following alternative grades may be more suitable for your project:

• DC05 and DC06: If your design involves complex shapes or delicate deep drawing, DC05 and DC06 will be more ideal choices. DC05 provides higher ductility than DC04, suitable for forming complex shapes, while DC06 has excellent formability and can easily handle the most complex deep drawing processes.
• DC01: If your needs are more inclined towards general forming and do not require extreme ductility, DC01 is a balanced choice, providing moderate strength and good forming performance.

International equivalent standards: such as SPCE and A619, although these materials have similar properties to DC04, there may be slight differences depending on different application requirements. We provide customers with flexible options to ensure that the needs of different standards around the world can be met.

How does DC04 steel compare to DC05 and DC06 in terms of specific deep drawing capabilities?

DC04 is good for standard deep drawing, but DC05 offers higher ductility for more complex shapes, while DC06 provides the best formability for intricate, deep-drawn parts.

What are the long-term performance characteristics of DC04 steel in outdoor applications?

DC04 performs well outdoors when coated (e.g., galvanized) to prevent rust, making it durable in general environments, though additional layers are needed for highly corrosive settings.

DC04 vs DC01

Differences:

• Formability: DC04 has higher ductility and is designed for deep drawing, allowing it to handle complex shapes without cracking. DC01, with lower elongation, is suited for general forming but not for intricate shapes.
• Applications: DC04 is ideal for complex components, such as automotive panels and appliance parts that require deep drawing. DC01 is better for simpler parts, like basic structural components and housings.

When to Use Each:

• Choose DC04: For high-precision applications requiring complex or deep-drawn shapes.
• Choose DC01: For straightforward, standard parts that don’t need extensive forming.

Related Reading: DC01 vs DC04

Trustworthy DC04 Steel Cold Rolled Coils Manufacturer

SteelPRO Group offers a wide range of DC04 galvanized steel coils and other grades of coils, plates and sheets to suit different industry needs. Our galvanizing options include both hot dip galvanized and electro galvanized products, with a variety of processing services such as cutting and forming available to meet your exact requirements.

Each product is rigorously inspected for dimensional accuracy, surface finish and coating thickness to ensure top performance.

Contact us today for a quote or to learn more about our full range of products.