Steel 60CrMnA
GB 60CrMnA · JIS SUP9A
60CrMnA is a chromium-manganese spring steel (SUP9A equivalent) that develops its properties by oil quenching and medium-temperature tempering rather than by carbide alloying.
Reference datasheet — 60CrMnA is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Values for the QT condition
60CrMnA tempers and conditions
60CrMnA is supplied in 8 conditions, soft to hard. QT is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Compare all 8 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Solution annealed | Choose for cold coiling, cold shearing, machining of blanks or deep hole drilling before hardening; GB delivery hardness limit ≤ 250 HB. | 430 | 730 | 20 | 217 HB | 45 W/m·K |
Hot rolled | Mill delivery condition for bar and wire rod that will be hot-coiled and heat treated by the spring maker. | 600 | 950 | 14 | 29 HRC | — |
Normalized | Used to refine grain and homogenise structure after forging, before final quench and temper. | 630 | 1,000 | 13 | 31 HRC | 9 % IACS |
Cold drawn | Cold-drawn rounds and wire with better size tolerance and straightness; still requires quench-and-temper for spring duty. | 850 | 1,050 | 8 | 32 HRC | — |
QTDefault Quenched and tempered | Standard property-verification condition of GB/T 1222; balanced strength and toughness for torsion bars and heavy-section spring components. | 1,180 | 1,320 | 11 | 41 HRC | — |
oil quenched + tempered 380–420 °C (spring temper) | Production temper for leaf springs, heavy coil springs and stabiliser bars where maximum elastic limit and sag resistance are needed. | 1,470 | 1,650 | 8 | 46 HRC | — |
quenched, tempered and shot peened | Specify when fatigue life dominates: compressive surface stress from peening (often stress-peened) raises the endurance limit 20–40 %. | 1,470 | 1,650 | 8 | 46 HRC | 7.5 % IACS |
Oil-tempered spring wire / strip | Wire supplied already quenched and tempered so the spring can be cold coiled and only stress-relieved afterwards. | 1,520 | 1,700 | 8 | 48 HRC | — |
What is 60CrMnA?
60CrMnA is a chromium-manganese spring steel (SUP9A equivalent) that develops its properties by oil quenching and medium-temperature tempering rather than by carbide alloying. In the quenched-and-tempered condition it reaches about 1180 MPa yield, 1320 MPa tensile, 11 % elongation and 390 HB (41 HRC), and the Cr-Mn addition gives enough hardenability to through-harden heavy coil and leaf spring sections. Service is limited to roughly 250 °C, machinability is low (score 30), and the grade is effectively non-weldable and has no corrosion resistance, so coating is required. Where higher fatigue strength is needed, 51CrV4 is the usual step up. 60CrMnA has a density of 7.85 g/cm³ (0.284 lb/in³), heavier than 56% of steel grades. It melts at 1,420°C (2,588 °F). 60CrMnA has a yield strength of 1,180 MPa (171 ksi) and a tensile strength of 1,320 MPa (191 ksi) — stronger than 94% of steel grades. Elongation at break is 11% and the elastic modulus is 206 GPa (29.9 Msi).
What is 60CrMnA used for?
- leaf springs
- heavy coil springs
- clutch springs
Advantages
- High strength — 1,180 MPa (171 ksi), better than 94% of steel grades
Limitations
- Limited formability — 10/100, worse than 95% of steel grades
- Difficult to weld — 15/100, worse than 91% of steel grades
- Limited ductility — 11%, worse than 89% of steel grades
- Difficult to machine — 30/100, worse than 89% of steel grades
- Limited service temperature — 250°C (482 °F), worse than 85% of steel grades
60CrMnA properties
Typical room-temperature values for 60CrMnA-QT; bars are the position among steel grades.
Physical3
60CrMnA has a density of 7.85 g/cm³ (0.284 lb/in³), heavier than 56% of steel grades. It melts at 1,420°C (2,588 °F).
Mechanical16
60CrMnA has a yield strength of 1,180 MPa (171 ksi) and a tensile strength of 1,320 MPa (191 ksi) — stronger than 94% of steel grades. Elongation at break is 11% and the elastic modulus is 206 GPa (29.9 Msi).
Thermal6
60CrMnA is rated for continuous service to 250°C (482 °F). It conducts heat at 42 W/m·K (24.3 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 56% of steel grades. Thermal expansion is 12.4 µm/m·K (6.89 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
60CrMnA conducts electricity at 8 % IACS, better than 55% of steel grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is not recommended (12/100), worse than 53% of steel grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of 60CrMnA takes about 26 MJ of energy and emits 2 kg of CO₂ — less than 64% of steel grades. Typical recycled content is 30%.
Manufacturability7
60CrMnA's machinability is poor (30/100, worse than 89% of steel grades); weldability poor (15/100); formability not recommended (10/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the steel family
Yield strength against density for every steel grade FabDigit runs. 60CrMnA is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with 60CrMnA
Is 60CrMnA easy to machine?
Machine in the annealed condition (≤250 HB) with carbide tooling and rigid setups; at 44–48 HRC only grinding, hard turning with CBN or EDM is practical.
Can 60CrMnA be welded?
Effectively non-weldable for structural service (CE ≈ 1.0); if unavoidable, preheat 300–350 °C, use low-hydrogen consumables and post-weld temper, accepting local loss of spring properties.
Can 60CrMnA be formed, bent or molded?
Hot coil/forge at 1050–850 °C or cold coil in the annealed/oil-tempered condition, then oil quench 830–860 °C and temper 380–460 °C; guard against decarburisation with controlled atmosphere or generous grinding allowance.
60CrMnA chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| C | 0.56 – 0.64 | 0.6 |
| Si | 0.17 – 0.37 | 0.27 |
| Mn | 0.7 – 1 | 0.85 |
| Cr | 0.7 – 1 | 0.85 |
| Pmax, GB/T 1222 high-grade limit | ≤ 0.03 | |
| Smax ('A' = high-quality steel) | ≤ 0.02 | |
| Curesidual max | ≤ 0.25 | |
| Niresidual max | ≤ 0.35 | |
| Fe | balance |
What surface finishes work on 60CrMnA?
Shot peen after tempering for fatigue life, then phosphate-and-oil, powder coat or Zn-flake coating; avoid acid pickling and electroplating on hardened parts or bake at 190–210 °C to relieve hydrogen.
Surface treatments FabDigit runs on steel parts — pick them in the quote configurator or call them out on the drawing. Each links to its datasheet in the surface-finish library (thickness, specs, call-out, material verdicts).
Organic Coating
Black / Phosphate
Thermal Spray
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Steel 60CrMnA in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- JIS
- SUP9A
How much does 60CrMnA cost?
60CrMnA is a budget-cost steel ($), cheaper than about 90% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
60CrMnA — frequently asked
What is 60CrMnA used for?
60CrMnA is typically used for leaf springs, heavy coil springs and clutch springs. In short: deep-hardening spring steel; SUP9A equivalent; heavy-section coil and leaf use.
What is the yield strength of 60CrMnA?
60CrMnA has a typical yield strength of 1,180 MPa (171 ksi) and a tensile strength of 1,320 MPa (191 ksi) — stronger than 94% of steel grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 8 listed tempers.
Is 60CrMnA easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated poor (30/100, worse than 89% of steel grades). Machine in the annealed condition (≤250 HB) with carbide tooling and rigid setups; at 44–48 HRC only grinding, hard turning with CBN or EDM is practical.
Can 60CrMnA be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated poor (15/100). Effectively non-weldable for structural service (CE ≈ 1.0); if unavoidable, preheat 300–350 °C, use low-hydrogen consumables and post-weld temper, accepting local loss of spring properties.
What surface finishes work on 60CrMnA?
Shot peen after tempering for fatigue life, then phosphate-and-oil, powder coat or Zn-flake coating; avoid acid pickling and electroplating on hardened parts or bake at 190–210 °C to relieve hydrogen.
Can 60CrMnA be formed, bent or molded?
Hot coil/forge at 1050–850 °C or cold coil in the annealed/oil-tempered condition, then oil quench 830–860 °C and temper 380–460 °C; guard against decarburisation with controlled atmosphere or generous grinding allowance.
What is the maximum service temperature of 60CrMnA?
60CrMnA is rated for continuous use to about 250°C (482 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
What is the difference between 60CrMnA-QT and 60CrMnA-A?
QT is the default condition — standard property-verification condition of GB/T 1222; balanced strength and toughness for torsion bars and heavy-section spring components. A: choose for cold coiling, cold shearing, machining of blanks or deep hole drilling before hardening; GB delivery hardness limit ≤ 250 HB. Yield strength is 1,180 MPa in QT versus 430 MPa in A.
How much does 60CrMnA cost?
60CrMnA is a budget-cost steel ($), cheaper than about 90% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- GB/T 1222 Spring Steels — SAC (China) (2016)
- JIS G 4801 Spring Steels (SUP9A) — JISC (2011)
- ASM Handbook Vol.1 — Properties and Selection: Irons, Steels and High-Performance Alloys — ASM International (1990)
- ASM Handbook Vol.19 — Fatigue and Fracture — ASM International (1996)
- GB/T 18983 Oil-tempered spring steel wire — SAC (China) (2017)
- SMM / Mysteel spring steel bar price quotations (2025)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.