EN 10020:2000

Overview

EN 10020:2000 (CEN) defines the term "steel" and provides a clear, high-level framework for the classification of steel grades. The standard groups steels by chemical composition into non-alloy, stainless, and other alloy steels, and establishes main quality classes based on primary properties or intended applications. Key references in the document include the definition in clause 2, classification by chemical composition in clause 3, and the description of main quality classes in clause 4.

Key Topics

• Definition of steel (clause 2): Establishes the terminology and scope for what is considered steel in the European standards framework.
• Classification by composition (clause 3): Assigns steels to the three broad composition groups: non-alloy, stainless, and other alloy steels.
• Main quality classes (clause 4): Defines quality classes that reflect main properties or application characteristics for each composition group.
• Harmonization objective: Provides a consistent basis for naming, specifying, and selecting steel grades across industry, standards, and supply chains.

Applications

EN 10020:2000 is a foundational reference for organizations involved in metallurgy, manufacturing, design, procurement, testing and quality assurance. Practical uses include:

• Grade selection and specification: Use the classification framework to communicate required material types clearly in purchase orders, technical specifications, and engineering drawings.
• Procurement and vendor communication: Harmonized terminology reduces ambiguity when sourcing steel products across suppliers and borders.
• Product design and engineering: Designers can align material property expectations with the standard’s quality-class approach to ensure fit-for-purpose material choice.
• Quality control and compliance: QA teams can reference the classification to align inspection and documentation practices with European terminology and expectations.

Benefits of applying EN 10020:2000 include improved clarity in material designation, reduced miscommunication in international projects, and a structured approach to mapping material properties to application needs.

Related Standards

• Standards addressing material designation, chemical analysis, mechanical property requirements, and product-specific specifications are typically used together with EN 10020:2000 to create a complete procurement or compliance package.
• For harmonized procurement and testing, pair EN 10020:2000 with applicable product and test standards in your product family to ensure full technical coverage.

EN 10020:2000 serves as a concise, authoritative reference for the definition and high-level classification of steels, supporting consistent material management across industry, standards development and regulatory contexts.