SIST EN 1173:2008

Overview

SIST EN 1173:2008 is a European Standard established by CEN that defines a systematic approach for the designation of material conditions in wrought products of copper and copper alloys. This standard ensures clear identification and communication of mandatory property requirements such as elongation, tensile strength, hardness, and others within the copper industry. It replaces the earlier EN 1173:1995 and introduces updated terminology and extended examples to support uniform implementation across Europe.

The standard supports manufacturers, product designers, and quality controllers by providing an unambiguous system to specify mechanical and physical properties essential for performance and compliance. This improves traceability and consistency in product specifications while aiding international trade and regulatory adherence.

Key Topics

• Material Condition Designation System
  The system uses a combination of letters and numbers to identify specific property requirements. The designation typically consists of four characters:

  • Position 1: A capital letter indicating the mandatory property (e.g., A for elongation, R for tensile strength).
  • Positions 2 to 4: Numeric digits that specify minimum or mid-range values of the property.
  • Positions 5 and 6 (optional): Additional digits for further specification or suffix letters indicating special treatments such as stress relieving ("S").

• Mandatory Property Indicators
  The letters used in the system correspond to key mechanical and physical properties, including but not limited to:

  • A – Elongation
  • B – Spring bending limit
  • D – As drawn (without specified mechanical properties)
  • G – Grain size
  • H – Hardness (Brinell or Vickers)
  • M – As manufactured (without specified mechanical properties)
  • R – Tensile strength
  • Y – 0.2% proof strength

• Designation Structure and Examples

  • Numeric values represent property thresholds (e.g., R500 indicates a tensile strength of 500 MPa).
  • Suffix letters such as "S" denote additional treatments, e.g., stress relief after manufacturing.
  • Examples include:
    • EN 13602 - Cu-OF - A007 (elongation 7%)
    • EN 1654 - CuSn8 - B410 (spring bending limit 410 MPa)
    • EN 12452 - CuZn20Al2As - R340S (tensile strength 340 MPa with stress relieving)

Applications

• Copper Product Manufacturing
  Manufacturers of copper and copper alloy wrought products use SIST EN 1173:2008 designations to define material conditions precisely in technical drawings, product orders, and certifications. This standard aids in ensuring products meet minimum mechanical properties for specific applications.

• Quality Control and Inspection
  Quality assurance teams utilize the clear, standardized designations for testing, verifying, and documenting the mechanical and physical properties of copper products, enhancing consistency and reducing errors.

• Design and Engineering
  Engineers specify material conditions in product designs to ensure performance reliability under mechanical stress, thermal expansion, or electrical conductivity requirements typical in industries such as electronics, plumbing, construction, and automotive.

• International Trade and Compliance
  The harmonized designation system helps eliminate confusion and inconsistencies when copper products are sourced or sold across European markets by providing a unified language for material properties.

Related Standards

SIST EN 1173:2008 is complemented by several other European standards that specify copper and copper alloy products, including:

• EN 1652 – Plate, sheet, strip, and circles for general purposes
• EN 1654 – Strip for springs and connectors
• EN 12164 – Rod for free machining purposes
• EN 12168 – Hollow rod for free machining purposes
• EN 12452 – Rolled, finned, seamless tubes for heat exchangers
• EN 13600 – Seamless copper tubes for electrical purposes
• EN 13602 – Drawn round copper wire for electrical conductors

These related standards reference SIST EN 1173:2008 to designate material conditions in their product specifications, ensuring compatibility and consistent property requirements.

Keywords: SIST EN 1173:2008, copper alloys, material condition designation, wrought copper, mechanical properties, tensile strength, elongation, hardness, stress relieving, European Standard, CEN copper standards, copper alloy designation, copper product specification, copper mechanical properties, international copper standards.