This is the metal grade cross reference we use when a drawing arrives with a designation we do not machine every day. It maps the 46 grades we cross-reference — aluminum, stainless steel, carbon and alloy steel, tool steel, titanium, copper and brass, nickel alloys and magnesium — across five naming systems: US (AISI / SAE / UNS), EN, DIN W-Nr., JIS and GB (China). Each row is marked Exact or Closest, because an equivalent grade name does not mean an interchangeable material. Type any designation into the filter box — a US grade, an EN number like 1.4404, or a Chinese grade like 06Cr19Ni10 — and the table narrows to matching rows.
How to read this table
Five standards, five different ways of naming the same steel. A buyer in Ohio writes 316L, a designer in Stuttgart writes 1.4404, a mill in Japan writes SUS316L, and a Chinese mill writes 022Cr17Ni12Mo2. All four usually land on a material that behaves the same way in service — but “usually” is doing real work in that sentence, and it is the reason this table carries a match column.
- Exact — the chemistry limits line up closely enough that the grades are treated as the same material in normal commercial practice. A mill certificate from one standard will satisfy a drawing written in another.
- Closest — the nearest grade in that standard, but at least one element or limit differs. Fine for most applications, but get it reviewed before you substitute on a safety-critical or high-cycle part.
- Special — a proprietary or trade designation with no standard equivalent. Substitution is a specification change, not a translation.
Two conventions worth knowing before you read the GB column. First, China adopted the international four-digit aluminium system in GB/T 3190, so 6061 in GB is simply 6061 — the old LD / LC / LY / LF codes are legacy. Second, GB stainless grades encode carbon content in the first two digits: 06Cr19Ni10 is 0.06% carbon, 022Cr17Ni12Mo2 is 0.022% carbon. That is the same distinction the US system writes as 304 versus 304L.
Filter the table
Search by any designation or property keyword. The filter matches across every column at once, so “1.4404”, “SUS316”, “316L” and “022Cr17Ni12Mo2” all find the same row.
Showing all grades.
Aluminum (9 grades)
Aluminium is where the naming systems diverge most, because China replaced its own LD / LC / LY codes with the international four-digit series. The one trap worth remembering is 2024 and 7075: the Chinese grades 2A12 and 7A09 are the closest matches, not grades named "2024" and "7075".
| US (AISI / SAE / UNS) | EN | DIN W-Nr. | JIS | GB (current) | GB (old) | Match | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6061-T6 (UNS A96061) | EN AW-6061 / AlMg1SiCu | 3.3214 | A6061 | 6061 | LD30 | Exact | The default general-purpose machining alloy. Good strength, weldable, anodizes predictably. |
| 6082-T6 | EN AW-6082 / AlSi1MgMn | 3.2315 | A6082 | 6082 | — | Exact | EU equivalent of 6061 with slightly higher strength. Common on European drawings. |
| 7075-T6 (UNS A97075) | EN AW-7075 / AlZn5.5MgCu | 3.4365 | A7075 | 7A09 | LC9 | Closest | Highest strength of the common grades. GB 7A09 limits differ slightly from 7075 — confirm before substituting. |
| 2024-T4 (UNS A92024) | EN AW-2024 / AlCu4Mg1 | 3.1355 | A2024 | 2A12 | LY12 | Closest | High strength, poor corrosion resistance. GB 2A12 is the Chinese equivalent — close, but not identical. |
| 5052-H32 | EN AW-5052 / AlMg2.5 | 3.3523 | A5052 | 5052 | LF2 | Exact | Best formability and corrosion resistance of the common machining grades. Lower strength. |
| 3003-H14 | EN AW-3003 / AlMn1Cu | 3.0517 | A3003 | 3003 | LF21 | Exact | Low cost and weldable, but low strength. Used for covers and non-structural brackets. |
| 7050-T7451 | EN AW-7050 / AlZn6CuMgZr | 3.4345 | A7050 | 7050 | — | Exact | Thick airframe blocks. Lower residual stress in thick section than 7075. |
| MIC-6 (cast tooling plate) | — | — | — | — | — | Special | Cast plate, not a wrought alloy. Chosen for flatness and dimensional stability, not strength. |
| 2017-T4 (UNS A92017) | EN AW-2017A / AlCu4MgSi | 3.1325 | A2017 | 2A11 | LY11 | Closest | High-strength rivet alloy, largely replaced by 2024 in new design. GB 2A11 is the current designation for the older LY11. |
Stainless steel (12 grades)
Stainless is the family where cross-referencing is safest, because the grades are defined by chemistry rather than by a mill’s process. EN numbers are the most reliable lookup key — 1.4404 is unambiguous in a way that "316L" occasionally is not.
| US (AISI / SAE / UNS) | EN | DIN W-Nr. | JIS | GB (current) | GB (old) | Match | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 303 (UNS S30300) | EN 1.4305 / X8CrNiS18-9 | 1.4305 | SUS303 | Y1Cr18Ni9 | — | Exact | Free-machining austenitic grade. Best machinability of the 300 series, slightly lower corrosion resistance. |
| 304 (UNS S30400) | EN 1.4301 / X5CrNi18-10 | 1.4301 | SUS304 | 06Cr19Ni10 | 0Cr18Ni9 | Exact | General-purpose austenitic grade. Work-hardens aggressively — sharp edges and constant feed matter. |
| 304L (UNS S30403) | EN 1.4307 / X2CrNi18-9 | 1.4307 | SUS304L | 022Cr19Ni10 | 00Cr19Ni10 | Exact | Low-carbon 304 for welded assemblies. Slightly lower strength, better intergranular corrosion resistance. |
| 316 (UNS S31600) | EN 1.4401 / X5CrNiMo17-12-2 | 1.4401 | SUS316 | 06Cr17Ni12Mo2 | 0Cr17Ni12Mo2 | Exact | Molybdenum grade for chloride and marine service. The default for medical and food contact. |
| 316L (UNS S31603) | EN 1.4404 / X2CrNiMo17-12-2 | 1.4404 | SUS316L | 022Cr17Ni12Mo2 | 00Cr17Ni14Mo2 | Exact | Low-carbon 316. The grade most often specified on drawings as 316L. |
| 321 (UNS S32100) | EN 1.4541 / X6CrNiTi18-10 | 1.4541 | SUS321 | 06Cr18Ni11Ti | 0Cr18Ni10Ti | Exact | Titanium-stabilised for elevated temperature service. Machines similarly to 304. |
| 410 (UNS S41000) | EN 1.4006 / X12Cr13 | 1.4006 | SUS410 | 12Cr13 | 1Cr13 | Exact | Martensitic, heat-treatable. Machines well in the annealed condition. |
| 420 (UNS S42000) | EN 1.4021 / X20Cr13 | 1.4021 | SUS420J1 | 20Cr13 | 2Cr13 | Closest | AISI 420 spans the JIS 420J1/J2 and GB 20Cr13/30Cr13 range. State the hardness you need. |
| 430 (UNS S43000) | EN 1.4016 / X6Cr17 | 1.4016 | SUS430 | 10Cr17 | 1Cr17 | Exact | Ferritic and magnetic. Good machinability, moderate corrosion resistance. |
| 440C (UNS S44004) | EN 1.4125 / X105CrMo17 | 1.4125 | SUS440C | 95Cr18 | 9Cr18 | Exact | High-carbon martensitic for bearings and valves. Usually supplied hardened; grinding is the finishing operation. |
| 17-4 PH (UNS S17400 / 630) | EN 1.4542 / X5CrNiCuNb16-4 | 1.4542 | SUS630 | 05Cr17Ni4Cu4Nb | 0Cr17Ni4Cu4Nb | Exact | Precipitation hardening. Machined in the annealed condition, then aged to H900-H1150. |
| 2205 duplex (UNS S32205) | EN 1.4462 / X2CrNiMoN22-5-3 | 1.4462 | SUS329J3L | 022Cr23Ni5Mo3N | 00Cr22Ni5Mo3N | Exact | Duplex. Roughly twice the yield strength of 316L with better chloride resistance. Lower machinability. |
Carbon and alloy steel (6 grades)
Carbon and alloy steels are named by composition in every system, so the mapping is usually a direct translation: 1045 is C45 is S45C is 45. The exception is free-machining and proprietary grades, which have no real equivalent anywhere.
| US (AISI / SAE / UNS) | EN | DIN W-Nr. | JIS | GB (current) | GB (old) | Match | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1018 (UNS G10180) | EN C15 / CK15 (closest) | 1.1141 | S15C | 15 | — | Closest | Low-carbon, weldable, easy to machine. No exact EN or GB equivalent — quoted as a family, not a grade. |
| 1045 (UNS G10450) | EN C45 / CK45 | 1.0503 | S45C | 45 | — | Exact | Medium-carbon for shafts and gears. Usually supplied normalized or induction hardened. |
| 1144 (UNS G11440) | Stressproof — no EN equivalent | — | — | — | — | Special | Resulphurized medium-carbon steel supplied in a stress-relieved condition. Chosen to avoid heat treatment. |
| 4140 (UNS G41400) | EN 42CrMo4 | 1.7225 | SCM440 | 42CrMo | — | Exact | The workhorse alloy steel for shafts and housings. Supplied pre-hardened (28-32 HRC) or Q&T. |
| 4340 (UNS G43400) | EN 36CrNiMo4 | 1.6511 | SNCM439 | 40CrNiMoA | — | Closest | Nickel-chrome-moly for high-section thickness. GB 40CrNiMoA is the closest Chinese grade. |
| 12L14 (UNS G12144) | EN 11SMnPb30 | 1.0718 | SUM24L | Y15Pb | — | Closest | Leaded free-cutting steel for high-volume turned parts. Carbon and lead ranges differ between standards, so GB Y15Pb is the nearest listing rather than an identical grade. |
Tool and high-speed steel (5 grades)
Tool steels are the family where a "close" name hides a real difference. D2 and GB Cr12MoV are routinely treated as the same material and are not — the vanadium content differs by a factor of three, which shows up as a difference in wear resistance and in how the steel behaves on hardening.
| US (AISI / SAE / UNS) | EN | DIN W-Nr. | JIS | GB (current) | GB (old) | Match | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2 (UNS T30102) | EN X100CrMoV5-1 | 1.2363 | SKD12 | Cr5Mo1V | — | Exact | Air-hardening tool steel for blanking dies. Low distortion on hardening. |
| D2 (UNS T30402) | EN X153CrMoV12 | 1.2379 | SKD11 | Cr12Mo1V1 | Cr12MoV | Closest | Wear-resistant cold-work steel. GB Cr12Mo1V1 matches D2; the older Cr12MoV has lower vanadium and is not equivalent. |
| M2 (UNS T11302) | EN HS6-5-2 | 1.3343 | SKH51 | W6Mo5Cr4V2 | — | Exact | Molybdenum high-speed steel for cutting tools and wear parts. |
| O1 (UNS T31501) | EN 100MnCrW4 | 1.2510 | SKS3 | 9CrWMn | — | Exact | Oil-hardening cold-work steel. Low distortion on hardening, so it is chosen when the part cannot be ground afterwards. |
| H13 (UNS T20813) | EN X40CrMoV5-1 | 1.2344 | SKD61 | 4Cr5MoSiV1 | — | Exact | Hot-work tool steel for die casting and extrusion tooling. Supplied annealed, then hardened to 44-52 HRC. |
Titanium (3 grades)
Titanium is named by grade number in the US and by composition elsewhere, which makes the mapping straightforward. The machining difficulty, not the naming, is what catches people out.
| US (AISI / SAE / UNS) | EN | DIN W-Nr. | JIS | GB (current) | GB (old) | Match | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 2 (UNS R50400) | EN Ti-2 / 3.7035 | 3.7035 | JIS Class 2 | TA2 | — | Exact | Commercially pure. Best corrosion resistance and formability of the CP grades, lowest strength. |
| Grade 5 (UNS R56400 / Ti-6Al-4V) | EN TiAl6V4 / 3.7165 | 3.7165 | JIS Class 60 | TC4 | — | Exact | The workhorse titanium alloy. Poor thermal conductivity — coolant and feed discipline decide tool life. |
| Grade 7 (UNS R52400 / Ti-0.2Pd) | EN Ti-0.2Pd / 3.7235 | 3.7235 | — | TA9 | — | Exact | Palladium-stabilised CP titanium for reducing acids and chloride service. |
Copper and brass (4 grades)
Copper alloys carry the loosest equivalences in this table. Brass and bronze "equivalents" often differ in lead or tin content, which changes machinability and bearing behaviour without changing the name. Treat every Closest row here as a question to ask the mill.
| US (AISI / SAE / UNS) | EN | DIN W-Nr. | JIS | GB (current) | GB (old) | Match | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C11000 (ETP copper) | EN Cu-ETP | CW004A | C1100 | T2 | — | Exact | Electrolytic tough pitch copper for busbars and heat sinks. Gummy to machine — expect built-up edge. |
| C36000 (free-cutting brass) | EN CuZn36Pb3 | CW603N | C3604 | HPb59-1 | — | Closest | 100% machinability rating. Lead content differs: C36000 is 2.5-3.7% Pb, GB HPb59-1 is 0.8-1.9%. |
| C93200 (SAE 660 bearing bronze) | EN CuSn7Zn4Pb7-C | CC493K | — | ZCuSn6Zn6Pb3 | ZQSn6-6-3 | Closest | Bearing bronze for bushings and wear plates. Chemistry varies more than the name suggests — check the certificate. |
| C17200 (beryllium copper) | EN CuBe2 | CW101C | — | QBe2 | — | Exact | High strength and conductivity. Beryllium dust is a health hazard — machining requires extraction and controls. |
Nickel and controlled-expansion alloys (5 grades)
Nickel alloys are the family where the trade name is more common on a drawing than the standard number, so the US column carries the trademark and the UNS number carries the chemistry. Where a standard has no listing we are prepared to certify, the cell is left blank rather than filled with a guess: Hastelloy C-276 and Monel 400 have no GB or JIS designation here. Specify those two by UNS.
| US (AISI / SAE / UNS) | EN | DIN W-Nr. | JIS | GB (current) | GB (old) | Match | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inconel 718 (UNS N07718) | EN NiCr19Fe19Nb5Mo3 | 2.4668 | — | GH4169 | — | Exact | Trade name; UNS N07718 is the generic designation. Age-hardening Ni-Cr alloy, the default where stainless runs out of temperature capability. Work-hardens fast - keep the cut engaged and never dwell. |
| Inconel 625 (UNS N06625) | EN NiCr22Mo9Nb | 2.4856 | — | GH3625 | — | Exact | Solid-solution Ni-Cr-Mo-Nb. No age-hardening step and better weldability than 718; specified for seawater and chemical service. |
| Hastelloy C-276 (UNS N10276) | EN NiMo16Cr15W | 2.4819 | — | — | — | Exact | Trade name. The chloride-service alloy - resists pitting and crevice corrosion where stainless fails. No GB or JIS listing is given here; specify by UNS or W-Nr. |
| Monel 400 (UNS N04400) | EN NiCu30Fe | 2.4360 | — | — | — | Exact | Ni-Cu alloy for seawater and hydrofluoric acid service. Work-hardens quickly - sharp tools and a light, consistent feed. |
| Invar 36 (UNS K93600) | EN FeNi36 | 1.3912 | — | 4J36 | — | Exact | 36% nickel iron-nickel alloy with near-zero thermal expansion around room temperature. Chosen for metrology and optical fixtures, not for strength. |
Magnesium (2 grades)
Magnesium has no EN numeric series that maps cleanly onto the ASTM designations, so the EN and W-Nr. cells are blank by choice rather than by omission. The JIS column carries the same alphanumeric designation as ASTM, which is the practical way to buy it in Japan. Treat both rows as Closest: magnesium alloys are ordered by composition and temper, not by a cross-referenced grade name.
| US (AISI / SAE / UNS) | EN | DIN W-Nr. | JIS | GB (current) | GB (old) | Match | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AZ31B (UNS M11311) | — | — | AZ31B | — | — | Closest | Wrought magnesium plate and bar. JIS H 4201 uses the same alphanumeric designation. No EN number - specify by composition and temper. |
| AZ91D (die casting) | — | — | AZ91D | — | — | Closest | Die-cast magnesium, not a wrought grade; parts are machined from a casting rather than bar. JIS H 5303 uses the same designation. |
Why an equivalent grade is not an interchangeable material
A cross-reference table answers "what is this material called elsewhere". It does not answer "can I substitute it", and those are different questions. Four things change between standards even when the grade name lines up:
- Chemistry limits. Each standard sets its own ranges. GB 2A12 and AA 2024 are close, but the permitted ranges for copper and magnesium are not identical, and a part at the edge of one range can sit outside the other.
- Product form. A designation can be valid for bar and invalid for plate, or vice versa. Mechanical properties in thick section differ from the same alloy in thin sheet.
- Heat treatment and temper. "6061" says nothing about temper. 6061-T6, 6061-T6511 and 6061-O machine and behave completely differently. Always carry the temper into the cross reference.
- Inspection and certification. A mill certificate to EN 10204 3.1 and a Chinese mill certificate to GB/T may both be genuine and still not satisfy the same customer specification.
The practical rule we use: cross-reference to find the candidate material, then confirm against the standard that governs the drawing. When a part is safety-critical or high-cycle, put the substitution through the same review you would give a design change — because that is what it is.
If you are not sure whether a substitution is safe, send the drawing and the alternative grade. We will tell you what changes — strength, corrosion, machinability or lead time — before you commit.
Download the table
The same 46 cross-referenced grades as a CSV file for your material database or ERP, or as a print-ready PDF for the shop floor. No form, no email required.
Download CSV (46 cross-referenced grades) Download PDF (print-ready, 3 pages)
Embed or cite this chart
The table above lives in one place, this page, and it grows when we add grades. If you want it on your own site, intranet or wiki, use the snippet below instead of copying the rows: it loads the live table, so your readers get the current version rather than a copy that goes stale, and it carries a source line back here. No script is injected into your page and nothing is tracked.
Embed snippet (HTML)
<iframe src="https://meritmetalfab.com/materials/grade-cross-reference/" title="Metal Grade Cross Reference: AISI, EN, DIN, JIS, GB" width="100%" height="900" loading="lazy" style="border:1px solid #cbd5e1;border-radius:8px"></iframe>
<p>Source: <a href="https://meritmetalfab.com/materials/grade-cross-reference/">Metal Grade Cross Reference: AISI, EN, DIN, JIS, GB</a> - TechFoor</p>Citation format
TechFoor. "Metal Grade Cross Reference: AISI, EN, DIN, JIS and GB Equivalents." https://meritmetalfab.com/materials/grade-cross-reference/ (accessed 2026-10-15).Two things to keep when you reuse it. Keep the Match column visible - a Closest row is not a substitution approval, and a copy without that column misrepresents the table. And if you are citing a single row rather than the whole chart, cite the standard that governs your drawing as well: this page is a finding aid, not the specification.
Frequently asked questions
Is SUS304 the same as 304 stainless steel?
Effectively yes. SUS304 is the JIS designation, 304 is the AISI / SAE designation and 1.4301 is the EN number. The chemistry limits are close enough that mills treat them as one material. The equivalent Chinese grade is 06Cr19Ni10, which replaced the older 0Cr18Ni9 designation.
What is the Chinese equivalent of 7075 aluminium?
GB 7A09, formerly designated LC9. It is the closest Chinese grade rather than an identical one — the permitted ranges for zinc and copper differ slightly, so confirm against the standard that governs your drawing before substituting on a structural part.
Why does 2024 aluminium map to GB 2A12 instead of a grade called 2024?
Because China’s older designation system used its own codes. 2024 was LY12 in the old GB system and is 2A12 in the current one. The four-digit international series applies to the 6xxx and 7xxx families in China more cleanly than to the 2xxx family, which kept its own numbering.
Can I substitute EN 1.4404 for 316L?
Yes in normal commercial practice. 1.4404 is the EN designation for the low-carbon molybdenum austenitic grade that the US calls 316L and Japan calls SUS316L. Confirm the certificate covers the product form and the mechanical properties your drawing requires.
Is GB Cr12MoV the same as D2 tool steel?
No, and this is the most common error in this table. D2 contains around 1% vanadium; Cr12MoV contains 0.15-0.30%. The correct Chinese equivalent is Cr12Mo1V1. Cr12MoV is a real and widely used steel, but it is a lower-alloy material with different wear behaviour and different hardening response.
Which standard should I put on my drawing?
Whichever standard your customer or regulator requires, and name the grade within that standard rather than relying on a cross-reference. If you need to work across regions, specify the material by chemistry or by the governing standard plus grade, and note the acceptable alternatives explicitly.
Related pages
- Materials — the full index of metals and plastics we machine.
- 6061 Aluminum — specs, tolerances and cost for the most common machining alloy.
- 316L Stainless Steel — the grade most often specified on medical and marine drawings.
- Titanium Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V) — the workhorse titanium alloy.
- Inconel 718 — where the steel and stainless families run out of temperature capability.
- Tolerance Quick Reference — ISO 286 IT grades, ISO 2768 general tolerances and surface roughness by process.
- Material Certification — how mill certificates and traceability work on a real order.
- Material Hardness Guide — what the hardness numbers on a certificate mean for machining.
- 17-4 PH vs 316 Stainless — strength against corrosion resistance.
- Contact — send a drawing and a question about a substitution.
Get a price for your part
Send a STEP file with the material designation, the standard it is called out to, the quantity and the tightest tolerance on the drawing. If the grade on your drawing is not one we hold in stock, we will tell you what we would substitute and what changes as a result — before you commit to the order.
Request a quote or email sales@techfoor.com.