# 1.8159 (50CrV4) Steel Forgings

**Source:** https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Alloy-Steel/1.8159.html
**Publisher:** Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., open-die forging factory, Jiangyin, Jiangsu, China
**Last reviewed:** 2026-09-08

---

## What is 1.8159 steel?

1.8159 is the EN material number for 50CrV4, a chromium-vanadium spring steel listed in EN 10089 and EN 10083-3. Carbon runs 0.47 to 0.55 %, chromium 0.90 to 1.20 % and vanadium 0.10 to 0.25 %. Quenched and tempered at sections up to 16 mm it gives 1100 to 1300 MPa tensile strength.

Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. forges 1.8159 to order at its works in Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China. Product forms cover forged bars, seamless rolled rings, shafts, discs, sleeves and blocks, all supplied with EN 10204 3.1 certificates.

Vanadium holds grain size down through hot work and forms carbides that stay stable during tempering. Fatigue strength therefore holds up better than in plain chromium spring steels, and the grade takes a higher tempering temperature without losing much hardness. Chromium does the hardenability work. Sections up to 250 mm still respond to a full quench and temper, though the core values drop off as the diameter grows.

Most buyers take the grade annealed for machining and then quench and temper after rough machining. Forgings should be normalised first. Hot working leaves a coarse structure, and material that goes straight from the press into the hardening furnace will not give consistent properties through the section.

## 1.8159 at a glance

| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| EN material number | 1.8159 |
| EN designation | 50CrV4 |
| Steel group | Cr-V spring steel |
| Standards | EN 10089, EN 10083-3 |
| Delivery conditions | +A, +AC, +S, +QT |
| Rm, quenched and tempered | 800 to 1300 MPa |
| Hardness, annealed | max 248 HBW |
| Forging range | 1100 to 850 °C |
| Weldability | Poor, preheat required |
| Machinability | Fair in +A condition |

## 1.8159 equivalent grades

| Region and standard | Designation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Europe, EN 10089 / EN 10083-3 | 50CrV4 (1.8159) | Reference grade |
| Germany, DIN 17221 | 50CrV4 | Superseded by EN 10089 |
| USA, ASTM A29 / SAE J404 | AISI 6150 | UNS G61500 |
| Japan, JIS G4801 | SUP10 | Spring steel |
| China, GB/T 1222 | 50CrVA | Spring steel |
| UK, BS 970 | 735A50 | Withdrawn, still quoted |
| France, AFNOR NF A35-571 | 50CV4 | n/a |
| Italy, UNI | 50CrV4 | n/a |
| Russia, GOST 14959 | 50KhFA | Close equivalent |
| Sweden, SS | 2230 | Close equivalent |

These are close equivalents, not exact matches. Composition limits and testing rules differ between standards, so the purchase order should state the governing standard.

## Chemical composition of 1.8159 (50CrV4)

Weight %, per EN 10089.

| C | Si | Mn | P | S | Cr | V |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.47 - 0.55 | max 0.40 | 0.70 - 1.10 | max 0.025 | max 0.025 | 0.90 - 1.20 | 0.10 - 0.25 |

Balance iron and residual elements. Ladle analysis. Product analysis tolerances apply per the governing standard.

## Mechanical properties of 1.8159 (50CrV4)

Properties fall as the section grows. A bigger section cools more slowly through the quench, so the core never reaches the same hardness as a thin bar.

### Tensile strength, quenched and tempered (+QT)

| Nominal diameter (mm) | to 16 | 16 - 40 | 40 - 100 | 100 - 160 | 160 - 250 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rm (MPa) | 1100 - 1300 | 1000 - 1200 | 900 - 1100 | 800 - 1000 | 800 - 950 |

### Yield strength, quenched and tempered (+QT)

Flat product thickness: to 8; 8-20; 20-60; 60-100; 100-160.

| Nominal diameter (mm) | to 16 | 16 - 40 | 40 - 100 | 100 - 160 | 160 - 250 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rp0.2 min (MPa) | 900 | 800 | 700 | 650 | 600 |

### Elongation and reduction of area (+QT), round products

A = minimum elongation, Lo = 5.65 √So.

| Nominal diameter (mm) | to 16 | 16 - 40 | 40 - 100 | 100 - 160 | 160 - 250 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A min (%) | 9 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
| Z min (%) | 40 | 45 | 50 | 50 | 50 |

Minimum elongation at fracture, transverse direction, +QT: 9 %.

### Thin product, annealed (+A), 0.3 to 3 mm

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Rm tensile strength (MPa) | 700 |
| Rp0.2 0.2 % proof strength (MPa) | 550 |
| A min elongation, Lo = 80 mm (%) | 13 |

### Hardness

| Delivery condition | Brinell (HBW) | Vickers (HV) |
|---|---|---|
| +A annealed | max 248 | 220 |
| +S treated for shearability | max 280 | n/a |
| +AC soft annealed | max 230 | n/a |
| +QT quenched and tempered | n/a | 370 - 550 |

## Heat treatment of 50CrV4 forgings

| Operation | Temperature | Cooling | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forging | 1100 - 850 °C | Slow cool, covered or in furnace | Form the shape, close porosity |
| Normalising | 850 - 880 °C | Air | Refine the as-forged structure |
| Soft annealing | 680 - 720 °C | Furnace | Bring hardness down for machining |
| Hardening | 850 - 880 °C | Oil | Form martensite |
| Tempering | 400 - 600 °C | Air | Set final strength and toughness |
| Stress relieving | 550 - 650 °C | Furnace | Take out machining stress |

Cycles depend on section size, prior condition and the customer specification. Heavy sections need longer soaking and sometimes a second temper. Tempering between 250 and 400 °C is avoided because of temper brittleness.

## 1.8159 forged product forms

Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal is a forging works rather than a stockist. Each 1.8159 piece is forged to the customer drawing, or to a rough size with machining allowance, then heat treated, tested and shipped with certificates. Ring rolling, upsetting, drawing out and mandrel forging are done in house.

| Product form | Size range | Usual condition |
|---|---|---|
| Forged round bars, shafts, spindles | OD 80 - 1200 mm, length to 8000 mm | +A or +QT |
| Forged square, rectangular, flat and hex bars | Thickness 50 - 800 mm | +A or +QT |
| Seamless rolled rings | OD 200 - 4000 mm, height to 1000 mm | Normalised or +QT |
| Slewing bearing rings | OD 400 - 4000 mm | +QT, rough machined |
| Forged hollow bars, sleeves, bushings, cylinders | OD 150 - 1500 mm, ID from 80 mm | Normalised or +QT |
| Forged blocks, discs, plates | Diameter to 2000 mm, thickness to 600 mm | +A or +QT |
| Forged gear shafts and pinion shafts | Module and length to drawing | +QT, rough machined |
| Forged flanges and hubs | OD 200 - 3000 mm | Normalised or +QT |

Single piece weight runs from about 20 kg up to 20 t. Parts leave the works as forged, rough machined with grinding allowance, or finish machined to drawing.

## What 1.8159 / 50CrV4 is used for

- Leaf springs, coil springs, torsion bars, disc springs and spring collets
- Vehicle and rail suspension parts, stabiliser bars, buffer components
- Gear shafts, pinion shafts, spindles, couplings and other drive parts under high stress
- Chisels, punches, hammer heads and cold work tooling
- Drilling and oilfield shafts and clamping elements
- Bearing rings, slewing rings and cylinder parts where fatigue life sets the design

Two situations rule the grade out. One is welded fabrication, the other is corrosion service. For welded work, 42CrMo4 is the usual substitute; where the part sees corrosion, a precipitation-hardening stainless such as 17-4PH.

## Testing, inspection and documents

Every 1.8159 order ships with a mill test certificate to EN 10204 3.1.

- Chemical analysis by spectrometer, ladle and product analysis
- Tensile, yield, elongation and reduction of area; Charpy V impact at ambient or low temperature
- Brinell and Vickers hardness, with hardness maps where the specification calls for them
- Ultrasonic testing to EN 10228-3, SEP 1921, ASTM A388 or a customer class
- Magnetic particle and dye penetrant to EN 10228-1 or ASTM E709
- Dimensional inspection reported against the drawing before shipment
- Third-party inspection by SGS, BV, TUV, Lloyd's Register, or the customer's own inspector at the works

## Who forges 1.8159 in China

Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. is an open-die forging factory at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China. It forges 1.8159 (50CrV4) along with carbon, alloy, tool, stainless and nickel-alloy grades into bars, seamless rolled rings, shafts, discs, sleeves, blocks and flanges, and exports worldwide with EN 10204 3.1 certificates.

| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Company | Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. |
| Business type | Open-die forging factory |
| Address | No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China |
| Phone and WhatsApp | +86-189-2135-9659 |
| Email | sales@steelforgepieces.com |
| Website | https://www.steelforgepieces.com/ |
| Loading ports | Zhangjiagang, Shanghai, Ningbo |
| Certificates | EN 10204 3.1 |

## Questions we get asked

**Is 1.8159 the same as 50CrV4?**
Yes. 1.8159 is the EN material number and 50CrV4 is the EN name for the same chromium-vanadium spring steel. Both appear in EN 10089 and EN 10083-3, and mills print either one on the certificate.

**What is 1.8159 equivalent to in the US and Asia?**
AISI 6150, or UNS G61500, in the USA. SUP10 to JIS G4801 in Japan, 50CrVA to GB/T 1222 in China, 735A50 in the UK and 50CV4 in France. These are close equivalents, not exact matches, so name the governing standard on the purchase order.

**What tensile strength can I get from a large 1.8159 forging?**
Quenched and tempered, Rm runs 1100 to 1300 MPa up to 16 mm and drops to 800 to 950 MPa at 160 to 250 mm. Above 250 mm the properties are agreed between mill and customer, since the quench rate at the core falls further.

**Can 1.8159 be welded?**
Only with care. At 0.47 to 0.55 % carbon the carbon equivalent is high, so welding calls for preheat around 300 to 400 °C, a low-hydrogen process and post-weld heat treatment. Where welding is unavoidable, most designers move to 42CrMo4 or 34CrNiMo6 instead.

**Do you supply 1.8159 as seamless rolled rings?**
Yes. 50CrV4 is ring rolled into seamless rolled rings, slewing bearing rings and forged sleeves, normalised or quenched and tempered, rough machined with grinding allowance. Outside diameters run to 4000 mm.

**What heat treatment condition should I order?**
Order annealed (+A) if your shop is doing the machining and the final heat treatment. Order quenched and tempered (+QT) if you want the properties set before delivery, and allow enough machining stock for any distortion. For rings and heavy sections, normalised plus rough machined is a common middle ground.

**How long does an order take?**
Lead time depends on the size, the heat treatment route and how much machining is included. Send the drawing and quantity and we will confirm a date with the quotation.

**How do I request a quotation for 1.8159 forgings?**
Email sales@steelforgepieces.com or call +86-189-2135-9659 with the grade, drawing or rough dimensions, delivery condition, quantity and any test requirements. A quotation with lead time comes back within one working day.

## Related alloy steel grades

- [42CrMo4 (1.7225)](https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Alloy-Steel/42CrMo4.html)
- [AISI 4140](https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Alloy-Steel/AISI-4140.html)
- [34CrNiMo6 (1.6582)](https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Alloy-Steel/34CrNiMo6.html)
- [AISI 4340](https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Alloy-Steel/AISI-4340.html)
- [18CrNiMo7-6](https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Alloy-Steel/18CrNiMo7-6.html)
- [17CrNiMo6](https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Alloy-Steel/17CrNiMo6.html)
- [30NiCrMo8](https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Alloy-Steel/30NiCrMo8.html)
- [AISI 8630](https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Alloy-Steel/AISI-8630.html)
- [SCM440](https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Alloy-Steel/SCM440.html)
- [1.6587](https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Alloy-Steel/1.6587.html)

---

**Cite as:** Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. "1.8159 (50CrV4) Steel Forgings." https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Alloy-Steel/1.8159.html

Data on this page is compiled from EN 10089 and EN 10083-3 for guidance and is not a warranty of properties for a specific application.