SECC Steels – Importance in Manufacturing Industries

SECC steel is electro galvanized commercial quality cold rolled quality which is primarily based on cold rolled base steel and then covered with thinned zinc in an electro galvanizing manufacturing facility. JIS G 3313 defines SECC steel as electro-galvanized cold rolled mild material. This is a high quality steel grade which is very much required for the making of computer accessories & cases.

Many people try to find full abbreviation of SECC materials. Some define it as Standard for Electro-galvanized Cold rolled Commercial quality grades. This abbreviation defines the product well however it is not an exact match for this. As the standard does not itself explicate it in these terms.

Due to fine coating of zinc on its surface, this type of galvanized steel has a greater life as compare to other types of mild grades. The Zinc coating protects the surface of the base steel and enhances the performance throughout its application. Although due to addition of zinc there are some constraints in welding, mostly the formation of zinc oxides for this purpose welding is recommended to be performed in ventilated space. The mechanical properties of this type allows it to be formed, pierced, sheared and shaped into various forms. This can also be used for integrated structures of objects.

SECC steels are available in the market in the form of cut to length sheets, slit edges coils, electro-galvanized mill edged cold rolled coils. Electro-galvanization is done in order to coat base material with a thin layer of Zinc, so as to prevent the base material to form oxides of iron i.e. rust. By this process of electro-galvanization a thin layer of zinc is applied.

SECC material comes in a thickness from 0.4 millimeters to 3.0 millimeters. The width specifications in millimeters is normally from six hundred millimeters to fifteen hundred millimeters. Slit widths are available as per the needs of customers.

The raw material which is considered for electrogalvanization process is SPCC steels which is galvanized electrolytically to form SECC steel grade. However the raw material for SPCC cold rolled commercial quality material is the SPCH hot rolled commercial grade steel.

The difference between hot dip galvanized material for example SGCC to that of electrolytically galvanized material i.e. SECC material is the fact that hot dip galvanized steel has thicker coating of zinc as compare to steel galvanized electrolytically. Thus the quality of thin coating is more appropriate in electrogalvanized type than the hot dip galvanized. More appropriately is the precision control of the thickness of coating of zinc that is more evident in SECC galvanized electrolytically as compare to hot dip galvanized material.

CR1 grade in ISO 5002 & A591-CQ grade in ASTM A591 are equivalent material grades for this type. Application & uses of SECC material includes motor cases, computer cases and tanks etc. JFE, Nippon & Sumitomo Metal Corporation are some of the suppliers for this type around the globe.