DIN 2093 was withdrawn as a standalone German document on 01.02.2017 and absorbed into the European standard DIN EN 16983 (quality requirements, dimensions) plus its sibling DIN EN 16984 (calculation) [S3][S5].
EN 16983:2017 carries the technical content of DIN 2093:2013-12 unchanged, with the migration explicitly described as "incorporated into a European standard with an unchanged technical content" [S3][S4]. Specifying "DIN 2093" on a 2026 purchase order still yields the same dimensions and tolerances as EN 16983 [S1][S2].
Three Manufacturing Groups, One Tolerance Table
EN 16983 keeps the three-group classification by disc thickness t used in DIN 2093: Group 1 t < 1.25 mm, Group 2 t = 1.25-6 mm, Group 3 t > 6 mm up to 14 mm [S3][S4]. Group 3 is the only family that must carry contact flats with reduced thickness, because cold forming alone cannot hold the tighter load tolerance on heavier stock [S3].
Within those groups the standard covers three dimensional series defined by the cone ratio h0/t: Series A at approximately 0.40, Series B at approximately 0.75, Series C at approximately 1.30, where h0 is the free cone height and t is the disc thickness [S3]. Series A gives the softest, longest-travel characteristic; Series C gives the stiffest, shortest-travel response, which is why they are quoted on different rows of the same EN 16983 table [S3][S4].
Material Basis and Modulus of Elasticity
EN 16983 (inheriting DIN 2093:2013-12) lists steels per DIN EN 10083, DIN EN 10089, and DIN EN 10132-4, with the design modulus of elasticity E fixed at 206 000 MPa for those grades [S4]. Carbon steel is restricted to Group 1 springs only, a rule carried over without modification from DIN 2093 [S4].
For corrosion-resistant builds the standard explicitly permits alternative materials such as stainless spring steel to DIN EN 10151 and copper alloys (spring bronze) to DIN EN 1654, but with a hard caveat: the modulus of elasticity and strength properties will differ from the carbon-steel baseline, so published load-deflection curves must be re-validated for the chosen material [S4].
Tolerances: Diameter, Thickness, Height, Load
EN 16983 specifies four linked tolerance bands. Internal diameter d1 is held to nominal H12, external diameter d2 to nominal h12, so the same bore-vs-O.D. fit language carries straight through from DIN 2093 [S4]. Free overall height, individual disc thickness, and tested spring force (measured at test length lP = l0 - 0.75·h0) each have their own allowable tables, which is why the same part number can pass diameter checks while failing a load test if peened or heat-treated off-spec [S3].
For a sense of the size envelope in Series A, EN 16983 lists bore sizes from d1 = 8 mm up to d1 = 127 mm, with corresponding O.D. d2 from 16 mm to 250 mm and disc thickness t from 0.4 mm up to 14 mm, covering the same metric range Solon and other distributors catalogue from 2.5 mm to 125 mm bore [S4][S5]. Mubea, SPIROL, and Febrotec all build to this single EN 16983 table; cross-vendor interchange is therefore a question of group and series, not of standard [S2][S6][S8].
Group 1 vs Group 2 vs Group 3: Decision Matrix
Selection reduces to four criteria: thickness t, production method, contact flats, and expected tolerance class. Group 1 (t < 1.25 mm) is cold-stamped, typically without contact flats, and is the only group that may use carbon steel; it is the cheapest option for high-volume static bolting [S3][S4]. Group 2 (1.25 mm ≤ t ≤ 6 mm) is also cold-stamped, still no contact flats, and covers the bulk of mid-range pre-load and damping stacks [S3].
Group 3 (6 mm < t ≤ 14 mm) requires hot forging or ring-rolling plus turning or grinding, always with contact flats and reduced thickness, and is the correct choice for high-force, low-deflection, or dynamically loaded stacks where Group 2 load tolerances are too loose [S3]. Across all three groups the same EN 16983 overall-height, thickness, and load-tolerance tables apply, so a procurement spec only has to call out the group, the series (A, B, or C), the material, and the test-length force to be fully traceable [S1][S3][S4].
Stacking Behaviour and Why the Standard Matters in Service
EN 16983's tolerance bands exist because disc springs are rarely used singly. Parallel stacks multiply force at the same deflection, series stacks multiply deflection at the same force, and mixed stacks can be tuned to a near-linear, degressive, or progressive characteristic depending on the mix of series and direction [S3]. Without tight control on free height and individual thickness, a stack's assembled length and preload scatter, which is the classic failure mode in valve live-loading and heavy bolted-joint applications [S5].
The standard therefore ties the load tolerance directly to a defined test length, lP = l0 - 0.75·h0, so a force reading at 75% of the cone's free travel is what every supplier measures against [S3]. For dynamic service the standard's admissible stress tables (inherited from DIN 2093 and republished in EN 16984 for calculation) define the boundary below which "no relaxation" and high cycle life can be expected, assuming correct stacking orientation [S3].
Where EN 16983 Does Not Apply
EN 16983 is a metric standard for disc springs, not for the related conical knurled spring washers covered by NF E 25-511 or for the screw-and-washer assemblies covered by DIN 6908; those remain separate documents with their own tolerances [S4]. It also stops at t = 14 mm; heavier stacks for very large valve or subsea live-loading assemblies are usually designed outside the standard and verified by EN 16984 calculation plus project-specific testing [S3][S4].
Finally, EN 16983 prescribes materials and tolerances, not corrosion protection: phosphate oil is a common carbon-steel finish from one supplier, while stainless and Inconel disc springs are offered as separate material options with the same dimensional envelope but different load curves [S5]. Buyers who need RoHS-compliant disc springs in metric sizes from 2.5 mm to 125 mm bore can specify EN 16983 plus a material and finish, and accept any qualified supplier's part [S5].
The underlying component specifications are covered under disc coupling, spring washer, and pressure transmitter.
For related coverage, see Board-Level vs Housed Cameras for Embedded Integration.