High-strength steels are a cost-efficient means of reducing the weight not only of premium-segment cars but also of light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles. Lighter a vehicle, lower its fuel consumption and the lower its CO2 emissions during driving. Depending on part and use, high-strength steels permit weight savings of up to 30 percent. In this way steel makes a key contribution to sustainable mobility. Innovative high-strength steels allow auto components to be made thinner and thus lighter without sacrificing safety.
A wide range of application oriented automotive grades have been developed at SAIL. Despite their high strength, these materials are readily formable and can be processed without difficulty at auto stamping plants. The challenge with these materials is that high strength and good formability are usually mutually exclusive. This conflict is resolved with solutions such as special alloying elements. Customized heat treatment during stamping is another option for a newly developed plain carbon boron alloyed automotive grade.