New lightweight steels for automotive applications - potential and risk

The new lightweight steels, which possess excellent characteristics, are now also of interest to the automobile industry. These steels offer a number of attractive properties (e.g. high strength, high ductility, low density). However, there are some disadvantages, such as the low modulus of elasticity or the high cutting and pressing forces which they require. The higher material costs may limit the usage of these steels in mass-production automotive applications. Nevertheless, the willingness to make use of lightweight steels has increased in recent years. (AU)