Critical review of automotive hot-stamped sheet steel from an industrial perspective

• Published in: Materials Science and Technology
• Main Authors: Taylor, T., Clough, A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publications 2018
• Subjects: Luleå
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02670836.2018.1425239; https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02670836.2018.1425239; https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1080/02670836.2018.1425239

Originating from the early 1970s in Luleå, Sweden, and initially designed for the agricultural industry, hot-stamped sheet steel has developed to become the leading material in a modern state-of-the-art lightweight structural automotive body engineering. This critical review provides a detailed insight into the origins, fundamental metallurgical principles, commercial growth, current legal stronghold on aluminising coatings and latest technological developments. Comparisons to other state-of–the-art ferrous and non-ferrous automotive sheet materials are made, including carbon fibre-reinforced polymer; while the future outlook for hot-stamped sheet steel and opportunities for further technological developments are highlighted.