Today, major steel suppliers to the automotive industry are accepting a larger support role in the development of automotive parts. This paper will describe the role of the steel supplier in early involvement for body-in-white vehicle development which includes: providing technical data, assisting in part analysis, aiding in cost reduction programs and ensuring the proper steel is processed and delivered for soft and hard tool development. The steel supplier can be a vital asset to the automotive team by helping to achieve the never ending goal of improved quality in new vehicle programs.
