Overview of Sheet Metals for Stamping 970715

Continuing pressure to meet fuel economy and safety requirements, improve quality and minimize cost has resulted in new challenges for auto industry engineers. New sheet metals for auto body stampings have helped the transportation industry meet these challenges. The steel industry has developed a number of new products for these purposes, including dent resistant steels for outer body panels, high strength steels for structural applications and interstitial free (IF) steels for difficult forming challenges. The aluminum industry is also aggressively pursuing new applications. New aluminum products have been applied to closure panels, resulting in significant mass reductions in several high volume vehicles. Stamped aluminum for structures have also been developed and commercialized, albeit for lower volume production. This paper will discuss these new materials and the benefits and challenges they present.