Gelsenkirchen, Germany:

Fecht N., Freelance Journalist, e-mail: redaktion@stahleisen.de

Possibilities and prospects of application of high-strength steels in light automotive bodies are discussed. The recent development made by Max Planck Institute on Iron Research (MPIE) for martensite and austenite steels with high impact toughness are observed and analyzed. Department of Ferrous metallurgy of Rhein Westfalen Technical University has presented its innovations in this field, e.g. bainite iron for forging, micro-alloyed AFP steels and TRIP steels. Experience and practice of using light steel materials in automotive construction have been examined by the specialists from Volkswagen company. Features of usage of structural steels in crane construction are also considered.