PRECOATED STEELS DEVELOPMENT FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

The paper sets out to describe how it is essential that product develo pment and implementation are undertaken on a joint partnership basis, between supplier and manufacturer from concept stage; this is to ensur e that coated steels and associated substrates developed will meet the design and manufacture requirements, together with environmental cons iderations or recyclability and vehicle fuel economy. The co-operative efforts of the partnership are aimed at providing continuous improvem ents in coating technology and optimization of durability, surface tre atment and manufacture for the customer in the present, medium and lon g term. In order to accelerate this development, a network of interact ive technical information exchange was set up between British Steel St rip Products and Rover Body and Pressings, to provide faster response for 'initial supply and evaluation of trial material' and 'forward pla nning for phased production introduction'. Environmental consideration s require that precoated products can easily be recycled. This is atta ined in a similar way to mild steel, with certain modifications to the processing. Legislation on fuel efficiency is addressed by reducing t he weight of the monocoque by improvement of torsional stiffness throu gh weld bonding combined with thinner gauge high-strength steel panels .