自動車用構造用鋼の動向と課題について

抄録

Along with the bigger than ever change in environment of automobiles in recent years, requirements for automobiles accordingly have become of multi-phases. With regards to cost reduction, that have been dealt as foremost important issue in recent several years, also been propelled with catch up by Asian countries and with progress of world wide car price cut, more efforts to further reduce material cost are needed. And, more and more important has become the measures for safety and environmental issues. In safety issue, the process of from accident to damage occurrence is divided into three steps ( foreseeing of danger, avoidance of the danger, and minimizing of damage), and each step is under development of new system for safety. In aspect of materials, from view point of minimizing the damage, sheet steel having high absorption of collision energy is highly needed for development, and at the same time making light weight vehicle is important to suppress weight addition due to safety measures. With regard to environmental issues, prevention of global warming due to CO 2 (to be coped with fuel efficiency improvement), and control of environmentally burdensome materials like lead and mercury can not be left only to automobiles, and must be coped with global level. In the present review will be described a microalloyed steel developed for crank shaft with aim of cost reduction, microalloyed steel for steering rack to be formed by machining, a gear steel resisting high face load, developed for size minimization and light weight to achieve fuel efficiency improvement, and a boron steel for high strength shaft, being selected from examples of the company. And with regard to control of