自動車用鉄鋼材料の現状と今後の展望

抄録

In order to survive a severe competitive environment that now faces automotive industry, the companies are required to solve, with speed and sincere efforts, the issues of enhanced charm of vehicle as a merchandise and environmental coping, that may interfere each other. In the present paper, automotive materials technology, which is one of key technologies to solve the above issues, especially those related to ferrous materials including mainly sheet steels and structural steels, has been briefly reviewed, and prospect and expectation for next stage technology was described as well with inclusion of personal view. With the efficiency of research and development investment evaluated more tightly than before, important points to be taken into account in the course of research and development with respect to automotive materials have also been proposed.