This chapter provides an overview of the nomenclature, generations, and thermomechanical processing of advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) and provides information on the development of microstructure. It also presents a review of the mechanical property trends of AHSS.

This chapter summarizes the performance attributes of advanced high-strength steels, namely stiffness, strength, strain hardening, fatigue, crashworthiness, formability, toughness, and bake hardening.

This chapter reviews the nomenclature of different vehicle components helpful in identifying the target applications and discusses the implementation of advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) in automotive and nonautomotive industries. In addition, the chapter provides information on the utilization and trends of AHSS in vehicle bodies and closures.

This chapter describes the nature of the problems arising from using advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) and discusses potential remedies to minimize the adverse effects that may limit the adoption of AHSS in the automotive industry. The discussion provides information on press energy, springback, residual stress, die wear, hot forming, downgaging limits, welding, binders, draw beads, and tool material wear.

This chapter provides information on ultra-light steel family research programs conducted by the global steel industry under the umbrella of WorldAutoSteel. It discusses the collaboration efforts between U.S government, industry, and academia on advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) technology. Some of the projects on AHSS research and development are also reviewed.

This chapter briefly reviews the experience-based guidelines that were developed for forming and welding advanced high-strength steels (AHSS). It discusses the benefits of using HSS in car body structures and components that are analyzed by the performance indices developed for materials selection.

Improvement in processing, material substitution, light weighting, and recycling have contributed immensely to the cause of sustainability in the materials cycle. This chapter discusses some of the key indicators of sustainability that have direct relevance to advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) used in a vehicle. The discussion covers the major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, production routes for manufacturing crude steel, and an optimized index guideline for selecting the best material. Details on the benefits of AHSS on the life cycle of vehicles are provided. The chapter also provides information on recycling and the economics of AHSS.

This chapter discusses the forming characteristics of dual-phase (DP) and transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) steels. It begins with a review of the mechanical behavior of advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) and how they respond to stress-strain conditions associated with deformation processes such as stretching, bending, flanging, deep drawing, and blanking. It then describes the complex tribology of AHSS forming operations, the role of lubrication, the effect of tool steels and coatings, and the force and energy requirements of various forming presses. It also discusses the cause of springback and explains how to predict and compensating for its effects.

This chapter focuses on key requirements for obtaining third-generation advanced high-strength steels (AHSS). The discussion covers the microstructure design for AHSS, novel AHSS processing routes, the development of nanostructured AHSS, and the development of third-generation AHSS by the Integrated Computational Materials Engineering approach.