Tata Steel: New zinc-coated steels for crash parts

Material Development Ultra-High-Strength Steels for Greater Safety And More Efficient Production

2026-05-12 Source: Press release from Tata Steel | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

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Together with partners, Tata Steel Nederland is developing new hot-formed steels that save energy, improve corrosion protection and increase vehicle safety.

An international consortium led by Tata Steel Nederland has made significant progress in the development of new zinc-coated ultra-strong steels.(Image: Tata Steel) — An international consortium led by Tata Steel Nederland has made significant progress in the development of new zinc-coated ultra-strong steels.
(Image: Tata Steel)

A consortium consisting of Tata Steel Nederland, the Volkswagen Group, RWTH Aachen University (Germany), the National Center for Metallurgical Research Cenim in Spain, the Swedish research institute Rise and the French Corrosion Institute has made significant progress in the development of new zinc-coated ultra-strength steels specially designed for crash structures in automotive engineering, according to a press release from Tata Steel Nederland. The project, called "Warm Press Formed Zinc Coated Third Generation Advanced High Strength Steels with High Crash and Corrosion Resistance and Minimized Microcracking (Warp-Ahss)", aims to improve passenger safety and support more sustainable steel production.

Lower Energy Consumption With Improved Passenger Safety

Ultra-high-strength steels used in vehicle impact protection structures are usually hot-formed at very high temperatures, according to Tata Steel. At these temperatures, the steel's zinc coating can melt, leading to cracking. For this reason, manufacturers often use steels with an aluminum-silicon coating. These can withstand high temperatures, but offer less corrosion resistance.

"By developing these new high-quality steel grades, we are circumventing these restrictions," explains Dr. Radhakanta Rana, metallurgist at Tata Steel Nederland and project manager of Warp-Ahss. "The benefits go far beyond energy savings. By combining ultra-high strength with exceptional formability in service, these new steels can absorb significantly more impact energy. This reduces the impact of a collision and increases passenger safety. This makes it a real breakthrough in steel design and is in line with Tata Steel Nederland's strategy for more sustainable steel production."

Less Maintenance And Lower Production Costs

These new steel grades also offer various advantages for car manufacturers. A zinc coating that is processed at lower temperatures eliminates the need for additional processes such as sandblasting and offers improved corrosion resistance. This leads to a simpler, more efficient production process, less maintenance and lower production costs.

Dr. Christina Sunderkötter, Project Manager Sustainability Solutions at the Volkswagen Group, adds: "In addition to reducing the environmental impact, we want to offer a steel solution that meets the requirements of tomorrow's vehicle production: better safety performance, simpler production processes and lower component costs. Together at WarP-AHSS, we are working on the next evolution in AHSS technology."

Warp-Ahss is funded by the European Research Executive Agency (REA) on behalf of the European Commission. The project will run from 2023 to 2027.

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