High strength, low alloy (HSLA) steels for cost-effective automotive lightweighting

High strength, low alloy steels are a cost-effective choice for increasing strength-to-weight ratios when compared to conventional mild carbon steels. HSLA steels also have excellent bendability and weldability and can increase the strength and/or decrease the weight for a variety of body-in-white and chassis automotive components, including suspensions, beams, and subframes.

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What is the definition of HSLA steel (high strength steel with low alloy)?

HSLA steels have yield strengths greater than 275 MPa (40 ksi) and are typically 20% to 30% lighter than carbon steel at the same strength levels. They are different than other advanced high strength steels (AHSS) as they are named after their yield strength.

HSLA is precipitation-strengthened ferrite and small amounts of pearlite and bainite. With little pearlite and no other hard phases, high strength steels with low alloy have better fineblanking properties than dual phase grades.

Low carbon and low (“lean”) alloy content also gives HSLA steels increased ductility, toughness, and weldability. Their low alloy content — plus no need for post-forming heat treatment — makes these high strength steels with low alloy an economical choice for many automotive body-in-white and chassis applications.

Steel properties

  • Higher strengths: from 420 MPa to 800 MPa yield strengths.
  • Good fatigue-loading performance: select higher yield strengths for durability-sensitive parts.
  • Improved formability, with excellent bendability for the rapid cold-forming of auto parts.
  • Weldability — HSLA’s lean composition readily lends itself to virtually all welding processes.
  • Greater inherent resistance to atmospheric corrosion than conventional carbon steels.
  • Economical lightweighting: a part’s strength can more than double, with a modest premium over using plain carbon steels.
  • Struggling with poor edge quality or having difficulty forming a part with crack-free edges? Our high edge (HE) HSLA steel can help.

Automotive applications for high strength, low alloy steels

HSLA steels provide a straightforward way to increase the strength of automotive components and thereby reduce their weight. Weldability is good due to lean alloy composition and bendability is excellent.

Hot-rolled Docol HSLA steels can be used for applications such as chassis, seat mechanisms, suspension systems and wheels.

Seat brackets and reinforcements can be suitable applications for cold-rolled Docol HSLA steels.

Either hot- or cold-rolled Docol HSLA can be used for beams and cross members, reinforcements, and other structural components.

HSLA steel for automotive applications

Grades and mechanical properties

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    Product Family Product name Coating Dimensions Standards Datasheet
    Docol 420LA Docol CR420LA GI, GA*, ZA* T: 0.80 - 2.00 mm
    W: Up to 1500 mm
    VDA 239-100

    Docol 420LA

    Docol HR420LA UC, GI* T: 2.00 - 6.00 mm
    W: Up to 1600 mm
    VDA 239-100

    Docol 420LA

    Docol 460LA Docol CR460LA UC, GI, GA*, ZA* T: 0.50 - 2.10 mm
    W: Up to 1527 mm
    VDA 239-100

    Docol 460LA

    Docol HR460LA UC T: 2.00 - 6.00 mm
    W: Up to 1600 mm
    VDA 239-100

    Docol 460LA

    Docol 500LA Docol HR500LA UC T: 2.00 - 6.00 mm
    W: Up to 1600 mm
    VDA 239-100

    Docol 500LA

    Docol 550LA Docol HR550LA UC, GI* T: 2.00 - 6.00 mm
    W: Up to 1600 mm
    VDA 239-100

    Docol 550LA

    Docol 600LA Docol HR600LA UC T: 2.00 - 6.00 mm
    W: Up to 1600 mm
    SSAB

    Docol 600LA

    Docol 650LA Docol HR650LA UC T: 2.000 - 6.00 mm
    W: Up to 1600 mm
    SSAB

    Docol 650LA

    Docol 700LA Docol HR700LA UC, EG, GI* T: 2.00 - 6.00 mm
    W: Up to 1600 mm
    VDA 239-100

    Docol 700LA

    Docol S600MC Docol S600MC D UC T: 2.00 - 10.00 mm
    W: Up to 1600 mm
    EN 10149-2

    Docol S600MC

    Docol S600MC E UC T: 2.00 - 10.00 mm
    W: Up to 1600 mm
    EN 10149-2

    Docol S600MC

    Docol S650MC Docol S650MC D UC T: 2.00 - 10.00 mm
    W: Up to 1600 mm
    EN 10149-2

    Docol S650MC

    Docol S650MC E UC T: 2.00 - 10.00 mm
    W: Up to 1600 mm
    EN 10149-2

    Docol S650MC

    Docol S700MC Docol S700MC D UC T: 2.00 - 10.00 mm
    W: Up to 1600 mm
    EN 10149-2

    Docol S700MC

    Docol S700MC E UC T: 2.00 - 10.00 mm
    W: Up to 1600 mm
    EN 10149-2

    Docol S700MC

    Docol S900MC Docol S900MC - T: 3.00 - 10.00 mm EN 10149-2

    Docol S900MC

    Docol S960MC Docol S960MC - T: 3.00 - 10.00 mm EN 10149-2

    Docol S960MC

    Docol HR100XF Docol HR100XF UC T: 2.0 - 9.98 mm -

    Docol HR100XF

    Docol HR110XF Docol HR110XF UC T: 2.0 - 9.98 mm -

    Docol HR110XF

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      *Available upon request.

      Corrosion-protected, metal-coated HSLA steels

      • GI hot-dipped galvanized coatings to EN 10346:2015 standards are available for corrosion protection on Docol® 420LA, 460LA, 500LA, 550LA and 700LA.
      • GA galvannealed coatings are available on Docol® 420LA, with test samples available for galvannealed grades-under-development: Docol® 460LA and 500LA.
      • ZA Galfan® coatings are available on Docol® 420LA, with test samples available for Galfan®-coated grades-under-development: Docol® 460LA and 500LA.
      Metal-coated HSLA steels

      Forming high strength, low alloy grades

      • Ideal cold-working properties — and no need for post-forming heat treatments.
      • Optimized microstructure enables excellent bendability.
      • Improved fineblanking due to minimal pearlite and no other hard phases.
      • Excellent weldability.

      Concerned about edge quality or micro-cracks during forming? Consider our high edge (HE) HSLA steel.

      Forming HSLA steel

      Extra benefits from Docol HSLA product line

      • Large selection of hot-rolled and cold-rolled HSLA steels, with eight basic (yield) strength levels: Docol® 420LA, 460LA, 500LA, 550LA, 600LA, 650LA, 700LA and 800LA.
      • Custom, OEM-specified HSLA grades allow for precise combinations of strength, formability, toughness, and weldability.
      • Good impact strength even at low temperatures.
      • Good fatigue strength: for example, for suspension arms, strut mounts, and other underbody components.
      • Good impact strength, e.g., for reinforcements, longitudinal beams, subframes, etc.

      Are you looking for OEM-specific HSLA steel grades?

      Docol® HSLA steel grades are supplied to EN 10149-2:2010 standards with dual certifications to the appropriate strength level MC standard also available. If you need an OEM customized HSLA grade, please contact our technical support for your specific automotive part application.

      Where you benefit from Docol high strength, low alloy options

      Safety engineers: Achieve optimized crash performance by selecting from a wide variety of HSLA strengths.

      Lightweighting engineers: Accomplish straightforward weight reductions of 20% to 30% or more compared to typical carbon steels.

      Production engineers: Use existing cold-forming equipment and techniques, ensuring rapid parts throughput with exceptionally consistent Docol® steel.

      Buyers: Take advantage of Docol® HSLA steels affordability while more than doubling the yield strengths compared to your existing conventional carbon steel.

      Sustainability officers: Immediately benefit from Docol® HSLA steels’ modest carbon footprint — getting virgin, iron-ore based grades with the CO2 equivalence of recycled steel. And in 2026, there will be fossil-free Docol® high strength steel with low alloy.

      Removing CO2 from automotive steel

      Docol® HSLA steel is “future proofed.”

      TRIAL MATERIAL STOCK

      Get HSLA samples in multiple sizes

      A unique offer from SSAB: we ship coils, sheets and custom lengths of any size, typically in 1 to 2 weeks. Get AHSS samples for both our commercially available steels, as well as our newest grades still in development.

      Expand all

      What is high strength low alloy steel?

      HSLA steel’s microstructure is mostly precipitation-strengthened ferrite, with small amounts of pearlite and bainite added depending on required strength levels. These micro-alloying elements contribute to fine carbide precipitations, interstitial and substitutional strengthening, and the grain-size refinement of HSLA steels.

       

      Why use high strength low alloy steel?

      The modest premium for high strength low alloy steel can more than double a component’s strength compared to using a plain carbon steel. With excellent bendability, weldability and fineblanking properties, HSLA steel facilitates parts with good fatigue-loading performance.

       

      Where is high strength low alloy steel used?

      HSLA steels are a basic way to reduce component weight by increasing the strength of the steel. Hot-rolled HSLA steel applications include suspension systems, wheels, chassis, and seat mechanisms. Cold-rolled HSLA steels can be appropriate for seat brackets and reinforcements.

       

      What is the formability of HSLA steels?

      • Excellent for cold-forming without need for post-forming heat treatments.
      • Excellent bendability due to an optimized microstructure.
      • Better fineblanking properties, with little pearlite and no other hard phases.
      • Very easy to weld, with limited grain coarsening from weld-zone softening.

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