John Heuring

With its higher tensile and yield strengths, HSS is stronger at any given gauge than conventional "mild" steels. Initially, lighter-gauge HSS was used to replace heavier-gauge mild steel to reduce weight in many automotive parts, and this continues to be the most widely used application for HSS. However, as a new trend to run thicker and thicker gauges of HSS continues, stamping fabricators are evaluating their press feeding and coil handling equipment, as well as press tonnage capacities and die designs to ensure that these harder parts can be formed effectively. The dynamics of HSS have a bearing on feeding, straightening, and coil handling equipment.