Development of low–carbon high–toughness steel for rear spindles

Nissan Motor Company have developed a low–carbon high–toughness steel to use in axle parts. The manufacturing process employs a combination of alloy parameters (reducing C, alloying elements such as Si, P, S, and using B, etc.) with the work hardening which results from cold forging. The purpose is to achieve the same strength as traditionally quenched and tempered medium–carbon steel (S40C). This new steel has been applied to the rear spindles of passenger cars and has similar properties to those of S40C, while allowing big reductions in manufacturing cost and resulting in improvements in productivity.