A hot-stamping formed body has a predetermined chemical composition and a microstructure including, by area ratio, 90% to 100% of martensite and 0% to 10% of a remainder in the microstructure. In the microstructure, a region in which an average GAIQ value in a unit grain is 60,000 or more is 30 area % or more, and a number density of carbides having a circle equivalent diameter of 0.20 μm or more is 50/mm.sup.2 or less.

A method of manufacturing an energy absorbing component for a vehicle is provided. The method includes heating a bainitic GENS steel material which has a microstructure including ferrite and bainite to a temperature above the Ac3 temperature to convert a portion of the ferrite and bainite to austenite. The method further includes forming while cooling the heated steel blank into a component in a temperature controlled steel die. During the cooling step, the steel material is cooled to a temperature below the Ms temperature to form retained austenite. A portion of the austenite transforms to martensite and bainite during the forming and cooling step. The method can further include heating the component to a temperature above the Ms temperature after the forming and cooling step to increase energy absorption characteristics. During a crash event, the strain imposed on the component converts retained austenite present in the component to martensite.

Provided is a galvannealed steel sheet with excellent anti-powdering property when press forming is performed, without controlling the contents of chemical elements in steel which are effective for strengthening a steel sheet, such as Si and P, to be low in order to achieve required material properties and without increasing cost due to, for example, processes being complicated. A galvannealed steel sheet with excellent anti-powdering property has a coated layer taking in grains of a base steel sheet such that the grains constitute 2.0% or more and 15.0% or less of the coated layer in terms of cross section area ratio.

Provided is a galvannealed steel sheet with excellent anti-powdering property when press forming is performed, without controlling the contents of chemical elements in steel which are effective for strengthening a steel sheet, such as Si and P, to be low in order to achieve required material properties and without increasing cost due to, for example, processes being complicated. A galvannealed steel sheet with excellent anti-powdering property has a coated layer taking in grains of a base steel sheet such that the grains constitute 2.0% or more and 15.0% or less of the coated layer in terms of cross section area ratio.

A method for producing a steel sheet for packaging includes: cold-rolling a hot-rolled steel sheet made from a steel having a carbon content of 10 to 1000 ppm by weight, the steel of the hot-rolled steel sheet having a predetermined recrystallization temperature (T.sub.R); heating the cold-rolled steel sheet to a predetermined heating temperature (T.sub.E), where T.sub.R≤T.sub.E, the heating performed at least partially in the presence of a nitrogen donor at least until T.sub.R is reached such that when the cold-rolled steel sheet is heated, nitrogen from the nitrogen donor is diffused at least into a near-surface region of the cold-rolled sheet steel and incorporated in the near-surface region, as a result of which the T.sub.R in the near-surface region is increased by a value ΔT, where T.sub.E<T.sub.R+ΔT. Using this method, high-strength steel sheets having a multilayer microstructure can be produced.

A method for producing a steel sheet for packaging includes: cold-rolling a hot-rolled steel sheet made from a steel having a carbon content of 10 to 1000 ppm by weight, the steel of the hot-rolled steel sheet having a predetermined recrystallization temperature (T.sub.R); heating the cold-rolled steel sheet to a predetermined heating temperature (T.sub.E), where T.sub.R≤T.sub.E, the heating performed at least partially in the presence of a nitrogen donor at least until T.sub.R is reached such that when the cold-rolled steel sheet is heated, nitrogen from the nitrogen donor is diffused at least into a near-surface region of the cold-rolled sheet steel and incorporated in the near-surface region, as a result of which the T.sub.R in the near-surface region is increased by a value ΔT, where T.sub.E<T.sub.R+ΔT. Using this method, high-strength steel sheets having a multilayer microstructure can be produced.

A method for manufacturing a product from a flexibly rolled strip material includes the steps of: providing a strip material made from sheet steel; flexibly rolling the strip material such that a variable thickness is produced along the length of the strip material; electrolytically coating the strip material with a metallic coating material containing at least 93% of zinc by mass after the flexible rolling; heat treating at temperatures above 350° C. and below a solidus line of the coating material after the electrolytic coating; working a blank from the flexibly rolled strip material; and hot forming the blank.

A method for manufacturing a product from a flexibly rolled strip material includes the steps of: providing a strip material made from sheet steel; flexibly rolling the strip material such that a variable thickness is produced along the length of the strip material; electrolytically coating the strip material with a metallic coating material containing at least 93% of zinc by mass after the flexible rolling; heat treating at temperatures above 350° C. and below a solidus line of the coating material after the electrolytic coating; working a blank from the flexibly rolled strip material; and hot forming the blank.

A method for producing a component by forming a plate from steel at room temperature having a high formability and reduced crack sensitivity of edges that have been mechanically cut or punched on the plate, includes: cutting the plate from a strip or metal sheet at room temperature; heating edge regions of the plate that underwent strain hardening as a result of the cutting step to a temperature of at least 600° C. for a time period of at most 10 seconds; and forming the plate in one or more steps into a component at room temperature, wherein in the forming step the edge regions heated in the heating step are subjected to cold forming.

A steel sheet for a crown cap has sufficient strength and formability even when the thickness thereof is reduced for use, and has a composition containing, in percent by mass, C: 0.010% to 0.025%, Si: 0.10% or less, Mn: 0.05% to 0.50%, P: 0.050% or less, S: 0.005% to 0.050%, Al: 0.020% to 0.070%, N: less than 0.0040%, and the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, wherein yield strength after heat treatment at 210° C. for 15 minutes is as follows: the yield strength is 550 MPa or more in a rolling direction, and the yield strength in a direction 45° from the rolling direction in a rolling plane is equal to or less than the average of the yield strength in the rolling direction and the yield strength in a direction 90° from the rolling direction in the rolling plane.