||The precise evaluation of the development of the metals in the future is understandably difficult. What is clear is that the strength of the steels will increase along with their hardness. The growth of the strength inevitably brings more challenges to the fabrication; however with high quality engineering and fabrication practices the effect of these challenges can be reduced. Various coating techniques also pave the way for the use of carbon steels in corrosion demanding applications.
Regarding the stainless steels, the increase of yield strength in addition to improvements of corrosion resistance provides basis for much wider range of possible applications when compared to non-coated carbon steels. The use of stainless steel grades in the structures in agricultural environment and work machinery can be easily seen with the knowledge of the conditions in the agricultural environment. The needed corrosion resistance is one on the key factors when choosing the material for specific product. The material selection phase should include thorough analysis of available grades from ferritic to duplex. The actual operating costs and environmental impacts throughout the whole life cycle of the products remain as a challenge. Current methods for estimating, for instance, carbon footprint are in abundance and their usage lacks clear guidelines, which does not help the situation.