"The trial marks a significant milestone in demonstrating that Cliffs steel can effectively replace aluminum in critical automotive applications without the need for costly retooling. This accomplishment is a major breakthrough in the wake of recent major disruptions, presumably long-lasting, in the aluminum supply chain," the company said in a statement. 

Cleveland-Cliffs said its technical service and application engineering teams collaborated with the OEM’s production and tooling specialists to fine-tune both the material design and forming parameters.

“The result was a smooth transition from aluminum to steel, with no changes required to the stamping line,” the company added.

Cleveland-Cliffs said it has already has moved past the trial phase and is now making regular deliveries to the client.