Abstract
Improved manufacturing technology is often needed when working with high strength steel. In this respect manufacturing technology has to adapt to the altered (and typically reduced) formability and weldability of modern high strength steel. However, this is a rather passive approach from a manufacturing point of view. An indeed much more powerful approach is to generate synergies between innovative manufacturing technology, design and material enabling additional weight savings and efficiency gains. Laser-based material processing, in particular laser welding, offers a wide range of opportunities in this sense. Furthermore, hot stamping and roll forming open up new possibilities for advanced manufacturing of commercial vehicle components. Applications and examples of these technologies will be given in terms of producing innovative semi-products as well as final components.
Highlights
Improved manufacturing technology is often needed when working with high strength steel
Hot stamping and roll forming open up new possibilities for advanced manufacturing of commercial vehicle components
It is estimated that Chinese commercial vehicles consume 20% more fuel than their European or Japanese counterparts
Summary
China has installed a ‘‘National Program for Energy Conservation in Vehicles’’ in 2012. The extensive use of high strength steel grades and specific manufacturing technologies in the body-in-white (BIW) of passenger cars have demonstrated that weight reductions of 20% to over 30% can be achieved Such a far going approach has not yet been applied to truck cabins it is possible in principle. The use of extra and ultra high strength steels for producing openended profiles causes increased dimensional deviations in the finished part These are due to elastic spring back as a consequence of residual stresses present in the formed material. In China recent development of steel grades for truck frames with 600 MPa yield strength and higher has been focusing on chemistries with low carbon content and Nb-Ti dual microalloying With this concept either polygonal ferritic or bainitic microstructure with precipitation strengthening can be adjusted depending on the run-out table conditions in the hot-strip mill. Heat input below 10 kJ/cm results in excessive hardness peaks, making the HAZ sensitive for cold cracking
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