Hybrid AHSS Stamping With Local Heating for Flanging and Trimming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS) are challenging to form, flange, and trim due to their higher strength and hardness, leading to premature tooling wear and production quality issues, particularly with stretch flanges.
Innovation Solution
A process and assembly that involves strategically heating specific locations of the steel article before and during stamping operations to enhance material properties, allowing for reduced forming forces and improved formability, flange-ability, and trim-ability, using heating elements to create localized heated zones that facilitate bending and trimming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional cold stamping is used on Advanced High Strength Steels, then production efficiency is maintained, but formability and trim-ability deteriorate due to higher strength and hardness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies localized heating to change the temperature parameter of the steel blank in specific regions before forming operations. This temporary parameter change reduces the material's flow stress and increases ductility in the heated zones, enabling complex forming operations on AHSS without requiring a complete change to hot stamping processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating elements are positioned and activated before the stamping operation begins, preparing the material in advance by creating softened zones where forming is needed. This preliminary thermal preparation allows the subsequent cold stamping to proceed more easily while maintaining overall production efficiency.
2Device complexity
If traditional cold stamping is used on Advanced High Strength Steels, then tooling cost is reduced, but tooling wear increases due to higher hardness
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than heating the entire blank (which would require expensive hot stamping tooling), the patent uses localized heating elements to create softened zones only in the regions where forming complexity is needed. This approach maintains simple cold stamping tooling for the majority of the process while applying thermal assistance only where necessary, thereby extending tooling life without significantly increasing tooling cost.
3Reliability
If localized heating is applied to enhance formability, then edge fracture resistance improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies heating to only the specific regions of the blank where edge fracture risk is highest, rather than heating the entire blank. This partial application of thermal energy achieves the necessary improvement in edge fracture resistance while minimizing energy consumption compared to full-blank heating approaches.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process results in higher strength, greater resistance to edge fractures, and lower forming tonnages, enabling the production of complex shapes with reduced edge cracking and increased production rates, while maintaining higher material quality with less spring-back and sidewall curl.
Implementation Method 1
positioning of heating elements at locations along a blank shaped steel article. Following an initial heating
Implementation Method 2
the heated zones defining bend axles or points within the article. Following the initial heating and bending/stamping operations
Data Source
AI summary
A process and assembly for heat treating portions of a steel article, such as an advanced high strength (AHSS) steel. In an initial operation, the invention provides for positioning of heating elements at locations along such as a blank shaped steel article. Following an initial heating, a suitable forming or stamping operation is employed to bend or reform the article with the heated zones defining the bend axles or points within the article. Following the initial heating and bending/stamping operations, the heating elements can be added, such as against outer flange locations of the previously stamped article, following which a subsequent trimming or final fabricating step is employed to complete the article.