Cold-Formed Reinforcing Member With HAZ-Controlled Weld Layout

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cold forming techniques face challenges in preventing damage to welded zones, particularly at room temperature, due to high ductility differences between blank and reinforcing patch members, leading to potential fractures and reduced load-bearing capacity.

Innovation Solution

A reinforcing member for cold forming is designed with a reinforcing patch member coupled to a blank member via welded zones, where the heat-affected zone is strategically positioned relative to the welded zones to enhance bonding strength and prevent fractures, using materials with tensile strengths between 500 MPa and 2500 MPa, and forming bent portions with specific curvature radii to distribute forces effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If cold forming is performed at room temperature, then equipment and operating costs are reduced, but welded zones are damaged due to high ductility differences between blank and reinforcing patch members

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidwelded zone integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a heat-affected zone through selective heating at the welded zones, which locally modifies the material properties of the blank member to match the ductility of the reinforcing patch member during cold forming, thereby preventing damage while maintaining cost-effective room temperature processing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical parameter of temperature locally at the welded zones by applying heat to create a heat-affected zone. This temporary parameter change during the forming process allows the blank member's ductility to match the reinforcing patch member, preventing welded zone damage while enabling cold forming at room temperature

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Strength

If the central point of welded zone is positioned close to the edge of reinforcing patch member, then bonding strength is enhanced, but the heat-affected zone may overlap with adjacent welded zones causing potential fractures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebonding strengthVSAvoidfracture resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses parameter changes by controlling the heating parameters to create a heat-affected zone with specific temperature and spatial characteristics. By adjusting the heating parameters, the heat-affected zone is confined to protect the welded zone without expanding enough to overlap with adjacent welded zones, thus maintaining bonding strength while preventing fractures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies feedback by using the heat-affected zone as a protective mechanism that responds to the welding configuration. The heat-affected zone's formation and extent are controlled to provide protective heating when needed while automatically limiting its spread to prevent overlap with adjacent welded zones, thus maintaining bonding strength while preventing fractures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

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 solution effectively prevents fractures at welded zones during cold forming, ensuring the required load-bearing capacity and reducing equipment and operating costs by allowing cold forming without the need for high-temperature processes, thus enhancing component design flexibility and performance.

Implementation Method 1

a reinforcing patch member provided to cover at least a portion of the blank member and coupled to the blank member by a plurality of welded zones, wherein the welded zone may be formed by spot welding by a welding head

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSpot welding: Welding

Implementation Method 2

an entire region of a heat-affected zone formed around the welded zone in the blank member

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS20220395886A1Reinforcing member for cold forming and parts manufactured using same

Publication Date: 2022.12.15 POHANG IRON & STEEL CO LTD

AI summary

A reinforcing member for cold forming according to an embodiment comprises: a blank member; and a reinforcing patch member provided to cover at least a portion of the blank member and coupled to the blank member by a plurality of welded portions, wherein the entire region of a heat-affected zone formed around the welded portions in the blank member is positioned in a region corresponding to the reinforcing patch member, and a heat-affected zone formed around a first welded portion from among the welded portions may contact the central point of a second welded portion adjacent to the first welded portion or may be formed to be spaced apart from the central point of the second welded portion.