High-Strength Steel Sheet Warm Forming Load Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

High-strength steel sheets with room-temperature strength above 980 MPa face challenges in achieving both excellent formability and reduced forming load, particularly in warm forming, due to high tensile strength and limited elongation, and existing techniques like hot press have manufacturing drawbacks such as oxidation and complex cooling control.

Innovation Solution

A high-strength steel sheet composition with bainitic ferrite, retained austenite, martensite, and ferrite microstructures, along with controlled carbon concentration and dissolved nitrogen, optimized for room-temperature strength and warm-forming load reduction, utilizing a specific heat treatment process to enhance formability and strength balance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If TRIP steel sheet is used to achieve high strength of 980 MPa or higher, then strength is improved, but total elongation decreases to less than 20% at room temperature

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetensile strengthVSAvoidformability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the chemical composition parameters by adding specific amounts of Si (1.0-3.0%), Mn (1.8-3.0%), and controlled C (0.02-0.3%), along with optional alloying elements, to optimize the microstructure and achieve both high strength and improved elongation through compositional optimization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite microstructure containing multiple phases (bainitic ferrite, retained austenite, martensite, and ferrite) with specific area ratios, where each phase contributes different properties: bainitic ferrite provides strength, retained austenite provides ductility through TRIP effect, and ferrite provides formability, achieving a balanced composite material system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of operation

If TRIP steel sheet is used to achieve excellent formability, then formability is improved, but forming load of press working increases in correspondence to high strength

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveformabilityVSAvoidforming load
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the temperature parameter by performing warm forming at 100-250°C, which reduces the forming load compared to room temperature forming of high-strength steel, while maintaining formability through the controlled microstructure that prevents excessive hardening during deformation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Force

If hot press technique is used to decrease forming load of press working, then forming load is decreased, but manufacturing complexity increases due to extreme oxidization, long heating time, and indispensable cooling control

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveforming loadVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the temperature parameter by using warm forming at 100-250°C instead of hot press at about 900°C, which significantly reduces the heating time and eliminates the need for complex cooling control while also preventing extreme oxidization, thus simplifying the manufacturing process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses a simpler, shorter heating process that does not require the extensive equipment and time investment of hot press, effectively replacing a complex, long-duration process with a simpler, shorter-duration alternative that achieves the same load reduction benefit

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

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 steel sheet achieves excellent room-temperature formability and warm-forming load reduction while maintaining strength above 980 MPa, with improved mechanical properties and reduced forming loads, overcoming the limitations of existing high-strength steel sheets.

Implementation Method 1

steel produced using a TRIP effect is effectively used to achieve high strength and excellent formability of the high-strength steel sheet of 980 MPa class or higher

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTRIP effect: Phase Change

Data Source

PatentEP2746416B1High-strength steel sheet having excellent room-temperature formability and warm formability, and warm forming method thereof
Publication Date: 2017.11.08 KOBE STEEL LTD

AI summary

This high-strength steel plate has a component composition including, by mass%, C: 0.02-0.3%, Si: 1-3%, Mn: 1.8-3%, P: 0.1% or less, S: 0.01% or less, Al: 0.001-0.1%, N: 0.002-0.03%, the rest consisting of iron and impurities. Said steel plate has a microstructure including, in terms of area ratio relative to the entire microstructure, each of the following phases: bainitic ferrite: 50-85%; retained γ: 3% or greater; martensite + the aforementioned retained γ: 10-45%; and ferrite: 5-40%. The C concentration (CγR) in the aforementioned retained austenite is 0.3-1.2 mass%, part or all of the N in the aforementioned component composition is solid solution N, and the amount of said solid solution N is 30-100 ppm.