Textured Metal Substrate Surface for Galling-Resistant Pressing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Metal substrates face challenges in achieving good press performance while minimizing galling and maintaining a good paint appearance, as high roughness improves press performance but increases waviness, leading to rejection and tool pollution.

Innovation Solution

A metal substrate with a surface texture comprising a plurality of depressions, where each triplet of closest neighboring depressions is spaced apart by a circle with an arithmetic mean radius of at most 20 µm, and a material area fraction of at least 30%, which reduces galling and maintains a good paint appearance by distributing load and lubrication effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the strip surface roughness is increased to improve press performance and reduce galling, then the lubrication properties are improved, but the waviness increases which is detrimental for paint appearance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepress performanceVSAvoidwaviness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies local quality by creating a surface texture with specific local features (peaks and valleys with controlled dimensions) rather than uniform roughness. The peaks have controlled height (0.5-5 μm) and the valleys have controlled depth, creating localized lubrication zones without excessive overall roughness that would harm paint appearance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the surface parameters by controlling specific geometric characteristics of the texture: peak height (0.5-5 μm), valley depth, and material area fraction (10-80%). These parameter changes optimize the balance between lubrication capture (press performance) and surface smoothness (paint appearance).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If a textured surface is applied to improve press performance, then galling is reduced, but the surface complexity increases which may affect manufacturing precision

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegalling resistanceVSAvoidsurface texture control
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The surface texture is applied in advance during temper rolling or by laser treatment before the forming process. This preliminary action ensures the texture is already in place to prevent galling during forming, eliminating the need for last-minute surface modifications and ensuring consistent results.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces complex mechanical texturing systems with laser-based treatment or controlled rolling techniques. This substitution simplifies the manufacturing process while achieving precise control over surface texture parameters, reducing galling without compromising manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 described surface texture enhances press performance by reducing galling and tool pollution while maintaining a smooth paint appearance, as the smaller land areas under high load generate smaller wear particles, resulting in improved tribological properties and reduced tool contamination.

Implementation Method 1

The load can be carried by the high height area's or peaks of the surface texture and by a hydrostatic pressure generated in the lubricant in the depressions of the surface texture.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydrostatic pressure: Pressure Increase

Implementation Method 2

If the depressions in the surface texture are obtained by laser ablation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLaser ablation: Laser Ablation

Data Source

PatentEP4003621B1Metal substrate provided with surface texture and method for applying such textures on metal substrates
Publication Date: 2024.12.04 TATA STEEL NEDERLAND TECH BV
  • EP4003621B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4003621B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b

AI summary

The invention relates to a metal substrate with a surface texture, wherein the surface texture comprises a plurality of depressions, wherein each triplet of closest neighbouring depressions is spaced apart by a circle with a radius r, measured from the edge of the depressions, and wherein the arithmetic mean radius rmean is at most 30 μm and wherein the material area fraction is at least 30%.