Press hardening using masks during furnace process for partial austenitization

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Bernd-Arno Behrens
• Subject Area: Primary Shaping and Reshaping Technology, Additive Manufacturing ; Metallurgical, Thermal and Thermomechanical Treatment of Materials
• Term: from 2016 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 310404283

The applied research project focusses on the development and realization of a masking concept for producing partial tempered steel sheet metal components. The basement for this concept involves a material model enhancement for the boron-manganese steel 22MnB5. Partial austenitization of the material structure during the heating processes has to be considered to enable a purposeful adjustment of the component properties. Using masking bodies in the furnace process the austenitic phase transformation should be avoided or lowered in partial blank areas. Thus, the component should feature advantageous, local varied properties after hot stamping process. By this means, the crash-performance of the boron-manganese components or rather of the car body structure can be optimized. The furnace dwell time is predetermined by the time need of the usually used cinder protection coating to permeate into the basic material. During this time, a masking body has to lower the temperature increase. To adjust component properties in a defined way an appropriate method for masking bodies design is required. Therefore, simulation models have to consider both the thermo-mechanical properties of the masking body and a material model which is able to compute a partial austenitization of the blanks during furnace dwell time. By this means, it would be possible to predict the local varying components properties due to the hot stamping procedure.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants (Transfer Project)
• Application Partner: Volkswagen AG; Konzernforschung Metalle (K-EFW/M)