Patent Application
20240058887
The present invention relates to a frame member capable of exhibiting excellent energy absorption performance that matches high-strengthening by suppressing fracture from a spot-welding portion at the time of the collision.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-072691, filed on Apr. 22, 2021, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In the automobile industry, vehicle body structures capable of reducing the impact at the time of the collision have been developed. A frame member constructing a vehicle body structure is required to absorb collision energy, and adopts, for example, a structure obtained by forming a plurality of steel sheets into a predetermined shape by press forming or the like and by then forming a closed cross section by spot welding.
In such a structure, it is important to secure a strength so that even in a case where the member is deformed by an input at the time of the collision, the closed cross section of the member can be maintained without easy fracture of the spot-welding portion.
In general, the absorbed energy at the time of the collision per unit mass of the frame member can be increased by increasing the strength of the steel sheet. Therefore, increasing the strength of the steel sheet is often used as a method for reducing the weight of the automobile body.
Meanwhile, it has been known that the strength of the spot-welding portion is reduced with an increase in strength of the steel sheet. Accordingly, in a case where a closed cross section is formed by spot welding using a high-strength steel sheet, it is necessary to devise measures so that the spot-welding portion does not fracture when a collision input is applied to the member. This is because in a case where fracture occurs from the spot-welding portion, the closed cross section cannot be maintained, and the energy absorption performance that matches high-strengthening cannot be obtained.
Based on such actual situation, a frame member designed to obtain energy absorption performance that matches high-strengthening has been proposed.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an automobile frame member including a first steel sheet, a second steel sheet, and a first weld metal portion, in which minimum Vickers hardness of a region in the second steel sheet within 4 mm around the first weld metal portion is 80% or more of hardness of the second steel sheet outside the region.
According to the technology of Patent Document 1, it is possible to achieve both an improvement in strength of the whole member including a welded portion and an improvement in impact absorption characteristics.
However, the problem to be solved by Patent Document 1 is related to suppression of a reduction in hardness due to HAZ softening, but the factors of a reduction in joint strength in a case where a steel sheet is increased in strength are not limited to hardness reduction due to HAZ softening. Even with the technology of Patent Document 1, depending on the steel to be used, desired energy absorption performance may not be exhibited due to fracture from the spot-welding portion, and there is room for further improvement of the energy absorption performance.
The present invention is contrived in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a frame member capable of exhibiting excellent energy absorption performance that matches high-strengthening by suppressing fracture at a spot-welding portion at the time of the collision.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following configurations.
According to the above aspect, in a case where the hardness distribution in the vicinity of the boundary between a molten metal and a HAZ portion is optimized. fracture at a spot-welding portion at the time of the collision can be suppressed, and excellent energy absorption performance that matches high-strengthening can be exhibited.
The inventors have intensively studied a configuration of a frame member capable of exhibiting excellent energy absorption performance that matches high-strengthening.
The inventors have analyzed spot fracture occurring in a case where a hot stamping material of more than 2.0 GPa is applied as a material of a frame member, and focused on the fact that even with the same strength, the frequency of occurrence of spot fracture varies with changes in Mn content.
In addition, the inventors have investigated in detail the hardness distribution in the vicinity of a spot-welding portion of a frame member, obtained by overlapping and spot-welding two hot stamping materials of more than 2.0 GPa. As a result, the inventors have found that in a frame member in which spot fracture is likely to occur, there is a tendency that separately from a HAZ-softened portion, a part where the hardness is 100 Hv or more lower than the average hardness of the molten metal exists in the vicinity of a boundary between a molten metal and a HAZ portion.
In addition, the inventors have conducted further studies focusing on the fact that this tendency is remarkable in a case where a steel sheet material having a high Mn content is used. As a result, the inventors have found that the above tendency is caused due to the existence of a Mn-deficient layer formed in the vicinity of the boundary between the molten metal and the HAZ portion.
Based on these findings, the inventors have found that in a case where the hardness distribution in the vicinity of the boundary between the molten metal and the HAZ portion is optimized, spot fracture can be suppressed even in a frame member in which a hot stamping material of more than 2.0 GPa is applied, and excellent energy absorption performance that matches high-strengthening can be exhibited, and completed the present invention.
Hereinafter, a frame member 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the present specification and the drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid duplicating description.
First, terms and phrases in the present specification will be described.
The “longitudinal direction Z” means a material axis direction of a frame member, that is, a direction in which the axis extends. The “width direction X” is a direction in which a joint surface between two steel sheet members spot-welded extends among directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction Z. The “height direction Y” is a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction Z and the width direction X.
The “molten metal portion” means a part where the overlapped steel sheet members are melted and integrated by spot welding heat. The molten metal portion may be referred to as a nugget.
The “heat-affected portion” is a part formed adjacent to the outside of the molten metal portion and having a structure different from that of a base metal portion due to the influence of spot welding heat. The heat-affected portion may be referred to as a heat affected zone (HAZ).
Usually, in an outer peripheral region in the heat-affected portion, a HAZ-softened portion which is more softened than the molten metal portion and the base metal portion due to the influence of spot welding heat exists.
The first steel sheet member 10 is a member obtained by press-forming a steel sheet into a hat-shaped cross-sectional shape. The sheet thickness of the first steel sheet member 10 (that is, the sheet thickness of the steel sheet before press forming) may be 0.4 mm or more and 4.2 mm or less.
As shown in
The first steel sheet member 10 has a tensile strength of 1,900 MPa or more. In a case where the first steel sheet member 10 has a tensile strength of 1,900 MPa or more, excellent energy absorption performance can be exhibited.
However, in a case where fracture occurs from the spot-welding portion 50 at the time of the impact deformation of the frame member 1 and the closed cross section collapses, the energy absorption performance due to the first steel sheet member 10 having a tensile strength of 1,900 MPa or more cannot be sufficiently exhibited. Accordingly, in the present application, as will be described later, it is important to suppress spot fracture while using a high-strength member by optimizing the hardness distribution in the vicinity of the spot-welding portion 50.
The first steel sheet member 10 can be manufactured by a method (hot stamping method) including heating a steel sheet to an austenite transformation temperature or higher and quenching the steel sheet while forming the steel sheet with a water cooling die.
The second steel sheet member 20 is a flat steel sheet. The sheet thickness of the second steel sheet member 20 may be 0.4 mm or more and 4.2 mm or less.
The tensile strength of the second steel sheet member 20 is not particularly limited. However, as in the case of the first steel sheet member 10, it is preferable that the tensile strength is 1,900 MPa or more since further excellent energy absorption performance can be exhibited.
The spot-welding portion 50 is formed by performing spot welding in a state in which the second steel sheet member 20 is overlapped on the pair of flanges 15, 15 of the first steel sheet member 10.
A plurality of the spot-welding portions 50 are formed at a pitch of about 15 mm to 50 mm along the longitudinal direction Z of the frame member 1.
The conditions of the spot welding are not particularly limited. For example, heat input conditions may be adopted so that the nugget diameter (that is, the diameter of the molten metal portion) is about 6√t (t is a smaller one of the sheet thickness of the first steel sheet member 10 and the sheet thickness of the second steel sheet member 20).
As shown in
Here, in the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction Z including the center point P of the spot-welding portion 50, a region corresponding to the molten metal portion 51 is defined as a first region α, and a region corresponding to the heat-affected portion 53 is defined as a second region β.
Furthermore, a region formed of: a region from a melting boundary which is a boundary between the first region α and the second region β to a position 100 μm away from the boundary toward the first region α; and a region from the boundary to a position 100 μm away from the boundary toward the second region β is defined as a third region γ.
The third region γ overlaps a part of the first region α and a part of the second region β.
The virtual straight line a extends from a center portion of the first region α to the second region β. More specifically, the virtual straight line a extends parallel to a joint surface (shown by the dashed line in
A pair of points a2 are points at which the virtual straight line a intersects the melting boundary which is a boundary between the first region α and the second region β.
A pair of points a1 existing inside the pair of points a2 are points at which the virtual straight line a intersects the inner edge of the third region γ.
A pair of points a3 existing outside the pair of points a2 are points at which the virtual straight line a intersects the outer edge of the third region γ.
A pair of points a4 existing outside the pair of points a3 are points at which the virtual straight line a intersects the outer edge of the second region β.
Accordingly, in the virtual straight line a,
As shown in
Accordingly, average (arithmetic average) Vickers hardness HvAve in the first region α and minimum Vickers hardness HvMin in the third region γ satisfy HvAve−HvMin≤100.
In this case, spot fracture during deformation of the frame member 1, caused by a local decrease in hardness in the third region γ, is suppressed, and the closed cross section is maintained. Accordingly, the frame member 1 can exhibit excellent energy absorption performance that matches high-strengthening.
Here,
In addition,
As shown in
Accordingly, average Vickers hardness HvAve in a first region α and minimum Vickers hardness HvMin in the third region γ show HvAve−HvMin>100.
According to the results of the studies by the inventors, this phenomenon is presumed to be due to a Mn-deficient layer formed in a case where a steel sheet having a high Mn content and a high strength is spot-welded.
In this frame member 101, since the softened portion exists in the third region γ, the closed cross section is not maintained due to spot fracture occurring during deformation, and excellent energy absorption performance that matches high-strengthening cannot be exhibited in some cases.
Meanwhile, according to the frame member 1 according to this embodiment, the average Vickers hardness HvAve at a measurement position corresponding to the first region α in the virtual straight line a and the minimum Vickers hardness HvMin at a measurement position corresponding to the third region γ satisfy HvAve−HvMin≤100, and thus spot fracture during deformation, occurring by a local reduction in hardness, is suppressed, and the closed cross section is maintained. Accordingly, the frame member 1 can exhibit excellent energy absorption performance that matches high-strengthening.
In order to more securely prevent spot fracture during deformation, HvAve−HvMin≤50 is preferable, and HvAve−HvMin≤30 is more preferable.
As a measure for obtaining hardness distribution satisfying HvAve−HvMin≤100, for example, a steel sheet having a Mn content of 1.0% by mass or less, and preferably 0.50% by mass or less, is considered to be used as a material of the first steel sheet member 10. As above, in a case where the Mn content is reduced, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of Mn segregation in the third region γ, and thus it is possible to prevent the local formation of a softened portion in the third region γ. In addition, in a case where the amount of alloying elements other than Mn is adjusted, it is possible to prevent the local formation of a softened portion in the third region γ.
(Measurement Method)
The average Vickers hardness HvAve at a measurement position corresponding to the first region α in the virtual straight line a and the minimum Vickers hardness HvMin at a measurement position corresponding to the third region γ can be measured as described below.
The Vickers hardness is continuously measured at a measurement pitch of 15 μm along the virtual straight line a with a load of 10 gf according to JIS Z 2244.
From the Vickers hardness values obtained by such measurement, the average Vickers hardness HvAve in the first region α and the minimum Vickers hardness HvMin in the third region γ can be obtained.
In the present application, a reduction in hardness in the narrow third region γ of about 200 μm is suppressed to avoid spot fracture. Accordingly, a measurement pitch of 15 μm, which is narrower than usual, is adopted.
In other words, in a case where the measurement pitch is too large, the reduction in hardness cannot be detected even in a case where the hardness is locally reduced in the vicinity of the third region γ.
Here, the method in which the measurement is performed along the virtual straight line a which extends parallel to the joint surface with a distance of 200 μm therebetween has been shown. However, in a case where the measurement by the above method is difficult, the measurement may be performed at a pitch of 15 μm from the center of the molten portion toward the outside across the melting boundary.
The chemical compositions of the first steel sheet member 10 and the second steel sheet member 20 are not particularly limited. However, in a case where the Mn content is excessive in each of the first steel sheet member 10 and the second steel sheet member 20, Mn segregation is likely to occur. Therefore, the Mn content is preferably 1.0% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.5% by mass or less.
For each of the first steel sheet member 10 and the second steel sheet member 20, the Mn content is preferably 0.1% by mass or more from the viewpoint of securing hardenability.
In addition, in a case where the Mn content is reduced, the C (carbon) content may be 0.30% to 0.60% by mass in order to secure strength.
Although the preferable embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is apparent that a person having common knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs is able to devise various changes or modifications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and it should be understood that such examples belong to the technical scope of the present invention as a matter of course.
For example, although the frame member 1 according to the embodiment is configured by using the first steel sheet member 10 and the second steel sheet member 20, the frame member 1 may be configured by using a plurality of three or more steel sheet members.
In addition, in the frame member 1 according to the embodiment, the first steel sheet member 10 has a hat-shaped cross-sectional shape and the second steel sheet member 20 has a cross-sectional shape of a flat sheet. However, any cross-sectional shape is adoptable as long as a closed cross section is formed. For example, the first steel sheet member 10 may have a flat sheet-like cross-sectional shape, and the second steel sheet member 20 may have a hat-shaped cross-sectional shape. Otherwise, both the first steel sheet member 10 and the second steel sheet member 20 may have a hat-shaped cross-sectional shape.
In addition, in the frame member 1 according to the embodiment, the pair of side walls 13, 13 have the same height, but may have different heights.
It is preferable that a cross-sectional region in which a ratio h1/w of a height h1 of the first steel sheet member 10 along the sheet thickness direction of a part where the spot-welding portion 50 is formed in the first steel sheet member 10 in the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction Z of the frame member 1 to a width w of the frame member 1 along the direction perpendicular to the sheet thickness direction of the part where the spot-welding portion 50 is formed in the first steel sheet member 10 is 0.6 or less is formed.
According to such a configuration, in a case where a steel sheet in which the strength of the spot-welding portion 50 is increased is used to provide a member in which an aspect ratio of a cross section of the member is optimized, it is possible to suppress fracture of the spot-welding portion 50. This makes it possible to exhibit further excellent energy absorption performance.
In a case of a hat-shaped cross-sectional shape in which the pair of side walls 13 have different heights, an average of the heights of the side walls 13, 13 on both sides is defined as the height h1.
In the frame member 1 according to the present embodiment, since the second steel sheet member 20 has a flat sheet shape, a height h2 is 0 mm. In a case where the second steel sheet member 20 does not have a flat sheet shape, it is preferable that a cross-sectional region in which a ratio h2/w of the height h2 to a width w of the frame member 1 is 0.6 or less is formed.
The frame member 1 according to this embodiment has a uniform cross-sectional shape over the whole length, but may not have a uniform cross-sectional shape over the whole length.
The cross-sectional region in which the ratio h1/w is 0.6 or less preferably exists in 50% or more, and preferably 80% or more of the total length of the frame member 1 in the longitudinal direction Z.
In addition, similarly, the cross-sectional region in which the ratio h2/w is 0.6 or less preferably exists in 50% or more, and preferably 80% or more of the total length of the frame member 1 in the longitudinal direction Z.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to more securely suppress fracture from the spot-welding portion at the time of the collision, and it is possible to exhibit more excellent energy absorption performance.
The effects of one aspect of the present invention will be described in greater detail with examples. However, the conditions in the examples are merely an example adopted to confirm the feasibility and the effects of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to this example. In the present invention, various conditions can be adopted as long as the gist of the present invention is not deviated and the object of the present invention is achieved.
A three-point bending test shown in
First, steel sheets to be used in evaluation were specified as shown in Table 1.
In Experimental Examples 1 to 3 and 5 to 7, a frame member including: a hat-shaped steel sheet member consisting of a steel sheet A and having a predetermined member height h1; and a flat sheet-like steel sheet member (h2=0 mm) joined to a flange of the hat-shaped steel sheet member by spot welding and having equivalent characteristics to the steel sheet A was used. The pitch of the spot welding was 40 mm.
In Experimental Example 4, a frame member including: a hat-shaped steel sheet member consisting of a steel sheet B and having a predetermined member height h1; and a flat sheet-like steel sheet member (h2=0 mm) joined to a flange of the hat-shaped steel sheet member by spot welding and having equivalent characteristics to the steel sheet B was used. The pitch of the spot welding was 40 mm. In Experimental Examples 8 to 13, a frame member including: a hat-shaped steel sheet member consisting of a steel sheet C and having a predetermined member height h1; and a flat sheet-like steel sheet member (h2=0 mm) joined to a flange of the hat-shaped steel sheet member by spot welding and having equivalent characteristics to the steel sheet C was used. The pitch of the spot welding was 40 mm.
Accordingly, as shown in
Next, as shown in
In the examples, a case where the number of spot fractures was 4 or less was determined to be acceptable. The evaluation results are shown in Table 2.
In a spot-welding portion obtained by performing spot welding on two overlapping steel sheets A, it was assumed that the Vickers hardness was measured at a pitch of 15 μm with a load of 10 gf according to JIS Z 2244 along a virtual straight line extending parallel to a joint surface between the steel sheet members with a distance of 200 μm therebetween from the joint surface toward the hat-shaped steel sheet member.
From the Vickers hardness values assumed as above, setting was conducted so that a difference (HvAve−HvMin) between average Vickers hardness HvAve in the first region α and minimum Vickers hardness HvMin in the third region γ was 45.
Similarly, the value of HvAve−HvMin was adjusted to 90 in a spot-welding portion obtained by performing spot welding on two overlapping steel sheets B.
Similarly, the value of HvAve−HvMin was adjusted to 140 in a spot-welding portion obtained by performing spot welding on two overlapping steel sheets C.
In Experimental Examples 1 to 3 and 5 to 7 assuming that the steel sheet A having a Mn content of 0.39% by mass was used, and Experimental Example 4 assuming that the steel sheet B having a Mn content of 0.80% by mass was used, no local reduction in hardness occurred, and the value of HvAve−HvMin was 100 or less. Accordingly, it was possible to suppress the number of spot fractures during deformation to 4 or less.
On the other hand, in Experimental Examples 8 to 13 assuming that the steel sheet C having a Mn content of 1.27% by mass was used, the hardness was locally reduced, and the value of HvAve−HvMin was more than 100. Accordingly, the number of spot fractures during deformation was 8 or more.
From the comparison between Experimental Examples 1 to 3 and 5 to 7 of the invention examples, it was also confirmed that the number of spot fractures can be suppressed as the value of h1/w is 0.6 or less.
According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a frame member capable of exhibiting excellent energy absorption performance that matches high-strengthening by suppressing fracture in a spot-welding portion at the time of the collision.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-072691 | Apr 2021 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2022/017788 | 4/14/2022 | WO |
